The Blanding Bugle

Volume 18 Issue 7

July 2009

Twenty Years and Counting

Steve and I stole away for an extended weekend to the Olympic Peninsula and had a grand time.  We were bold and left the children back in Redmond under the watchful care of Kray. All went pretty well in both locales. The kids were all well and the house was still standing when Steve and I arrived home Sunday night.

For our twentieth we thought we would do something a bit more than just go out for a night on the town. We booked a weekend away at the Lake Quinault Lodge in the Southwest corner of the Olympic National Park.  We were in for a great surprise--the weather couldn't have been better.  We book for the month of June in the wettest place in the USA--averaging over 120 inches of rain a year and we get awesome weather.  Never too hot or to cold. The clouds drifted away just when we needed them to.

The lodge was wonderful and the food delicious.  The hikes and drive were breathtaking!  I can't wait to take the kids back!

We hiked around Lake Quinault, in the Hoh Rainforest, Ruby Beach and finally Hurricane Ridge.

One of the highlights was Steve brought his very high powered telescope and set it up and I got to see Saturn for the first time! It truly has rings! 

To see some of the photos we took click here .

View from our room

Steve on Hurricane Ridge with Port Angeles, the Strait & Vancouver Island in the background.

Steve

Scout update!

At the beginning of each summer we need a good rundown of where the boys are and what they will be doing.  It looks like two more Blandings will be added to the Eagle's Nest. Jason has turned all his paper work in and Mike is starting his project: replacing two benches in the Redmond Watershed. 

Matt has earned the rank of First Class and is going to spend the summer working on merit badges so that he can earn the rank of Star.

Chris earned his WEBELOS badge and is working hard on his Arrow of Light. The award will happen after the summer since all the pack meetings are done until late August.

Kray still loves to earn merit badges and will spend his last year at scout camp having fun earning some water related merit badges. 

Amazingly Doreen is still alive and kicking!

Hopefully what Mike's benches will look like.

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Steve phoning home

Doreen

Steve

Doreen & Steve at Ruby Beach
thanks to a timer on my new camera!

Steve searching the heavens

Doreen