Fort Flagler Summer 2013

Fort Flagler Summer 2013

 

Fort Flagler, another “favorite place”, provided us a home base for the summer.  As with all Washington State Parks, there is a 10 limit on your stay.  With careful planning we reserved 40 nights throughout the summer from June 1^st to September 1^st.  The park sits at the tip of Marrowstone Island, across the bay from Port Townsend.  In good weather the views are magnificent!

 

When reservations go well, our sites are in the first or second row from the beach.

 

 

A short walk through the beach grass places you on the rocky shore of Puget Sound.  This is looking east.

This is looking west toward the Olympic National Park and Olympic Mountain Range.

 

Here’s a view of our RV from the beach.



 

 

On a clear day, Mt. Baker shows herself across Puget Sound to the east.

 

The sun sets late in the Northwest. The sun set at 9:00 pm this night. 

 

This year blessed us with the sighting of a Goldfinch right in front of the coach.  Blue Herons visit the calmer areas of the bay inside coves and inlets.

Eagles fly over frequently or sit in the trees for hours.

 

The daily deer count remains a fun activity.This year we saw several fawns. One baby still wobbled on his tiny legs.

Fort Flagler along with Forts Worden and Casey were designed to protect the entrance to Puget Sound. Although no guns were ever fired, their gun batteries, officer’s row and barracks provide plenty of walking area, picturesque views and a peek at history. Concerts are held at the Henry Bankhead Battery during the summer months. 

Traffic on Puget Sound also makes our stay interesting.  Cargo ships, ferries, cruise liners, navy boats and all kinds of pleasure crafts sail these waters.  Cruise ships often sail out on the same tide, so three or four many pass by within minutes.                               

Sometimes a navy ship comes to Indian Island, next door, to drop their armaments before heading down the sound.  Sighting a nuclear submarine with its entourage of Coast Guard boats and Navy protection boats stirs most campers’ interests.

 

Crab fishing ranks as a #1 activity for many Flagler visitors. Here kids drop their crab pots right off the dock at the marina part of the campground.

People and pet watching are great here too!  Check out this dog carrying his own lease! Of course, Ashley prefers to nap in the sun.  Murphy likes collecting the rays, too!

 

Our rent-a-grandkid loves to fly her kite here when the winds are good for that activity. 

The carriers behind the bike may hold children or small dogs.


 Bike riding continues to be popular with the beginners and the experienced riders.





Many a small child goes around and round the beach campground clattering on plastic training wheels.  Often this is the place where those wheels are removed. 
 
Sometimes a fall needs a little TLC
before going out again.

 The experienced riders take to the park trails. Others just take a leisure ride around the beach.

Mystery Bay provides a safe harbor for pleasure boats and a scenic view on our way to Fort Flagler.  Check out this stunning photo I caught on a trip out of the park.

 

Fog frequently visits this area. Weather this year includes more sunny days than wet or foggy days.  This inlet is on the way into Port Hadlock.

 

Returning to Bremerton takes you out Beaver Valley Road with its farmland and rural sights. We've spent more time than we want on this road this summer.

Pacific Beach WA July 4, 2013

 

 

Pacific Beach WA remains one of the special places!  Here we meet up with good friends to celebrate the 4^th of July.  We honor our country with about 10 days of celebration.  This year 15 rigs of people came to our annual event.

 

 

 

 

 

Wind toys show the group has arrived.  Many people in this group make and fly kites.  Some just fly the wind toys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see big toys filled with air,

 

 

 

 

 

      

          

                      smaller lawn art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and often the whimsical display.

 

  A variety of kites fill the air.  Some remain tethered to catch the wind.

 

  

      A single line kite

Some are flown for fun.  The kites fly at the end of a single line, a double line ( above) or with four lines (to the right).

 

We gather for our big meal at the rig with the least wind. The dinner place is chosen just before set up time.  Our group possesses some great cooking skills!  We serve 40 people this year.

 

 

     Mike’s fried rice from his giant wok      
         remains a perennial favorite.

 

The young and young at heart enjoy Pacific Beach.  The weather even cooperated with sunny skies and sometime a warm temperature.

 

 

We said goodbye to our beach friends and headed inland for Fort Flagler.

 

Washington Beaches

Hurray for salt air, waves lapping the shores and sand for castle building!  We spent time this year at a Thousand Trails park near Copalis WA.  Lynn and Jay (Derrille’s brother) stayed at a park just up the road. One day we took in the Ocean Shores Sand Castle Building competition. 







 The promoters changed the dates this year and several regulars could not attend.  Only five or six teams were present. Very unlike what we've seen before at Cannon Beach OR.

 

We attended early in the day, and didn’t stick around for the final construction.

 

This entry had something to do with the mind and brains. It looked like the best construction to us.

 

 

This group took aspects of the Candy Land Game for their creation.

 

 

Throngs of people came to watch the creations taking shape.

 




 

 

Other people just enjoyed a warm day at the beach in the sun and surf.

 










 

 

I found this father to be a hero, letting his sand soaked daughter climb on his back. Way to go Dad!

 

We carry a dual rod-iron hanger for my two hanging planters.  Last year we traveled with petunia pots, this year it's geraniums.

This bold crow landed on my hanging baskets and decided to dig in them a bit.

 

At Ocean Shores we saw this doe and her fawn at the entrance to the resort.

 








 

Next stop Pacific Beach, WA

All about me...

Blog:   update on me

Summer continues to speed through the season with abandon.  We have been blessed with awesome weather, even on the Washington coast!  The beauty of the area takes your breath away.

 

 

We spent three weeks in June in Bremerton to complete our annual medical needs. As with last year things didn’t quite go as smoothly as we had hoped. The cataract surgery I was hoping for in June could not be scheduled until July 18^th.  I’ve had the first eye done and now have better vision in that eye than I did with my glasses on. WOW! 

 

The whole procedure only took about 1 hour and 45 minutes from start to finish. The actually lens replacement takes about 15 minutes.  I remember talking with the pre-op crew and then waking up and told time to go home. Although my doctor said I spoke to him during surgery and after….I have no memory of that ever happening. Good thing Derrille was with me.  Gotta love those drugs!  I am looking forward to getting the next eye done on August 1^st.  

 

 I’m was not supposed to bend over/down for the first week. Do you know how many things in the RV require bending down to retrieve?  I’ve also noticed how often I drop things, a bit of food as I prep the salad, a piece of clothing, soap in the shower, etc.  I glance down, only to say “oh dear”. Whoever is nearby, usually Derrille, helps me retrieve it.  I’ve also gotten creative with my toes and sometimes using a deep knee bend. The eye is a magnificent organ, which most people take for granted.  It heals fast.  For cataract removal that healing includes lots and lots of eye drops!  Cataract surgery for most people, falls into the category of a “nothing” surgery….quick, no pain and few if any complications. You wear an eye patch home from surgery and until you see the doctor the next day.  Then the patch is only for sleeping to protect the eye from pressure or unconcious rubbing.

 

Some of you know about my summer surprise, but for those of you who don't have the whole story.

I also saw my primary physician in June and told him of my severe shoulder pain.  He referred me to the clinic’s new shoulder doctor for a consultation.  We expected more cortisone shots or some other medication to give me pain relief. Originally, my appointment was scheduled for late August.  Fortunately I was given a cancellation appointment in mid-July.  The nurse said I could only have one shoulder x-rayed that day and to pick one.  I did.  Then Dr. Rankin reviewed my x-rays and sent me to have the other shoulder done.

 

My shoulder x-rays show lots of osteoarthritis from wear and tear. However the damage extends beyond arthritis.  I'm currently bone on bone in both shoulders with the ball abrading the socket. I've always been strong and probably lifted, toted and pushed more weight than healthy. Years of carrying books, pushing desk and legal filing cabinets around, doing heavy yard work, helping Derrille move things like a wooden garage door etc etc didn't help. Swimming laps for 55 minutes daily may not have helped worn joints either. For pain management I currently take four Aleve a day, use Apercreme, do exercises for my shoulder. and need three ice packs to make it through the night.  It hurts to shake someone's hand or go over a bump in the car. I'm looking forward to less pain.....sooner than later.

 

Dr. Rankin said they were equally bad and each one needs a shoulder replacement.  He voiced surprise that I had fairly good range of motion given the conditions of the bone-on-bone on each side.  I liked him immediately. His knowledge, the questions he asked and his manner spoke of a very competent doctor.  He’s part of the orthopedic office that includes Dr. VanBuecken, Derrille’s knee surgeon.

Then the ball started rolling.  Both my primary physician and my ophthalmologist gave their OK for the surgery.  My surgery date for the first shoulder will be August 5^th.  It’s one day in the hospital, next day out. The first shoulder will be replaced at Harrison Hospital, and the second at the new orthopedic surgery center in Silverdale. Please no visitors, I expect to be sound asleep. The drugs do that to me. The next step states five weeks in a sling and then 3-4 months of serious rehab twice a week. We are hoping that I’ll be doing well enough to head south in late November for the very special wedding of one of Jason’s friends. With Derrille as an exercise coach/drill master J we feel positive about reaching the goal.

 Yea for technology and replacement parts!

We will continue to live at Fort Flagler after the surgery and until we go to the beach for Labor Day. Then we will move to Cedar Glen RV in Poulsbo for the time it takes to rehab my shoulder. Cancelling our Oregon coast reservations for the fall was difficult.  We look forward to that each year. This year especially, since we planned to meet up with our Canadian friends a couple of times.  We will probably have to cancel most of November in San Diego.  I have my pre-op for the shoulder on July 29th and hope to know more then.  The second shoulder will be done next April, knocking out our springtime in San Diego.  I’ll miss staying in San Diego, and being with Jason and Desiree. We’ll just have to party hearty in December!

I found the blog an easier avenue to explain “what we are up to” than doing it over and over in separate emails.  I have several blogs waiting in the wings that I hope to post before I lose the use of my arm Aug. 5th.

 

Life continues to be an adventure.