![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Had a nice, relaxing weekend with our friends in Lebam, WA, southwest of Olympia near the Pacific coast.
FRIDAY
I took the day off so we planned to leave in time to get there by lunchtime, but we were late getting packed so we left just after noon. As a result we got stuck in traffic almost the whole way south until we cleared downtown Olympia. We had a late lunch at our usual Shari's in Lacey, where we were served by an extra cute cub with brush-cut blond hair and a lean bald dude with a stubbly beard wearing what appeared to be a leather apron.
We arrived at Stan and Deon's about 5:30, set up the Christmas chairs and chatted with Brendan about the video shoot for Camp Every County (to the obvious tune). It came off really horrible, exactly as planned. We put up our new tent and cots. There's enough room to set up a bunk at each end of the tent and have plenty of room to stand up and maneuver in between.
Once we had the tent up, we gathered with the crew and had dinner (spaghetti in meat sauce, sausage balls, and garlic bread). We were nine: Brendan (who left just after dinner because Ken was on call), Stan and Deon, Lou and Dave (who were on a mission to retrieve an old RV for donation), James and Matt, Gary and me. After dinner we chatted until everyone went to bed just after 9.
SATURDAY
I got up to water the tree once, then rose for the day just after 7. We had coffee, muffins and banana bread for breakfast, then moved to the lawn and chatted until lunch time. The sun was overheating my black T-shirt despite the clouds so I took it off and used it as a pillow for a while. Lunch of ribs, sandwiches, and snacks followed about one.
After lunch, Dave finally got the RV started and drove off with Lou following in case of another breakdown. Around four, we hopped in Stan's SUV with Deon and the four of us explored Washaway Beach. It had changed quite a bit since we were there last, 2 years ago: the big log we'd been sitting on had been pushed back maybe 50 feet, the jetty had worn down so you could no longer jump off it into deep water, and much of the driftwood had burned on the surface. Deon picked up some shells and stones, and pointed out some beached, dormant jellyfish on the jetty. It was misty and damp the whole time we were on the beach. On the way back we visited the Shoalwater Bay tribal casino and spent around $20 or so each gaming. They require masks, ID, and a temperature check to enter. We saw quite a few bicycles headed for the beach on our way back.
Dinner was chili and nachos with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole, followed by chocolate ice cream with all the fixings for dessert. After dinner we completed a game of Dos (from the makers of Uno) we'd started beforehand, and watched The Big Bang Theory and the Q13 news before calling it a night just after 11.
SUNDAY
I ended up watering the tree twice before getting up for the day just after six. We chatted on the back patio for a while, but Gary was rather cold and the conversation moved into the house. I took care of some business in the bathroom and rejoined the crew around 8:30. I admired a portrait of a tribal chief in full headdress, and Stan told us it had been painted by John's maternal uncle and he planned to donate it to the tribe, but because of COVID-19 no one was able to come by to pick it up. We returned to the patio and had breakfast of scrambled eggs, tater tots, sausage, fruit, and croissants. As we were eating, neighbor Bill from up the hill arrived, followed by Tom from Long Beach who we met last trip and his friend Bill from a really small town nearby.
I changed clothes after breakfast since it was getting warm, then took some pictures along the Willapa River. The new visitors left shortly afterwards. Around 11 or so it started getting misty again, so we loaded up the car and struck the tent. About 12:30 James and Matt decided to leave, so I threw the Christmas chairs in the car and we all left together, with hugs all around.
We decided to head back to I-5 rather than following our previous route through Raymond, Montesano, and Shelton. Along the way, Gary figured it would be easier to leave I-5 at US 101 and approach the west side of the Sound via Shelton. As we got through Shelton, I remembered the restaurants and hotel in Silverdale weren't far from Route 3 and suggested we stop there for lunch and fuel. Gary told me we were 45 minutes away from there, so I called Colleen on the car phone to catch up.
When we reached Silverdale, I found the hotel where we'd had the Chorus retreat and the Shari's restaurant across the street. Gary ordered a grilled ham and cheese and I ordered a club sandwich. When our food arrived, the waitress noticed the ham was missing so she took Gary's sandwich back to the kitchen, and it wasn't long before she was back with the completed sandwich. She got an extra tip for that. After lunch, we stopped by the nearby Safeway fuel station to fill up. When we got to Kingston, we stopped in the queue on the shoulder briefly before picking up a boarding pass from a state trooper and proceeding to the ferry terminal. We were one of the last cars to board the ferry. During the trip, we stood outside at the back of the car deck to take pictures. One of the crew members was cute with a thick, dark beard.
Once the vessel was docked at Edmonds, it wasn't long before we got on I-5 and headed home. Gary fixed ravioli and meatballs with red sauce for dinner. I ended up falling asleep in front of the TV so we headed to bed before 11.
FRIDAY
I took the day off so we planned to leave in time to get there by lunchtime, but we were late getting packed so we left just after noon. As a result we got stuck in traffic almost the whole way south until we cleared downtown Olympia. We had a late lunch at our usual Shari's in Lacey, where we were served by an extra cute cub with brush-cut blond hair and a lean bald dude with a stubbly beard wearing what appeared to be a leather apron.
We arrived at Stan and Deon's about 5:30, set up the Christmas chairs and chatted with Brendan about the video shoot for Camp Every County (to the obvious tune). It came off really horrible, exactly as planned. We put up our new tent and cots. There's enough room to set up a bunk at each end of the tent and have plenty of room to stand up and maneuver in between.
Once we had the tent up, we gathered with the crew and had dinner (spaghetti in meat sauce, sausage balls, and garlic bread). We were nine: Brendan (who left just after dinner because Ken was on call), Stan and Deon, Lou and Dave (who were on a mission to retrieve an old RV for donation), James and Matt, Gary and me. After dinner we chatted until everyone went to bed just after 9.
SATURDAY
I got up to water the tree once, then rose for the day just after 7. We had coffee, muffins and banana bread for breakfast, then moved to the lawn and chatted until lunch time. The sun was overheating my black T-shirt despite the clouds so I took it off and used it as a pillow for a while. Lunch of ribs, sandwiches, and snacks followed about one.
After lunch, Dave finally got the RV started and drove off with Lou following in case of another breakdown. Around four, we hopped in Stan's SUV with Deon and the four of us explored Washaway Beach. It had changed quite a bit since we were there last, 2 years ago: the big log we'd been sitting on had been pushed back maybe 50 feet, the jetty had worn down so you could no longer jump off it into deep water, and much of the driftwood had burned on the surface. Deon picked up some shells and stones, and pointed out some beached, dormant jellyfish on the jetty. It was misty and damp the whole time we were on the beach. On the way back we visited the Shoalwater Bay tribal casino and spent around $20 or so each gaming. They require masks, ID, and a temperature check to enter. We saw quite a few bicycles headed for the beach on our way back.
Dinner was chili and nachos with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole, followed by chocolate ice cream with all the fixings for dessert. After dinner we completed a game of Dos (from the makers of Uno) we'd started beforehand, and watched The Big Bang Theory and the Q13 news before calling it a night just after 11.
SUNDAY
I ended up watering the tree twice before getting up for the day just after six. We chatted on the back patio for a while, but Gary was rather cold and the conversation moved into the house. I took care of some business in the bathroom and rejoined the crew around 8:30. I admired a portrait of a tribal chief in full headdress, and Stan told us it had been painted by John's maternal uncle and he planned to donate it to the tribe, but because of COVID-19 no one was able to come by to pick it up. We returned to the patio and had breakfast of scrambled eggs, tater tots, sausage, fruit, and croissants. As we were eating, neighbor Bill from up the hill arrived, followed by Tom from Long Beach who we met last trip and his friend Bill from a really small town nearby.
I changed clothes after breakfast since it was getting warm, then took some pictures along the Willapa River. The new visitors left shortly afterwards. Around 11 or so it started getting misty again, so we loaded up the car and struck the tent. About 12:30 James and Matt decided to leave, so I threw the Christmas chairs in the car and we all left together, with hugs all around.
We decided to head back to I-5 rather than following our previous route through Raymond, Montesano, and Shelton. Along the way, Gary figured it would be easier to leave I-5 at US 101 and approach the west side of the Sound via Shelton. As we got through Shelton, I remembered the restaurants and hotel in Silverdale weren't far from Route 3 and suggested we stop there for lunch and fuel. Gary told me we were 45 minutes away from there, so I called Colleen on the car phone to catch up.
When we reached Silverdale, I found the hotel where we'd had the Chorus retreat and the Shari's restaurant across the street. Gary ordered a grilled ham and cheese and I ordered a club sandwich. When our food arrived, the waitress noticed the ham was missing so she took Gary's sandwich back to the kitchen, and it wasn't long before she was back with the completed sandwich. She got an extra tip for that. After lunch, we stopped by the nearby Safeway fuel station to fill up. When we got to Kingston, we stopped in the queue on the shoulder briefly before picking up a boarding pass from a state trooper and proceeding to the ferry terminal. We were one of the last cars to board the ferry. During the trip, we stood outside at the back of the car deck to take pictures. One of the crew members was cute with a thick, dark beard.
Once the vessel was docked at Edmonds, it wasn't long before we got on I-5 and headed home. Gary fixed ravioli and meatballs with red sauce for dinner. I ended up falling asleep in front of the TV so we headed to bed before 11.