Olympia and Beyond

After leaving Hawaii but before heading out on our world tour we wanted to go back to Olympia for a couple of weeks to visit friends and family. That two weeks turned into two months as we managed to find more projects for ourselves – everything from helping my brother install trim in his house, to helping a friend repaint some walls and reorganize his Seattle townhouse, to sorting through and prepping for scanning the mountain of family photos my parents had collected over the years (Deborah and my sister bore the brunt of this exhausting task; I tried to help but ran out of steam by Day 3). 

We also wanted to give my siblings a partial break from parental care, which they are normally stuck with while we are off in far-flung places. While in Olympia we all agreed that it was time to move my parents from their assisted living facility to an adult family home. That took a bit of effort but we feel good about the home we found for them and are confident they will be well taken care of.

We aren’t complaining about the longer-than-planned visit – the weather was fine and it was fun to visit some old favorite places. And although our time in Olympia was mostly taken up with family matters and much more busy than we expected – adding to our hectic last days in Hawaii – we did manage to take a couple of breaks with visits to Ocean Shores and Mazama, plus I got in a day hike in the mountains with my friend Ray and his trusty dog Cooper.

Picking up on old habits:  Deborah is briefly reunited with her former part-time dog Bear, who now lives with Blake's brother Mark and his wife Kim in Olympia.
Blake and brother Mark. What to wear when tending bees. What not to wear to a job interview or when  attempting to pick up girls.
 Deborah at Ocean Shores


 Ocean Shores. As near as I can tell, structures like these act as a landmark for those walking on the beach who otherwise would have a hard time finding specific trails leading inland through the sand dunes.


Driftwood at Ocean Shores.

Our sweet cabin in Mazama, WA. 
(Look for "Mazama Unplugged" on AirBnB)

Liberty Bell Mountain from Washington Pass in the North Cascades.


Diablo Lake Overlook in the North Cascades


Ray and Cooper at the imaginatively named Lake Twenty-Two.


Trail to Lake Twenty-Two.


Lake Twenty-Two.


Cooper takes a dip.




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