sunburnt and happy

We had a lovely weekend camping.

Friday...

Here's our campsite. 

It really was this green.


We loved falling asleep to the sound of the stream 30 feet from our site
Nitrate/preservative free chicken hotdogs for dinner... they were pretty good!


Banana slug! we found a lot of these critters over the weekend

That night as we were drifting off to sleep, we were startled awake by loud cracking, groaning, a whoosh, an then a terrible thud. Somewhere off in the forest, a tree went down. It was an impressive sound that I had never heard until then.

Saturday...
A walk in a canyon full of ferns and frogs.

We took a rest by a quiet stream and snacked on KIND fruit & nut bars. I had almond - apricot and Spencer had banana - oatbran. delicious!

These flowers smelled so good. The meadows are covered in them around here...

We saw an elk


and visited a nearby waterfall. 




After a very full day, we headed back to our campsite and roasted marshmallows in a tired stupor

We're realizing that our bodies are aging. Sleeping on the ground with only a sleeping bag for padding was much more uncomfortable than I recall in previous camping trips over the years. Speaking of growing older, I found a beautiful silvery white hair growing from my head last week. Spencer thinks I should thank College of the Canyon's Registered Nursing Program for that...

Sunday

We got our site packed up and drove about 15 minutes north where we enjoyed a hot breakfast at a small town diner. We then headed for a nearby outlook in hopes of spotting a plume of river water flowing into the sea. Spencer will doing a 4 day cruise collecting samples from this river plume next week, so he was hoping he could eyeball the location of the plume for future reference. Sadly, all we could see was fog and it never did burn off that day.

We spent the afternoon wandering around on the beach, getting sunburnt, and enjoying a very scenic dirt road drive home.

I used up too many spoons this weekend and am now severely lacking, but it was well worth it. It was such a blessing and encouragement for Spencer and I to "get away" for a few days.

This Psalm came to mind a lot during the weekend...

Psalm 104

Praise the LORD, O my soul. 

O LORD my God, you are very great; 

you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a garment; 

he stretches out the heavens like a tent

and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. 

He makes the clouds his chariot 

and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers, 

flames of fire his servants.

He set the earth on its foundations; 

it can never be moved.

You covered it with the deep as with a garment; 

the waters stood above the mountains.

But at your rebuke the waters fled, 

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;

they flowed over the mountains, 

they went down into the valleys, 

to the place you assigned for them.

You set a boundary they cannot cross; 

never again will they cover the earth.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; 

it flows between the mountains.

They give water to all the beasts of the field; 

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The birds of the air nest by the waters; 

they sing among the branches.

He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; 

the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

He makes grass grow for the cattle, 

and plants for man to cultivate— 

bringing forth food from the earth:

wine that gladdens the heart of man, 

oil to make his face shine, 

and bread that sustains his heart.

The trees of the LORD are well watered, 

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

There the birds make their nests; 

the stork has its home in the pine trees.

The high mountains belong to the wild goats; 

the crags are a refuge for the coneys. 

The moon marks off the seasons, 

and the sun knows when to go down.

You bring darkness, it becomes night, 

and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

The lions roar for their prey 

and seek their food from God.

The sun rises, and they steal away; 

they return and lie down in their dens.

Then man goes out to his work, 

to his labor until evening.

How many are your works, O LORD! 

In wisdom you made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious, 

teeming with creatures beyond number— 

living things both large and small.

There the ships go to and fro, 

and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

These all look to you 

to give them their food at the proper time.

When you give it to them, 

they gather it up; 

when you open your hand, 

they are satisfied with good things.

When you hide your face, 

they are terrified; 

when you take away their breath, 

they die and return to the dust.

When you send your Spirit, 

they are created, 

and you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever; 

may the LORD rejoice in his works-

he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, 

who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the LORD all my life; 

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him, 

as I rejoice in the LORD.

But may sinners vanish from the earth 

and the wicked be no more. 

Praise the LORD, O my soul. 

Praise the LORD.