Stormy…

…Sunday, Monday, and maybe some other days.

We’ve been enjoying plenty of PNW precipitation the past week or two. So much so, camping was cancelled! Noooo. The high winds and big sea swell did prevent travel by boat last weekend, and given how strong the winds became on Sunday – the day we were due to travel back – a couple of mostly indoor gym days were safer and the students still had a pretty good time. Lots of touch football (nothing like rugby but I did my best) and plenty of kitchen activity preparing tacos for dinner and pancakes for breakfast kept everyone busy. Extended trips away have been put on hold for the next little while, but winter brings some time to learn how to carve paddles and clear local trails.

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Not too near the edge

Scout doesn’t love the rain, but still needs a couple of longish walks every day, so we tried to time walks with the forecast lighter spells of rain. The Wild Pacific trails meander through rainforest, and the trees offer quite a bit of shelter if the wind isn’t blowing the rain drops sideways. We are always cautious – life on the (ocean) edge, but not over it – taking extra care on these stormy, slippery days.

The cedar, moss and wet earth smells add a strong sensory dimension, very pleasant for us, and almost beyond exciting for Scout. She soon forgets the soaking she’s getting once she’s on the trail, tail wagging, darting left and right and stopping to sniff all the intriguing scents.

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Sunday

Logs were carried up the surge channels, crashing and thudding into the rocks, and it is a wonder to see wave upon wave pounding the little beaches where we were sitting in sunshine just a few days earlier. The next time it feels safe enough for us to clamber down to our favourite beach hideouts, it’ll look the same but different – newly washed up logs to sit (and chew) on, and different shelves of shells and sand to leave our prints in.

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Down in the same place as the photo above, one week earlier

It’s a blast to have wild and wooly weather followed by calm and sunny breaks. We hope the forecast for a bright and sunny weekend is accurate, but if it isn’t, so long as the wet weather gear holds up as well as it has so far, then we’ll keep heading out and about to enjoy a good soaking all through the coming winter! Stormy Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…

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“No, it won’t be raining here next week…”

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend!

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Yes it will!

Published by

plaidcamper

I am a would be outdoorsman - that is if I had more time, skills and knowledge. When I can, I love being outdoors, just camping, hiking, snowboarding, xc skiing, snowshoeing, paddling a canoe or trying something new. What I lack in ability, I make up for in enthusiasm and having a go. I'd never really survive for long out there in the wild, but I enjoy pretending I could if I had to...

13 thoughts on “Stormy…”

  1. You captured the storm and aftermath brilliantly here, pc. I so enjoyed taking the walk along the edge, but not too close to the edge, and seeing the rugged, stormy coast and its mighty effects. Chuckled at the newly washed up logs to chew on. 😉 Cheers to you and Mrs. pc and Scout for another pleasant weekend ahead.

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    1. Thanks, Jet! We seem to be in the middle of another calm phase, a chance to dry out before the next big hit of wind and rain – it’s never dull!
      I hope all is well with you, and you’ve had some relief from the smoke and other wildfire problems. It must be nigh on impossible to switch off or truly relax at the moment…
      That said, we hope you both get to enjoy a good week ahead!

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  3. I’ve had a stressful football weekend, so I’m first going to start by complaining about the fact that your stormy weather still manages to look beautiful while our weekend rain scene could best be described as a dreary, drab, muddy mess (gloomy vibes!!!) After a weekend of watching Man Utd tie Southampton and Tottenham lose to Arsenal, I thought I might be able to relax and enjoy the Merseyside Derby. Imagine my surprise that it was another tense match to watch after the Tottenham loss and that one of the coaches, Klopp, and goalkeepers, Pickford, that I enjoy following would be the center point of that bizarre 96th minute ending. I think I need a long walk after all the football excitement, but I may have to settle for a drink since it’s still raining and Gabby hates the mud. I need to be more optimistic like Scout and think no rain and my teams will win next weekend. Loved the photos and hope you enjoyed a dry weekend!

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    1. Rain following snow is the worst! Lots of exciting football to keep you entertained indoors, but not if you’re backing Spurs… I was enjoying the Merseyside game enormously, but the bizarre ending was hard to take – a draw seemed fair! Poor old Pickford, but he’ll bounce back, and Everton couldn’t have climbed above any one, and are still ahead of Mourinho and co…
      We’ve had a splendid sunny weekend, and took a long walk up Long Beach this afternoon to stomp off the post game sulks.
      I hope you have better seasonal weather this coming week!

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  4. What a pleasure it must be, experiencing wild and woolly weather followed by sunny and tranquil hours in a beautiful setting such as the Pacific coast… Such variety keeps the soul engaged, and canines such as Scout content (especially when the sun is shining). It’s always a pleasure reading of your pursuits along the slippery continental edge!

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  5. I’ve often wondered if having a dog’s nose would be a great superpower or its own special form of torment. Imagine the sensory overload! Also – did you play rugby growing up? I think it would be a hoot to play, but it’s pretty hard to come by any rugby in the states. What is it that they say across the pond? Rugby is “A ruffian’s sport played by gentleman” or something to that end?

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    1. This made me laugh – I think it would be too much for us sensitive humans, sensory overload!
      At school, the Phys. Ed teachers were Welsh, so rugby was the priority over football. I wasn’t much good at either, but always enjoyed playing. I did break several pairs of glasses playing rugby, more a testament to my tactical ineptitude and poor tackling than my out and out bravery in the tackle. I would rather watch a game of rugby than soccer or football, or even hockey, As for that saying, yup, with the other part being football (soccer) is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans.
      Did you/do you play sports?
      Thanks, Bob, and have a great week!

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      1. I played baseball and (American) football in my youth. Baseball was too drawn out for my limited attention span and while I liked the contact and action of football, it only happens six seconds at time. When I discovered basketball, that was it – it became religion really, playing almost daily for many years, into my mid-thirties. Now in my fifties, I still shoot around frequently, though any competition has become a rather slow moving affair.

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