Camping experience.

Hi all..... just a quick post, since I've been remiss with posting and in pretty much of a fog and funk since my sister's death, and then my husband's cousin's death.

My hubby and I did actually go camping once this summer. It was shortly after my husband's cousin's death and we had already made the reservations and paid, so decided to go.  We had gotten the very last tent site when I called, that was available for the 3 nights my sister and husband were going. It was also right across the road from their site! I think it was fate that we were able to get that spot. You see... we have a new "toy" and wanted to try it out and figured this might be the last time this summer we could do that.

Here's our new old toy.  It's a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 Mark III Van and we found it just by accident. After we got rid of our 5th wheel trailer, we didn't plan to really get anything else, although we had thought how nice a van would be for some short travels, but really weren't going to pursue it!  I saw it for sale on the side of the road, checked it out, it was in very good condition and low miles, and hubby loved it, and voila! we bought it with money we had earmarked for some kitchen remodels! Oh well.... we had to make a choice and decided having a little fun was more important than a kitchen remodel.

Since the van kind of just "fell into our laps", here we go again... hopefully with something we can actually use!  (And we HAVE used it, alot already).

And it worked out just fine.... except for one thing........ THE BED is way too small for two people. I mean.. we knew it was small(ish) but thought we could make it work.. but NO... it did not work! It was the back bench seat that folded down into a bed. The first night camping was so miserable. I didn't get ANY sleep! Hubby did of course, as he was the one hogging the blankets or throwing them all onto me when he was too hot.. or kicking my face with his feet (see.. we/I thought sleeping head to toe in that narrow bed would work better, but no.... not... nadda.)

So we need to put in a new bed that we/someone can build. I think we could do it as I've checked YouTube and there are some very simple ways to build a bed, but we both are so unhandy and lazy when it comes to building things. Sigh......... wish we were both more handy. I have even bought us a jig saw, sander and an electric screwdriver... and we already have a circular saw.... so how hard can it be???? (may never get done if it's left to us!)

But we did, in spite of the bed, have a nice time camping, and it was very good for my soul to get up in the mountains and by the lake and just breathe the fresh air, and renourish myself. Such beauty and peace there.

Nice big campsite with power, so we could use our CPAP machines!

Crane Prairie Lake and Resort.... south of Sisters, Oregon. Gorgeous views!

This is the view from our campsite through the trees. You can just barely see the mountains in the distance. It was wonderful!

2nd morning. I slept in the Van alone so I could lay diagonally across the bed. My hubby slept in my sister's and her husband's RV as there was a queen bed they weren't using. I had  MUCH better sleep!

See how misty this photo looks? It's not my camera, it was COLD the 2nd morning, probably down in the 20's! Bur.r.r.r..r

This cute little chipmunk visited us when we set up on the table. The campground was FULL of chipmunks everywhere. What a home for them, as food and snacks galore! This one managed to get into our cookie bag and drag a whole cookie off to his/her hidey hole.

We spent most of our time walking around, back and forth to the store (or the restrooms that were kind of far away!) and walking a few lake paths...... and EATING of course! That's the best part right? No campfires allowed so we didn't get to have our traditional s'mores.

I did alot of relaxing and sitting by the lake in the sunshine.

My sister went kayaking. I was going to try it, but after almost no sleep the first night, I just didn't have the "want to" or energy to do it. It's still on my bucket list!

I'm very glad we did go camping as it was a nice get-away from the reality of life's recent tragedies. We had been hoping to go camping with my sister long before this, but never have had a trailer to use or camper, etc. With just having bought the Van, it was perfect timing and I'm so glad we took advantage of it. Was a very memorable weekend.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

Through my grieving and sadness, my yard has been a pure joy for me. I haven't kept my flowers as nice as I usually do, but the lushness for awhile, and my little fountain, have been such a delight for me. Our grass is finally coming in better, and my raspberries and lilacs bushed out so wonderfully.

This is my favorite sitting area.

Here's the progress of our little patch of lawn. This photo was taken in August, and it looks much thicker now.

And thanks to my wonderful blogging friend, Marilyn, of Mountain Top Spice, I am privileged to enjoy one of her beautiful "plate flowers" that she makes  using vintage dishes. You can see it there in my little garden area, on the green post. She was so sweet to mail it to me a few months ago, and I just recently was able to install it in my garden.. and I love it so much! 

Thank you so much Marilyn! If you haven't visited her blog, please do so. She is a wonderful photographer, and her gardens and whimsical delights are such a joy. She lives in northern Idaho, and I hope one day to be able to visit her in person.

I've been finding much solace in crafting and creating lately, and have been pretty much glued to my craft room. And that's another story and another post............

Reflect upon your present blessings,

of which every man has many;

Not on your past misfortune,

of which all men have some.

~Charles Dickens~

~Marilyn~

Pretty Pinks from Past Posts.

I've been reminiscing about and looking at my blog posts from the past.............. as I'm in the mood for some PINK since Valentine's Day is right around the corner! 

Some newer subscribers may not remember these pictures and projects... some of my favorite "pink" memories..................... flowers.........scenes...........things I've created...................

TINY THANK YOU CARDS.

BLOSSOM FROM A TREE AT MY HOUSE IN WASHOUGAL, WA. - LOVE THE VERSE.

FOLDED STAR I MADE WITH FABRIC, AND FRAMED WITH WOOD FELT.

PRETTY DECK FLOWERS FROM 5 YEARS AGO.

PEONY FROM MY YARD IN WASHINGTON.

CARD I MADE USING THE "BLOCK FILL" TECHNIQUE. LOVE IT!

CANVAS BOARD HANGING WALL ART, WITH A SEWING THEME.. I MADE FOR MY SISTER WHO QUILTS ALL THE TIME. SHE QUILTED THE STRIP QUILT I MADE MY SON LAST SUMMER(2018).

ANOTHER CANVAS BOARD WALL HANGING I MADE.

RHODODENDRON BLOOM FROM ONE OF MY SHRUBS IN SW WASHINGTON WHEN I LIVED THERE. LOVED THE PINK ONES!

PAPER "DAHLIA" FLOWER I MADE.

GORGEOUS ROCK DAPHNE BUSH (I THINK) FROM THE OREGON COAST.

A LITTLE GUEST COTTAGE FROM OUR RENTAL HOUSE 5 YEARS AGO, IN CENTRAL OREGON. I "COLORIZED' IT WITH PINK (OF COURSE)!

SWEET LITTLE "TAG ALBUM" I MADE.

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE HEXAGON BOXES I MADE. I LOVE THE VINTAGE SHABBY PAPERS AND AM STILL HOARDING MOST OF THEM!

FOX GLOVE FROM MY PREVIOUS HOME OF MANY YEARS AGO, IN WASHINGTON STATE. THEY GREW WILD THERE ALL OVER THE HILLSIDES.

ONE OF MY MOM'S TEACUPS.

SHABBY "ORNAMENT' I MADE WITH FABRICS AND NO SEWING.

TINY 3" BOX TO HOLD TINY GIFTS.

ONE OF MY MANY MINI TREAT BOXES.

I "adore" you all sweet subscribers and blog friends!

Have a great week!

Trippy...............

Hello my blog friends! 

Lake Billy Chinook - 7 miles from my home.

I'm overwhelmed (with photos of my trips)...(and when I say "trip", it could be going less than 10 miles from my home)......... I'm behind in posting (about my trips).... I'm stuck as to what to post first (about my trips)..... I don't know where to start! 

Railroad trestle, right in the  heart of Madras!

I have so many photos of beautiful, gorgeous and scenic areas that I've taken during the last year or so and that I haven't posted yet..... and I just keep putting it off because I don't know what to post first.

Some places are close to home, others further away.

At first I thought... well I should just do it in chronological order, right? But then it would take forever to get caught up to now! (and there are other more current things I would like to post NOW). What's a girl to do. I can't just NOT post them!

Lake Simtustus, about 10 miles from Madras, Oregon.

After much thought... I just decided to post some of my best photos, in no particular order, of places I've visited, either alone or with family... so I can mark these trips off my list of "blog posts to do"! 

Petroglyphs.... about 12 miles east of Madras.

So............ here goes!  First... places close to where I live......

1.  Haystack Reservoir in Madras, about 10 miles from where I live. A beautiful spot for kayaking, fishing and camping. We live in a dry area, so is so nice to have a lake close by. This was last summer with my sister and a friend. The last photo is the camp area.. very dry looking, right? but a beautiful view of Mt. Jefferson to the west.

2.  Smith Rocks State Park to the south of Madras, about 20 miles... it's a hiker and mountain climber's paradise! The Crooked River flows around the rock formations in a beautiful little canyon. These were taken last March when my son came to visit from Astoria, Oregon.

Mt. Jefferson to the west... in the distance.

Do you see the guy in the red T-shirt walking on the rope across the canyon? wowzer!

Close up of rope walker. I'm amazed.

Crooked River down below.. see the path along it and those tiny little people walking? Gives you some perspective of where I'm standing. Stunningly beautiful...........

Rock climbers heading straight UP the wall! (close-up)

Climbers from a distance.

Starting up top where I'm taking these pictures, you can walk way down a winding trail to the river and across a bridge, and then hike up the other side, way to the top of those rocks!  I stayed at the top!

That's my son and his girlfriend and her son on the bridge (this side.. .little cluster of black and pink).

Hiking back up is not for the weak of heart (and breath)!!!

Now for some further away trips...........

3.  Rife Lake and Mayfield Lake in Mossyrock, WA. This was a trip I took in June of this year to go visit my (miracle worker) chiropractor.  I used to live in this area back in 2000 and 2001. It's about a 5-1/2 hour drive from Madras, up into SW Washington state (you take I-5 North, then cut off on Hwy 12 east that heads to Yakima). Gorgeous, green area, but they get lots of rain!

Rife Lake between Mossyrock, WA and Morton, WA. 

Rife Lake - boaters love it, but was mid-week and no boats out! I was really surprised.

Campground at Mayfield Lake by Mossyrock, WA. Oh boy did I love the green there!

Mayfield Lake - lovely place to sit in the evening. Visited with my sister and brother-in-law.

Fresh local strawberries from the fruit stand down the road. 

4.  Beacon Rock State park in Washington, just across the Columbia River from Oregon. The Columbia River divides Oregon and Washington. I just had to stop here on the way home from my trip to see my chiropractor in June. I hadn't been there for a along time. There is a (very precarious) hiking trail to the very top! My oldest son hiked it once with his dad when he was about 8 years old. I never have.

Beacon Rock is about the third largest monolith (single rock) in the world!

This is an inlet of the Columbia River, which flows "mightily" as they say, beyond the trees.

Beacon Rock is in the distance. This is a view of the Columbia River and Beacon Rock (to the east) from a high spot just east of Washougal, WA where I used to live (Cape Horn is an area on a very twisty and narrow road around a rock cliff!). Washougal is east of Vancouver, WA about 20 miles.

Looking down into the beautiful farms and pastures from Cape Horn, the viewpoint I was standing on (that looks east to Beacon Rock).

Nature is not only what is visible to the eye --

it shows the inner images of the soul --

the images on the back side of the eyes.

Edward Munch (1863-1944)
Norwegian painter and printmaker

The mighty Columbia River.

5.  Cascade Locks, Oregon Marine Park on the Columbia River. This was during my trip to my chiropractor in June. Cascade Locks has actual "locks" where the ships that come up the river have to go through. There are two or three Sternwheelers that traverse up and down the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon east up the Columbia River to destinations east of The Dalles, Oregon (going into the dry country). 

I'm in the park looking East to the town of Stevenson, WA. This is a beautiful park where the Sternwheelers dock and take on loads of people who want to travel the Columbia River. 

Very popular fishing spot, but always windy here!

The Bridge of the Gods in the distance, with a big barge coming up the river. It makes a big turn as I take pictures, and doesn't come up through the locks.

Oh it's all so green and lovely and high mountains line the gorge on both sides.

Fish ladders used by the Indians for their Salmon fishing. They sell their catches in Cascade Locks at roadside stands and at one of the largest restaurants in the area. 

I think that's enough photos for one post. I just love capturing images of our beautiful country, maybe a perspective that no one else has seen with their eyes! 

Oregon and Washington are a photographer's paradise, and I can travel less than 10 miles from my home to find some of the most awesome works of Mother Nature in the Pacific Northwest!

Enjoy the weekend friends! It's still HOT here!