Time with the Kids

It was great spending time with the guys (and Lauren!).  Despite the fact that they’re grown-up and as much as I really respect what they’ve become, I can’t help but look at them and see my kids.  Maybe it’s because of all the time I spent on the floor playing with them, or running around the playground, or hiking through the woods - I look at them and I still see my kids; their whole histories wrapped up in an adult body.  I wonder if it’s the same for every parent, but that’s the way it is with me.So I was thrilled at the fact Kit and Devon were with us during my first week back.  And there are advantages to the fact that the guys were now very un-kid like anymore.  After our first hike, Ann checked the weather and had some bad news for us - the pleasant weather was leaving, a heat-wave was coming.  To that point, I had planned to do a couple of hikes in the mountains on the east side of the Cascades where it’s always hotter than in the Willamette Valley.  Might have to re-plan and do some hikes on the west side of the Cascades.  “How hot is it going to get?”  The news was bad, very bad.  Even the east side was going to be sweltering.  Then I asked about the coast - cold.

One thing to know about Summer in Oregon.  The hotter it is in the central part of the state (the east is always HOT [but it’s a dry heat] in the summer - they don’t call it the high desert for nothing), the cooler it is on the coast.  It’s not even a relative cooler, it’s cooler than normal - often foggy and frequently cloudy.  Apparently the wind patterns that bring the heat to central Oregon traps cold air along the coast.  

While we were going back and forth about things, Dev was diligently sitting on the couch with his computer.  Then he chimes up, “Dad, where’s Newport?  Close enough to go to?”  “Sure, we could go to Newport.  Why, what’s there?  Isn’t that where the Oregon aquarium is?”  “Yeah, but I want to go eat here!”  He turns his computer around and he’s on the Rogue Ales Brewer’s on the Bay website.  “Sure!”  Like I said, there are advantages to the fact that the guys aren’t kids anymore.

So the next day we head off to coast to the escape the heat for a couple of days.  We spent much of the time the first day scoping out the area and spent a good portion of each day at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse area.  The first day we went down to the rock beach area and looked around, deciding to also come back the next day.

The rocky beach at Yaquina had tide pools you could wander around an look at, with plenty of life that lived on the rocks.

Kit and Dev were pretty patient while Ann and I took our time photographing.  And I was able to talk Ann into letting me take a group shot.

After a while we called it a day and headed over to the place Dev selected for dinner.  We weren’t disappointed.

While we went there for the ales, which were most excellent, I was knocked out by the kobe beef hamburger I had.  It was definitely the best burger meat I’ve ever had and there was simply no comparison to the types of burgers I get in Monrovia.

Now, when you travel with people you learn a lot about them.  And sometimes things  happen that just shock you.  Well, I feel very fortunate that Ann, Devon and Kit are really bright (as are Lauren and Brandon) and we engage in some really interesting discussions.  None of them are toting low wattage light bulbs, and the types of problem solving skills they show with their work leaves me amazed.  I guess that just compounded my confusion when, after carrying in our luggage from the car, Ann and Devon tell Kit and me that the hotel room window will only slide open so far (about 8 inches).  Looking up I see the big window with a small opening, hoping to figure out a way to slide it open some more knowing that Ann really prefers fresh air to hotel air conditioning, but thinking that, well, we’re on the second floor so that makes sense - wouldn’t want little kids falling out of the window.  I walk over to the window with Ann and Devon telling me how futile it will be.  I look at the window, look down and, sure enough, there’s a channel blocker.  But it’s got a slit in it that looks like it’s two pieces.  So I reach down, pull out the little piece (well, that gained another 4 inches) then pulled out the second piece and then slid open the window.  10 seconds max.  I turned around and walked towards the bed.  Devon and Ann had this shocked look on their faces.  “How did you do that?”  “Uh, I took out the blocker pieces.”  “We spent the whole time you and Kit were getting the luggage trying to figure out how to open the window further.”  All I could think of was, “Wow.”  Maybe I give them too much credit. 

The next morning we went back to the lighthouse and took a tour. It’s an old, still functioning lighthouse with one of the largest fresnel lenses on the west coast.  It was an interesting tour and, although we didn’t have a whole lot of time in the light house itself, I managed to get a few interesting shots.

We stopped off at another shore area near the light house and walked around quite a while taking photographs and looking at things.  Ann went off on her own and I did my thing and Devon and Kit did their own wandering. 

I can’t say I am totally happy with what I shot that day, but I should show you something so . . . .  There were, of course rocks, water and life.

As well as interesting kelp beds.

But I couldn’t come up with any good broad landscapes.  I think Ann had better luck higher up on the hill by where we parked, but I ran down to the water and much worked with what I had.

Pretty much the best photo of the day was one of Devon.

I can’t quite tell if he was posing, deep in thought or bored out of his mind.  I guess it doesn’t matter, it’s a good photo of him. 

The rest of the day we drove down the coast, had a good lunch in Florence (followed by ice cream and coffee) and returned back to the heat of Eugene.  Unfortunately Kit had a plane to catch the next day.  At least we got to hang out together for a few days!