Honeymoon Day 4

On day four we invited my best friend Shelley (who needs to update her blog - hint! hint!) to join us. Her family traditionally stays at Kalaloch in a big group every August and it coincided with our trip. She drove about an hour to meet us this morning so that we could all hike Rialto Beach together. We had done this once before - pre children! I also drug Shelley to La Push a few times while we were roomies.
Okay, so in this post you'll get sick of seeing our mugs. We figured it would be the only time on the trip to get some pictures of each other. It was bad lighting on our balcony but we took some pics there anyway.

This man has made me so happy. God has used him in my healing process, to settle my heart, mind and soul, to build a future for me and to give me unconditional love - because I am not always easy to love! Let me emphasize that it is not Hubby or the fact that I got married that accomplished this, because it irritates me that many women think they are not complete without a man. I am not a woman's libber but strongly believe that I am complete in God ALONE. And yet He is the one who made us to be together and I believe He is the one who brought Hubby and I together, against many odds. Together, from the beginning, we have turned our hearts and faces towards God and He has worked through us, in us and sometimes in spite of us! It's amazing to me that ten years later we are almost completely different people, but still together and even deeper in love. Though we struggle at times with finances and trying to figure out where God is leading us, I know that the path ahead is together in Him. I am so thankful for these first ten years and I hope it is the Father's will to allow us to have many more together!

James Island group as we step onto Rialto Beach in the Olympic National Park.

Shelley and I, best friends 1992-2008...and Beyond! :o)


Mates for Life... 1998-2008...and Beyond!


See! I told you you would get sick of seeing our mugs! lol Did you notice the walking sticks? My step Dad Jack carved Hubby's and Dr. J, who I worked for in pediatrics made mine out of a beautiful maple branch he found in Vermont.

Looking north on the beach.

As we hiked north, we kept looking back to see James Island in ever changing views.

The surf here is always incredible (this is the same beach from late July with Shelley). I shot this one with two teenage girls, to give perspective in how large the waves really were.

Shelley walking towards "Hole in the Wall". The foam is always really pretty here due to the churning of the waves.

Hubby and I. I'm wearing my dopey hat because I have lost much of my hair and burn to a crisp if I don't have it on. Now that I am past 40, I'm learning to lay my vanity aside. I still hate wearing it - especially w hen I see it in the photos!

The tide was just reaching it's highest for the day as we started out and as it receded we saw many treasures, like this kelp.

When I took this picture of Hubby I thought the driftwood looked like a Chinese dragon about to swallow him whole!

More treasures from the sea!

Shelley and Tim hiking.

Rialto usually has some incredible driftwood. I often see logs that rival the trees I have seen in the Sequoia groves of north central California. This root system was sun bleached white and massive in size.

Here's Hubby... he's 6'3" and has Gorilla Arms if that gives you perspective.

Hubby and I.

The surf was mesmerizing. I remember the days of film - we would wait and wait and hope that we got the one where the surf crashed. Of course we wouldn't know this until we got home and got our pictures developed. Now, shooting digital, I can be more extravagant with the number of shots (I took about 8 GB this day) and can have a general idea as I'm shooting. Of course there was a magic in the expectation when you got back your film envelopes and saw them the first time, that you don't quite attain with digital. However, playing with digital on the computer is like the joy of dark room developing without the chemicals, mess and much of the expense! (BTW, those are other peoples' children included for perspective. Mine were safe at Grandma and Grandpa's!)

Hole-In-The Wall, 1.5 miles from the parking lot, is only passable at low tide. So we opted for the overland route.

But first a few more surf shots.

These sea stacks are just before Hole-In-The Wall and my family has always called them "M Rocks" because when you come back from the other side, they look like a huge M in silhouette. I don't know if this is their actual name or not.

Heading up - this looks somewhat benign. I was thanking God it was not muddy, because that makes it really hard to keep footing going downhill. It is much steeper than it looks. The last time I went over this with Tim and Shelley in August 2ooo, I had a major panic attack. Looking back, we know it was likely because I had just discontinued taking Clomid, trying to conceive. Anyone who has ever taken that medication needs no further explanation. For those who haven't, suffice it to say that hormones can be a bad thing!!! I had to pray and have Tim and Shelley help me as I was so terrified of falling and killing myself when I was at the top. It's embarrassing now to think of it! This time I started up with my right knee pretty sore, which made it difficult as some of the steps were about 12-18". But I made it and it felt good.

Looking backward as we started up.

M Rocks from the trail.

Getting a glimpse down from the top.

Hubby and I on the trail. I am not bent over... I am going DOWN.

Shelley on the trail.

The picture doesn't do the pitch justice, but it was so steep that my camera and the computer read this photo as a horizontal instead of a vertical!

The sunlight shining through the ferns was lovely.

Salal or Oregon Grape.

Nautical rope on the beach in front of the trail head.

Looking north on the beach.

After lunch, I played with my new knitting project.

Hubby and Shelley eating lunch.

Hubby in his make shift sun shelter where he took a nap.

Drying boots and socks! (Surf got us fording a creek!)

When I got bored knitting I tried some sketching. This is very amateurish. I figure if I show my sketching on the blog often enough, it will give me incentive to keep improving! lol

Hubby drew too, much better than I! The hoody was for sun protection. The sun was INTENSE!

Hole-In-The-Wall

Hubby and I.

Looking through the hole towards James Island.

M Rocks and James Island through the Hole.

M Rocks.

Anemone and sea life in the tide pools of the Hole.

There were star fish on the rocks in the foreground. James Island in the background.

Hubby had his first experience touching anemones so that they close up! :o) It's fun sharing things with my city boy!

The tide wasn't quite low enough yet and this is where it was really treacherous. I went first and jammed my knee - the beginning of the end! I know how to walk on these type of rocks but there was something unseen and quite slimey that everyone was stepping on. Since you could not see it, you could not avoid it! Fortunately my camera which bruised my hand (which I had placed between it and the water and rocks), survived much better than my knee. This was unfortunately the beginning of the end for my beaching on this trip. :o( I wouldn't know that until the next morning.

M Rocks.




We were all exhausted but enjoyed the surf and the foam as we traipsed back to the car. Several times we had to run uphill to escape being washed by the waves!

On the way back to our room, we stopped at Three Rivers Resort and had milkshakes. Hubby had a chocolate malt, Shelley a fresh strawberry and I had blackberry. They were awesome.

Then we watched the sunset while we waited for dinner to cook in the pressure cooker.

And when we turned south we watched the moon rise.

It would have been a good sunset to photograph on the beach with reflections, but we were all too exhausted, having hiked 4.5 miles - not far mileage wise, but a long ways for all beach walking on rocks, driftwood, overland etc.

Hubby and Shelley on the deck eating Penne pasta with Alfredo sauce and chicken. Hmmm good! :o)

We are preparing for the next leg of our journey so it might be awhile before I finish or catch up on blogging!