Humbug Mountain State Park

(+5 insets!) (full-size is dreamy!) :) I haven't had much time to write so here's another entry from my trip file! Oh, the Joy of a Window-Filled Trailer! As I type, I'm glancing out at the campsite next to us. I am lounging on my perfect little bed, custom-made to fit the twin-sized space in my perfect little room. (My bed sits on a custom-made bed frame, complete with three huge drawers for storage, made beautifully by Steve!) This bed sits in a nook that is entirely filled with windows! Two tall, narrow ones on either end and a bisected, full size window on the long side! Every window in our coach is darkened so that in the daytime, people can't see in but we have a marvelous view outside. I am seated about five feet off the ground so it's like an eagle's nest! The floor of the entire coach is much higher than our old Grey Wolf trailer and we can't get over the awesomeness of the great views we have. To be honest, one of the (many) selling points of this trailer were all of the windows! The entire dining and kitchen area are completely filled with windows, with exception for the back wall where the stove/oven, coffee counter and refrigerator reside. The hallway leading up the three stairs to the master bedroom has a tall narrow window and there's also a window in the outer door. The master bedroom has a large one on one wall and the head of the bed there are a pair of tall narrow windows on each side. Even the bathroom has light streaming in through the skylight! The overall effect of this beautifully lit coach is cheery and inviting, an expansive space that's totally comfortable and homey. What an opposite to the Grey Wolf. No matter how many lights we added to that tin can cave, there was no way to make it feel homey and truly nice. It really was a "weekender" trailer and when we finally admitted defeat, one of the things on our "Won't Sacrifice" list was Lots of Windows! Our Avalanche is a dream come true! Yeah, But What About All That Light in the Morning?! You might wonder how we get any sleep when the light begins to tinge the sky at o-dark-hundred every day. Well, every window also has its own black-out blind and they work perfectly! Paired with tinted windows, it could be high noon out in the desert and still dark as a tomb inside! To be honest, some light does come in but it's totally negligible. The litmus test is our little parrot, Pumpkin. If it's getting light and she awakens, she begins a non-stop series of darling little peeps to say good morning, letting us know it's time to start the day. However, with these blackout blinds, the coach is dark until we say so…hurray! Today's Pictures I got lots of really neat pictures when we were at Humbug Mountain State Park, and my main picture is a favorite! These flowers are about 4" in diameter and simply glow in the morning light so I was delighted when I was able to get a worthy capture. I am also including an inset that shows a pair of these pretty flowers, as well as a meadow filled with Cat Ear flowers, and a Hedge Blindweed vine (an invasive flower in the morning glory family but not a true Morning Glory, which is in the ipomena genus ) wrapped around a blackberry cane. Finally, the opening bud of a Queen Anne's Lace couldn't be passed up--they are just magnificent--and last but not least, a Cat Ear plant with webs all over it! :) (I found an interesting, short, and picture-filled page about this plant and similar ones here: Invasive Vine Weeds for those who are curious!) This morning is lovely and sunny and we are hoping to drive down to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and then go agate rock hunting on the beach! Wish us luck! Sending my *virtual* hugs and love your way! Explored on 7/19/20; highest placement #4.

(+2 insets) This is the Life! We are nearly through our second full-week of camping now and life is great! Everything we'd hoped this trailer would be for us has been realized. It's spacious, well-made (ok, within reason…heh…trailers = shoddy builds), totally comfortable and has more storage that we need so we aren't having to repack everything when we are getting an item we're after. Happy Animal Family! Our animal family is doing great! Pumpkin, our darling parrot, is as happy as a clam with mom and dad usually close by whenever we're in the trailer. One way to tell that she's at ease is the amount of food she eats. Perhaps she needs a piggy tail as she's chowing like a 700-pound porker, yay! :) Meanwhile, our near-20-yr old frogs are content enough that they are hooting at one another and eating crickets with wild abandon. We are joyfully amused that they take turns soaking in the little pool we have for them, it's such a cute sight! And last but not least, Snakey McSnakerton started the trip in pre-shed condition with a gray sheen and opaqued eyes. We offered him a mouse a few days ago but as we expected, he didn't eat it--he rarely eats just before he sheds but we wanted to give him the opportunity. Yesterday Steve turned Snakey's light on and found a bunched-up shed up against the glass--for the next while he stood cooing beautiful, gleaming sentiments at our lovely boy. Snakey really is extra pretty just after he sheds! At lunchtime I got a mouse ready for him (they are frozen so I thaw and warm one for him before offering) and after dancing it around in front of him and placing it nearby, I was happy to find him swallowing the last of it when I checked in a bit later. So it's official--all of our animals think the RV lifestyle is fantastic, just like we do! :) Steve's Injured Leg is Nearly 100% Better! I didn't mention that just before we left on our trip, Steve seriously hurt himself. A ladder he was on shifted and fell in the gravel driveway and he sustained a terrible sprained ankle and badly-twisted knee. For the entire week at Humbug Mountain State Park, Steve was barely able to walk around without being in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things he needed to do which kept him from resting his leg, all of which prolonged the injuries. However, as he was able to rest and elevate his leg, it very slowly began to get better. In the past few days the rate of recovery has really sped up. In fact, for the first time this trip, we went on a bike ride a couple of days ago! It was such a gentle trip around the three campground loops that Steve added another mile down one of the bike paths! And last night he was able to walk up and down the three stairs inside our coach without using the handrail or going down one step at a time. We lit up the coach with our beaming smiles of relief and happiness, isn't it just wonderful?! Time to Relax and Enjoy our Stay We learned last year that short stays at a campground are a bummer. Just when you've really relaxed and begun to feel at home, it's time to pack up and leave for the next spot. These 2-4-day stays made us feel hurried, unhappy and stressed-out. We decided that the perfect length of stay would be a full week if possible, with five days being a preferred minimum. So, for this trip, we've aimed at 7-day stays at our chosen campgrounds and the result has been fantastic! We have time to do what we want to without feeling like we must plan our days carefully to fit everything in. We just enjoy ourselves and whatever happens, happens! Time to be lazy and take naps, swing in the hammock or sit in our lounge chairs just watching folks walk or ride by. Time to read, do crosswords or cruise the 'net (if it's available). Time to go on my daily morning walk, or go out later with my macro lens and creep around for cool shots. Time to listen to the birds singing or maybe even watch them doing their thing. Time to cuddle Chicken (Pumpkin) and look at our frogs and snake. Time to go on bike rides or go on hikes. There's even time to play video games if we want! Finally, Steve and I can stay in these beautiful places and really relax and soak up all they have to offer. We are at peace. Today's Pictures I've got piles of processed pictures building up but today I've decided to share the blue jay pictures I captured last week. One day when we were at Humbug Mountain State Park, Steve saw a flash of blue and looked out to see that a Steller's Jay had landed next to the trailer. He called to me so I could see and then exclaimed, "Oh wow! It's sunning itself!" I looked out and we stood watching the beautiful bird warming its wings, a second bird landing nearby a moment later. I didn't think I'd be able to get pictures before the birds flew away but Steve reminded me that it's worth a try. I'm so glad I got my Sony because I was able to get a whole bunch of pictures before finally the pair flew away. I'm sharing two insets as well--one shows a nice side view and the other is a feather close-up! ENJOY! I hope everyone is doing well!! I'll be posting again in the next few days with some really neat finds! *BIG HUGS ALL AROUND* Explored on 7/12/20; highest placement #1.

(+5 insets!) We're Camping and Having a Blast! Life is just wonderful! Hello everyone! Steve and I are into our second week of our trip and having a great time! Our trailer is absolutely magnificent. My little bedroom is simply perfect and so my bed! Steve's is just as comfortable--we are so happy! Our coach is sumptuous and spacious and allows us to move around without bumping into each other whenever we do something. Especially nice is the fact that our kitchen has an island with access to the sink from either side! Our family is doing just as well as we are…Snakey McSnakerton has a smaller habitat that's large enough for him to cruise around but not too big either. Our two frogs are set up in a smaller terrarium too and enjoying their little pool along with daily cricket installments! :) Pumpkin is having a super time--she adores travelling and every day is full of happy adventures for her--whether that means going on a walk around the park in her little backpack cage or sitting in her cage with a carrot in a foot to nibble on while looking out of all the windows of our marvelous coach! Amidst the Pandemic, Camping with Others is Fine! It's been no problem staying at State Parks! Everyone has been super-respectful of social distancing and everyone is cheerful and happy. If I didn't know there was a world-wide virus to be careful about, you certainly wouldn't know by looking around. Families are acting normally and when I pass by people, we just keep our distance. How nice is that?! :) Humbug Mountain State Park and the Gorgeous Oregon Coast How very lucky we are! Last year when we did our coastal trip in our first RV (recreational vehicle), we passed by this state park and wondered if we'd ever be able to get a spot. To our amazement, when Steve looked into reservations, he was able to get us 7 nights there--the only spot that was available in fact! What are the odds, right?! Delighted doesn't express our joy! The campground has two loops to accommodate both RVs and traditional tent campers. The lower of the two loops has a sandy trail that leads along a the babbling Brush Creek to the ocean beach beyond. Situated in a canyon, there is an almost constant wind, though here and there are areas that are protected from the wind and are lovely and warm to walk through. There are hiking trails that make their way up and around the beautifully forested park and even a trail to the top of Humbug Mountain. It is a slice of paradise. Today's Pictures I have lots to chatter about but don't want to run out of time before posting my pictures so here we go! Today I'm featuring pictures of Humbug Mountain State Park beach and the creek that runs into the ocean at the beach. Included are several views of each and a panorama too! I hope everyone is doing well, I am so happy to be back to my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed self! Explored on 7/8/20; highest placement #1.