We backed into our site at La Pine State Park on Monday a little after 3:15 PM, the first to arrive. Jim had expected to be there by 3:00 PM, but he was a little late leaving Florence.
The kids had a longer trip down from their home in the Portland area, but they had their tent set up well before suppertime. Our site was right next to an overflow parking area for two cars, so they parked there. It was convenient for lugging stuff to the campsite.
We had a lot of activities during each day, including time for the guys to play a card game at the big picnic table.
The dogs were interested in the little ground squirrels that scampered about or came to beg for scraps. (We didn't feed the squirrels, but I'm sure they found some crumbs.)
Sandy likes attention. I think that's what he's begging for in this photo, because Daddy wasn't eating, which is the other thing we do that interests Sandy.
We got in a lot of hiking, mostly through the woods. During the four days we were there we hiked over 10 miles, total. That would have been too much for me all at once these days, but it was a number of shorter hikes with rests and other activities in between.
Several times we started out at the big off-leash area adjacent to the campground. Dusty had some competition for getting the ball in Louis, who is pretty fast. Dusty's a good sport, though, and likes a challenge. (He also goes nuts when he sees someone has a Chuck-it!) The boys did most of the ball-throwing, so we could just watch and enjoy. Keeping track of three balls in this huge area was a challenge, though. While the two older dogs competed for one ball, we threw another ball in a different direction for Sandy, because he won't go after the ball if he sees Dusty is going after it.
I caught Dusty in mid-shake in this photo, taken at the river where the kids threw sticks into the water for Sandy, the only real water dog in the family. The others got wet, but didn't really swim, and a drink or two is always appreciated.
We visited the McGregor Memorial Viewpoint again, so the kids and Jim could see it. We each found a place to sit in the shade and eat our sandwiches. Well, Jim doesn't pack sandwiches; he has something like granola bars to take on hikes. We all ate, though, even the dogs.
From there we continued on to the trail through the Cougar Woods that leads to Big Tree. We stopped to admire the very old and fat Ponderosa Pine and then walked on to the riverbank nearby. We spent a little bit of time there, watching occasional kayakers float by.
A lady was swimming in the river near us. The dogs went to the water to get a drink.
We did a little bird watching. Although I didn't see them I heard there was an occasional osprey (aka "Sea Hawk" or "River Hawk") flying over or chirping in the woods.
Sandy, as always, was drawn to the water.
After we got back to the campsite, everyone was ready for a rest. Louis just plopped down in the dirt by the table.
Dusty and Sandy prefer the bed in the R-Pod, where Sandy's Lamb Chop was waiting.
I think Soren hadn't planned on falling asleep in the middle of reading all about the Eurasian red squirrel, but he did.
Here's the screenshot from Tuesday's long hike, captured from the Walk for a Dog app from WoofTrax.
We had a few mosquito bites, and I fell on one of the trails through the campground, doing a face plant in the dirt. I was worried about my front teeth, but they were fine. the fat lip only lasted a couple of hours. The red rings under my eyes were almost gone by the next day, and all I have left as I write this is a tiny scab on my forehead that's hidden by my hair.
Also of note, you may remember I baked a rather funny-looking carob cake for Jim's and Alexa's birthdays. It was pretty ugly, but it was delicious. Jim had baked some brownies, and I had one, even though I'm supposed to avoid chocolate. (Camping is a vacation, right?) When I got out of the shower at home after the trip, I weighed myself. I had lost more than three pounds. I should go on TikTok and tout my "Cake and Brownie Diet," although I suspect it was all the hiking and other activity that did it.
Before we left to go camping we took Dusty to the vet to have an odd lump between his toes looked at. Our groomer had discovered it during the last grooming appointment. The vet aspirated it and sent it off for cytology analysis. We got the good news when we got back that it's benign. However it was pretty red by then, so we're planning to have it removed. It probably got irritated with all the running and hiking we did, and he sometimes licks it, so we think it's bothering him, and we do a lot of camping and hiking, so it's better to have it off.
I didn't get a lot of knitting done, but some progress, so I'm getting close to the end of my The Love of Spiders Shawl.
I didn't take the quilt along on the camping trip. It would have almost filled the R-Pod! However, I worked on it a bit while at home and am almost done with the third corner.
I missed Summer Choir Monday night, so I will have some catching up to do with the music. Our recital is next Sunday, so I'll have to spend some time on it this week. Also on the schedule is washing the trailer sheets and the usual cooking and other chores. It's going to be very hot for a few days, so it will be good to be indoors. I just hope when it cools off again, the air quality will still be good enough to walk with the pups.
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What's in The Doll's Storybook: Unmasked! is a retelling of the story of "The Shoemaker and the Elves," with the characters from The Doll's Storybook playing the elves. An old woman is making face masks for the local hospital, and the dolls decide to help.
Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog, and they are reproduced in print with a few changes.
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