4-6-2019

4-6-2019 Kalaloch State Park

Spring break is here and the ocean calls.  It’s supposed to rain like the end of the world this week.  So far it’s been really nice.  A little rain today for the drive over, but nothing unreasonable.  There was quite the headwind though and fuel economy was really bad. 7.5mpg to Aberdeen

4-7-2019 We found a reasonable spot yesterday. No view, but protected from the wind.  Today one of the spots right on the water opened and we snuck in before anyone else could.  The sky is clear, the sun is hot, and the breeze off the water is very nice.  I was working on the camper last weekend and rolled my ankle getting out.  It’s still quite sore and walking any distance is challenging.  More time in the sun in my easy chair I guess.  

I added a second house battery.  There’s a battery selector switch now just under the sink counter.  I’ve used a battery a friend gave me, its only about 65amps, and the voltage is higher than the main house battery.  Must be newer, or better taken care of.  I wont parallel them I guess.  I will wait until the main house batter needs replacement and change both out.  Then I can parallel them.  The extra amperage will be nice.  I also put LED strips in where the fluorescents used to be.  That should save some battery too.  We will see how it actually works out.

4-8-2019 Sunny and warm yesterday.  Cloudy and rain today.  Alice is having problems getting in and out of the camper.  Those grated steps catch her toe nails, and she is not the young pup she used to be.  It’s perhaps a little steep for her now.  She wont be with us much longer, so I’ll just make sure to help her in and out.  

Lorena and I have been discussing options for when the boys outgrow the table/bed.  In the on season it’s not an issue, but this time of year tents are miserable.  A larger truck camper would work, something with a larger table, but that requires a larger truck to carry the extra weight.  Not sure that’s in the budget.  

4-9-2019 Very windy last night and today.  Cloudy and cold.  Lorena and the kids walked out to Brown’s Point at low tide.  I sent her with a radio tuned to 152.7 to test range on the hand held.  Loud and clear.  She thinks I could make the walk.  Something like 1.5 miles one way.  I’m sure my ankle will be unhappy, but there’s whiskey in the camper.  Sacrifices will be made.  We were going to check out tomorrow and head up the coast.  We will stay and play in the tide pools instead.  It’s nice camping in the off season.  No reservations to be held to, always a bunch of sites open regardless of where we end up.  I don’t know that we really have a plan for later this week.  Rialto? Sol Duc? Salt Creek? Who knows.  

4-10-2019 Rain.  Quite a bit of it too.  Spent the morning and afternoon inside trying to keep the boys from antagonizing each other.  Took a walk to the lodge down the street.  I was running dangerously low on beer.  The rain let up late and we made a fire to roast marshmallows.  

4-11-2019 More rain.  A softer drizzle.  Walked out to Brown’s Point.  Lots of tide pools and interesting thing for the boys to look at and poke with sticks.  Found some rusty angle iron, part of a fishing net, random thick rope, and several styrofoam buoys.  I have plans for them at home.  Should be a fun project.  Only the most intrepid campers are left.  I look at some of the larger rigs and think it would be nice, but i certainly don’t want to tow.  I think in the future we should consider a large class B, or a larger truck camper as an upgrade.  As the boys grow we will need to consider where they sleep when it rains like this. 

4-12-2019 Drove up the coast.  Lorena wanted to stop at the Hoh rainforest.  Seemed like a good idea.  Apparently we need to work on our communication skills.  Her idea of where to visit the Hoh, and my idea of where to visit didn’t quite agree with each other.  We stopped in Forks for supply’s (and gas 8.5mpg).  We drove through Sol Duc.  There was still snow in piles on the side of the road and in the campground.  Aside from being cold, all the good spots were taken.  We drove on to Salt Creek and found an excellent spot where we could back right up to the cliff.  The area below is rocky tidal pools.  An excellent view, and the crashing of the wave will lull everyone top sleep tonight. 

4-13-2019 Spent most of the day exploring the tide pools.  The boys enjoy the tide pools almost as much as the playground toys.  Tomorrow will be a travel day.  Back home, unpack and clean the camper, then back to the drudgery of work.  We need to find more time for this.  This time spent together as a family is worth pursuing.