Summer Vacation 2016 -- Sequim and Port Angeles

We woke up Sunday morning and as expected, the day was very dreary and overcast.  The sun was completely hidden by low hanging clouds, but at least it wasn't raining. So we considered that a good thing.

Breakfast was served at the B&B at 8:30 am every morning.  They had all of the coffee and tea you wanted and then everyone that was staying at the B&B ate family style at the table.  The B&B could hold up to 8 people and our first morning there were 8 people that showed up for breakfast.  Until breakfast, we didn't even know if anyone else was there.  This house had been specifically built as a B&B so the amount of privacy and solitude is amazing. You don't hear anyone else and you think you have the entire place to yourself.

Breakfast was a hot, 3-course breakfast.  It was absolutely spectacular and the company was interesting as well. B&B's are a little out of our comfort zone -- we are NOT big talkers, but this kind of environment makes us be social.  It always reminds us that the world takes all kinds and that there are some interesting sorts out there!

Anyway, after breakfast we headed out to the Dungeness Spit.  It is a National Wildlife Refuge and it was fun to hike along the ocean watching the waves, birds, and all of the little critters out and about -- whether it be on the beach, in the water, or in the air.  Always something to watch as we hiked.

There is a lighthouse at the end of the Dungeness Spit; the hike to the lighthouse is only 5.5 miles, but the beach is pretty rocky and it is definitely an ankle workout. However, the one thing that kept us from reaching the lighthouse was the incoming tide.  We hiked along for about 3 miles and then decided to turn back.  It wasn't like we couldn't make it back if the tide came in all of the way, but it would be a lot of rock hopping and log hopping and we didn't think it was quite worth it on a day like we had. Plus, the 3 mile hike one way was more than sufficient to get the feel for the "Spit".

This photo is looking towards the lighthouse, but with the "bend" in the spit, the lighthouse isn't visible (yet).

There is a sheltered side of the spit and then there is the ocean side of the spit.  In the next photos, you can see both sides...

After a while, the sheltered side turns into a protected area, so you have to hike along the ocean. However, the lighthouse starts to become more and more visible.  You'll see this is the next series of photos...

On the way back, we exclusively hiked along the ocean and just watched the waves coming further and further in shore.  They are quite spectacular...and amazing how all of a sudden a big one comes out of no where!

Here's a nice panoramic shot of the spit once we arrive back near the trailhead.  It is quite an interesting spot and one a sunny day, we can imagine that it would be spectacular!

It was a good thing that we made our way back to the truck when we did.  Just when we hopped into the cab of the truck, it dumped rain.  Wow...that was a close one!  We had hiked that entire 7 miles (to and from the truck) without any rain jackets or umbrellas!  We hadn't realized how close we were to getting soaked.  Now it was time for lunch...

We headed into Port Angeles for lunch and ended up at a diner.  We had chosen a few other places, but they all had very long waits.  Sometimes diners are the best.  We found the closest one...since it was raining and had a simple, but hot lunch!

After lunch, and since it was still raining, we decided to head towards Lake Crescent.  It was a really nice drive and the lake wasn't overly populated with houses, AND there looked to be lots of good fishing spots close to the road.  However, the rain was still coming down at a pretty steady rate, so we opted for just driving.  Eventually we did make one stop at a beach area, specifically East Beach.  We were able to use the bathroom (very important) and take a pretty cook panoramic shot of Lake Crescent.  Again, we could only imagine how awesome it would be on a sunny day.  However, it looked pretty cool with all of the clouds hanging around and rain coming down!

After a day of driving around and trying to avoid the rain, we decided to head back B&B for a while and just get out of the rain.  Plus, the US Open was on, so Kristina got to watch some tennis and relax before we had dinner.  We would have preferred to be out and about, but with all of the rain, we decided to call it for a few and just enjoy the room.  It was a nice place to stay dry and relax.

When it was time for dinner, we headed to Kokopelli Grill. It seemed a little odd to have a place called that in the Pacific NW...seems like something we would have experienced in Arizona.  It was a nice place (although not as good as the Bistro we had the night before) and they had a variety of items on the menu.  Jared had the salmon and Kristina had the crab cakes which was a good way to end the day.  The view was great from the upper floor of the restaurant too and while it was a busy place, we were out of the way a bit and got to relax.

After dinner, we headed back to the B&B...another pretty successful day...considering it rained most of the day!

Summer Vacation 2016 -- Getting to the Olympic Peninsula

Considering the year we have had, we decided not to miss going on a vacation this year.  Even though we would not have our little dog with us.  Idaho didn't seem to appealing considering the circumstances, so we decided on the Olympic Peninsula.  We have lived in Woodinville for over 6 years now and we still hadn't made it over to the Peninsula -- and all we do is keep hearing about how wonderful it is.

The decision to go was a last minute, so we based it on where we could stay and when.  That being said, our first leg of the trip was to leave from Edmonds, WA and go over to Kingston, WA via the ferry.  During the summers, the ferry lines are very long and require waiting in line...we weren't really excited about that possibility, so we got up and dark thirty and made our way to Edmonds.  We successfully (and easily) made the 7:10 am ferry with no fanfare.

After arriving in Kingston, we headed towards Sequim/Port Angeles.  We had reservations for Saturday and Sunday night at Eden by the Sea in Port Angeles.  It is a super cute bed and breakfast right on the water's edge.  However, we were due to arrive there until after 3 pm (to check-in).  We were WAY ahead of schedule, so we decided to make our first detour...Port Townsend, WA.

Port Townsend, WA is a cute town.  Since it was early on a Saturday morning, the town was just waking up, but we got a rock star cup of coffee and a hot chocolate at Velocity Coffee.  After getting something warm in our hands, we walked up and down the main street in Port Townsend. Most stores were still closed, but you could see through the windows how quaint the shops are.  Plus, all of the Victorian buildings were fun to look at and imagine during a different era.  The water's edge was nice too -- lots of wooden boats around and people rowing.

About the time we were nearing Sequim, it was lunch and we were fairly hungry.  The Dockside Grill at the John Wayne Marina came highly recommended, so we stopped and had lunch.  It definitely didn't disappoint.  We had a marina view and wonderful food to go along with it. Kristina had a wonderful seafood salad with all kinds of yummy crab meat, shrimp, and scallops.  Jared had fish and chips -- by far some of the better fish and chips he has had for a while.

Our next stop was Purple Haze Lavender Farm in Sequim. It was a clear day and lots of sunshine, so it was a good day to stop by the lavender farm.

While the lavender was past its prime, it still smelled wonderful and there were plenty of other pretty things to see.

Can you imagine all of these bushes with lavender blooming!

A flower garden out back that was fully in bloom...

Happy bees...

Look how tall the sunflowers are...

After the Lavender Farm, we still had time (and daylight) before our check-in at the B&B.  The weather didn't look like it was going to cooperate the rest of the time we were in Sequim/Port Angeles, so we decided to head to Hurricane Ridge - and we were not disappointed.

Hurricane Ridge is a 17 mile drive UP.  As you can see from the sign above, it is at 5242' -- or at least the visitors' center is.  So we drove up, parked, and did a little hiking.  Look at the spectacular view. If you look closely, you will notice some smoky haze, there were active fires, but they were being let burn out because of the rugged terrain of the country.

Here's a shot of Jared posing at the visitors' center.

We headed across the parking lot to some very quick little loop hikes just to see the views.  You can see the San Juan Islands, Victoria, BC, and all of Sequim/Port Angeles.  On a clear day, it is truly a spectacular view.

At one point in time, there was a ski lift there as well.  The remnants are still there!

After a quick hike around, we hopped back in the truck and headed to the B&B...it was time to check-in and we were ready for a rest.

The B&B was truly an Eden by the Sea.  It was right on the water and the views were spectacular. On a sunny day, what a place to relax and recharge.

Even the bald eagles find it restful and relaxing...

After checking in and getting settled, it was about time for dinner.  Not knowing the area, we leaned on the B&B and we were not disappointed with their recommendation, Alder Wood Bistro located in Sequim.

After a long day of driving and exploring, it was just nice to sit down and have a wonderful meal.  It was a delightful meal and a perfect way to end a day.  We had seen lots of different sights and just truly enjoyed the day away from the real world -- or at least our real world.  We turned in around 9:30 pm that evening...we were exhausted.  It was a good way to start our vacation...

Indy has lost her battle with cancer

We write this post with heavy hearts.  The end was near and we could feel it, but regardless, it is still painful.

As written in an earlier blog post, she was doing okay on Tuesday.  Tuesday evening though she started going down hill.  For some reason she was having trouble getting up -- as if one of her legs wasn't working.  As time went on, it got to the point that three out of her four legs were so swollen with edema, she could no longer walk or get up.  All she could do is either lay around, or if she was really interested, sit up for a short period of time.  Anyone that knows Indy knows that this is not her. However, her love of food never waned and she ate good for the last couple of week of life -- even Dr. Choy was impressed.

That being said, we had the difficult decision on Thursday night, and we decided it was time.  This was no life for Indy.  Thursday night we headed to the ER for Indy for one last time.  It was a rough decision to begin with, but exacerbated by the fact that she was still fine with regards to her mind. She still thought she could chase rabbits and squirrels.  Indy lost her battle with cancer on Thursday evening, quietly and with no pain.  Her body was finally allowed to rest.

Indy is now in heaven with her big brother Logan, and they are both hiking for eternity.  Of course she is jumping in every stream/river that comes along because she is a swimmer!

Indy's Treatment Update

Indy had a bit of a rough week last week; two places on her body ruptured from the pressure of the lymph nodes.  Initially blood and lymphatic fluid came out, but eventually the blood subsided and it was only lymphatic fluid.  The holes are quite large -- and when we say holes, we aren't exaggerating. They are holes.  Jared is doing a great job of triage on her and her bandages and she continues to do pretty well considering.  Dr. Choy looked at the wounds and thought they looked clean and about what he had expected from our descriptions.  Again, stay the course.  However, a couple of her lymph nodes seem to be getting marginally larger again.

Indy's Treatment Update

Even with all of the ups and downs, Indy's lymph nodes continue to shrink!  YA!  Dr. Choy says stay the course with the dexamethasone and discontinue the procarbazine (chemo).  In addition we started her on a herbal supplement -- Yunnan Baiyao.  This is supposed to help with any bleeding in her stomach from all of the steroids she is taking.

With all of this, she is still happy to see us when we come home, wants to go one her walks, and in general is just her same ol' Indy.  We can't believe all she has been through and she still loves life!

July Rain

July was fairly dry in Western Washington, which is expected.  Luckily it hasn't been too warm (yet).  :)  The total for the month of July was 1.1".  Welcome Summer!