We are heading north to do some recreational camping after one month of volunteering at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park…a windy, rainy, and now sunny and cold, month! We enjoyed the area, rangers and other volunteers so much that we will definitely be back next year!

It’s Not Even About the Lighthouse

This park is in no way related to the actual lighthouse that is its namesake. The lighthouse is on Coast Guard property just down the road in Winchester Bay and is called the Umpqua River Light. We have enjoyed viewing the light’s red and white beams at night, but volunteering at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park doesn’t involve a lighthouse at all.

Cute Belligerence

Someone suggested that we visit the area just west of Coos Bay. There are several state parks, a town called Charleston and Cape Arago which, to our surprise, is home to many belligerent sea lions. We found them by following their incessant barks and bellows down a steep trail to an overlook right above a large rock in the water that was covered by several types of sea lions of various sizes.

My first thought was, “How cute!” But really, I think they were having territorial disputes and handling their disagreements in a way that humans usually resort to after overindulging at a pub…chest bumps, getting loud, crawling over a pile of sea lions, pushing some in the water and then staking claim on the resulting newly unoccupied spot on the rock. Brutes!

Everyday Thankfulness

Thanksgiving tends to conjure thoughts of thankfulness and gratitude (hopefully). We try to make those thoughts a habit each day. It’s supposed to be good for your mental health! It certainly can’t be BAD for it, so why not? I have been told that I should be able to list 100 things each day for which I am grateful. Think about that awkward exercise some families try at Thanksgiving dinner when each person struggles to come up with something that makes them thankful. Try 100!

Last year we were on Fort Sill in Oklahoma at Thanksgiving time. It was quite thought-provoking to be camping in the exact spot where the last Native American chiefs were imprisoned and subsequently buried. This year isn’t as dramatic, but the reflections and ruminations of Fort Sill linger and make giving thanks that much more important. Being alive and free are the first two on my thankfulness list.

Travel Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow we batten down the hatches, load up the cats and hitch up the trailer to head north on the 101. After a couple of stops along the way, our goal is to get to Tacoma in time to meet our daughter and future son-in-law for a fun Christmastime stay at an Airbnb that has a HOT TUB and room to park the camper! We haven’t fully immersed ourselves in hot water since we went full-time in July 2023. It will be delightful. Plus, I can bake more than one dish at a time in a standard-sized oven. This is exciting stuff!

Catio Corner

We were relieved when our humans successfully lured the black and white cat into (Cleo’s) carrier and took him to the shelter. No more howling under the trailer and worried looks on the humans’ faces. They said that he relaxed and started falling asleep on the way to the shelter. Probably hasn’t been warm in a very long time. We did feel badly for him, as long as he never planned on taking over our territory or eating our treats.