Saturday, August 18, 2012

Waldo Lake Camping Trip - 2012

We are back from our camping trip with my 3 siblings and family's!  Did you miss us? :-)  We had an exceptional 9 days of perfect weather and an amazing lack of mosquitoes! Let me share with you... this photo below was taken when we first arrived.  This is the lovely little bay near our campsite.  
We arrived around 2 pm on Wednesday the 8th of August - and began setting up camp - Dayle putting up his Big Gas Grill next to the picnic table and and I was getting the inside of the trailer all fixed up.  In the evening we hiked down to "the point" - we'd heard that you could get cell service there and we wanted to call the boys and my sister to let them know how the "skeeter" situation was so light and just check in.  The photo below is when we are nearing the point, the evening sun glittering off the lake.
Do you see Dayle and Buddy out there?  I'm sitting on the big wooden bench, enjoying the view.
This is one of my favorite shots of the week.. the flowers at the point, which were different than all the other ones that look similar to this - does anyone know what the name of this flower is?  The gnarly silver tree is dead but very pretty still.
After enjoying the point we hiked on around to visit my brother at his campsite.  I got this shot of the rest of the lake.  It's a huge 8-shape and this is looking North.  The lake is one of the 3 purest lakes on the planet, with a visibility depth of 115 feet, purer than distilled water!  It's the 2nd largest natural lake in Oregon.
My brother and sister used their kayaks to tow their Sunfish sailboat hulls over to our bay.  Here is a late afternoon shot of their boats on the rocky side, boats are not allowed on the beach, leaving it for people to enjoy the sand.
Here is our cozy trailer with my crocheted blanket brightening up the sofa and my newly completed granny circle pillow - Buddy loves his perch on the back so he can keep an eye on chipmunks and other dogs. :-)
Our two recliners are adorned with my granny square and neat ripple throws - and my pillow has jumped over there for the photo.  :-) 
Our campsite - my sweet husband hauled my favorite rattan chair down for me.  My red, white and blue crocheted bunting is hung and we worked together, with the help of my older sister, Roberta, to hang our tarp over the table - just in case of rain.  We had no rain but it did keep all the pine needles off the table!  Dayle and Buddy are over entering the trailer. See our 2 Sunfish sailboats on the trailer behind my Explorer?
We arrived on Wednesday, we had Thursday with just my sister, brother and his wife at camp, and our 2 sons arrived with our 4 grandsons on Friday.  The boys just LOVED driving around the circle on their bikes.  Shawn's boys are Michael (in lime green) - 12, Gabriel (in blue shorts) - 8, and Travis' boys are Hayden (in yellow) - 4 and Caleb, the baby of the family, 3 (in red).
Grandpa calls Caleb "Curly Top".  :-)
My beloved 4 grandsons posing for me during our sunset hike to the point.
Michael was handling Buddy for me while I took the photos, he tried to keep Buddy out of the water but I gave him the go-ahead to let the dog have fun and he swam and played in the water and had a blast!  The flowers I can't identify in front. 
Another of my favorite photos of the week.
Gabe, Caleb and Hayden with the camp neighbor kids Bella and Jack.
The sun sets... 
In the morning Grandpa Dayle was cooking sausages for breakfast and Hayden climbed on his lap to "help".  I love this shot of them looking at each other.
The funny story of the week was the 2 little boys stuck like glue to Gabe - here they are waiting for the pancakes to get done.  We had a plan, when the pancakes were done, the first in line was the youngest, then up the line.  :-)
2nd to last to get them was ME.. and I figured that mine would be excellent since he would have the system down by the time he got to me.  Here are my pancakes and boy were they YUMMY!  (It was sugar free syrup.)  Note - my crochet bag that I won from Shari at Shari's Crochet blog, was never far from my hands.  
I totally enjoyed working on my shawl by the campfire.  This is one that Pammy Sue did at the blog "Scotty's Place" - and I was enthralled by the colors in the yarn and the pattern and so ordered the exact same yarn she used.  
I spotted the moon in the middle of the day and it was so pretty that I used the zoom on my Lumix camera and got this fun shot of it.  I love this color of blue sky!
From far away to close up.. I was disappointed that it seemed that all the Shooting Star wildflowers were done blooming, then I was overjoyed to see one plant with flowers still on - aren't they just enchanting?
Buddy doing his favorite thing - digging in the sand.  He's a Cairn Terrier and they were bred to aid Scottish farmers in ridding their properties of pests such as foxes and badgers.  No wonder he was able to escape the coyote attack a few years ago!  Cairns are rock piles.
When the day got hot the I took the boys down to the lake to swim - I love this image of the 4 of them gleefully running into the water! :-)
Wave for grandma!!
My boys warming up before they headed back into the water.
Soon Grandpa arrived with a floating island he blew up for the boys to use.  Can you believe the clarity of the water?
I let Michael use my kayak and pretty wooden paddles and he was a natural at it!  I gave my boat cushions to the other boys to use.
Water babies. 
Part of the excitement of the week was when we were on the beach and my sister Roberta came down and she looked at the boats lined up on the side and said "Where is my sailboat?".  Oh no!  It was missing!  So, here is my brother on the left (Roberta's twin), Robert - and my son Travis, kayaking around trying to find her boat.  I was swimming out to the island with my waterproof camera and snapped this shot of them looking. The water is deeper here, but you can still see the rocky bottom.  Later in the day 3 girls arrived at camp to tell us that they'd found the boat at Klovdahl Bay across the lake and towed it back and pulled it up on the beach!  Roberta was overjoyed!
I thought it would be fun to take a photo of the underside of the boat.. :-)
The island.
Over the years people enjoying the island have stacked up rocks to make a fort.  I love it.
Off the bay I found a few stalks of Bear Grass still in bloom - most were done blooming.  These are so pretty and lacy!
Let's get a bit closer...
The Huckleberries had been harvested by prior campers - here is one that was left.  One year our Mom was at camp and we'd rented a big motorhome which had an oven, so all of us kids picked huckleberries and she made several pies for us.  Good memories.
Our son Travis and the boys headed home on Monday - to coax the boys into leaving with no complaints, he promised to take them to get ice cream at the Dairy Queen - he said that after the ice cream, they realized that they weren't coming back and were not happy! :-)
Travis and the boys camped in their vintage VW bus.  Here is our son, ready to head home.
On Tuesday my younger sister Denise arrived, bringing her friend Marcia on her first visit to the lake.  We launched our sailboats that afternoon before they came and headed to "Amy's Blue Lagoon" - my sister Roberta named it after taking our daughter Amy on a canoe trip there.  It's our favorite swimming hole. Denise and Marcia joined us in the lagoon in their kayaks.  That night Dayle made his famous "Chicken Teriyaki Yakisoba" dinner (with my supervision) :-).  Can you believe that we almost polished this off?  We sent a plate of it over to my brother's camp and sent a plate with our son Shawn as he was leaving from the lake the next day to head to 5 days of camping on the dunes at the coast near Coos Bay and ride their quads.
My sister Roberta got this great morning shot of the lake when it was like a mirror.  Pretty!
On our second evening of dinner with my sister and Marcia, Dayle made baked potatoes and grilled filet mignon.  Denise provided a welcome salad full of fresh veggies. They stayed in a hotel in Oakridge and came up to enjoy the lake for 2 days.
Our group photo is small, as we forgot to take one when our boys were there - but we got this one with all 4 siblings, 2 spouses and my brother Rob's daughter and son with his wife and 3 little boys.
On Wednesday when we were sailing back from our swim in the lagoon, we noticed a plume of smoke just off the rim of the lake!!  We then saw helicopters dumping water on the fire and then other helicopters that were dropping crew to fight the fire.  In the late afternoon a US Forest Service Policemen came around to all the camps to inform us that if the fire got out of hand we should be ready to evacuate the camp ground!
We had good sailing on 3 days - here is Dayle and his boat in our swimming lagoon.  The water is brisk but worth it as it's just so beautiful and clean. 
Wouldn't you love to jump in this on a nice warm day?  That log you see is 12-15 feet dow there! :-) 
I took this photo on our way to the lagoon.  The water is so deep out here it's the color of  cobalt blue. 
My sail - it was a custom design to promote the movie "Tequila Sunrise" with Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell.  The person who sold it to me won it at a video convention in Las Vegas! :-)  I got it brand new in the box for at least a quarter of it's value.
The beautiful water. 
The kayakers in the lagoon - there was a water drop on the lens of my waterproof camera.  I must say, I'm disappointed in the images I'm getting from my Fuji waterproof camera.  They are dark and not true colors.. but hey, it was nice not to be risking my good camera in the water! :-) 
Our 4 sailboats on the shore, me in the water swimming shooting shots. 
Thursday - heading out of the lagoon, this is the shadow of my boat on the bottom of the lagoon and the reflection of my sail in the water.  We are heading to the boat launch to load our boats.  ::sigh::  I always get sad when it's time to leave.
Dayle and Buddy (in his life vest) heading out to the boat ramp. 
We had grilled ham and fried potatoes for dinner that last night and Buddy is hoping for a bite.  :-) 
We woke up on Friday and after coffee and a muffin, Dayle packed the chairs and got everything ready outside the trailer, I was busy inside stowing all the gear for the trip home.  We said our goodbyes to my brother and his family and headed down the mountain.  Here is my favorite view going down - Dayle and the trailer and the pointy mountain which I can't remember the name of.  
I'd always wanted to photograph this covered bridge that is on the way to get the I-5 freeway, so I took the opportunity.  It is no longer used, but has been saved and is beautiful.
And so, if you've reached the bottom of this lengthy post - you get a gold star.  I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed remembering and recording it.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-) 

45 comments:

  1. YOUR BACK....y e a h!!! You sure were missed and I read every part of this lovely post. You made me feel as if I was right there with all of you. Oh...I just can't get over all the" beautiful photos" breath taking! and the water.... Oh my goodness, never in my life have I ever seen such clear water....amazing! Not sure what the flowers were but gorgeous! The photo of all the boys posing for you...that little tree next them couldn't be any more perfect. Over all....what a wonderful relaxing vacation you had with the family and happy for your safe return! Shari ")

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  2. Welcome Home!!! But I am so glad you were willing to share your great trip with us:) I had a wonderful time!!! Beautiful in every way:) [will see if I can find the name of your flowers]
    Gracie xx

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  3. Que fotos magníficas. Show.
    Sua família é linda.
    Parabéns.
    Saudades Teresa.
    Beijo.

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  4. I enjoyed every moment in your post, such a beautiful place to be. I bet the air was so clean and the the water sparkling. It looks like a fantastic time was had by everyone. Glad you are home safe and sound.
    hugs to you,
    Meredith

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  5. Such a delightful vacation for you all! Your pictures are wonderful - so well shot. Even if you had not written any words, your pictures speak so well and share the story of a great family outing. I was thinking about you when I heard about the fire that popped up over near Waldo lake. Way too many fires going on lately. We stopped by the Forest Service air base in Redmond tonight and there were four air tankers there ready to go. Last night there were two water bombers there on loan all the way from Minnesota!

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  6. wow, it all looks so beautiful. Think you have a slight advantage in planning things where you live - over here you can't plan to do something in the afternoon on the same morning because it could be raining or blowing a gale, or blazingly hot..... sigh. I think it's great how you and your family rub along, joining each other for this and that but never crowding each other, and your 'camp' - blimey!!! That's a camp - so jealous. The cooking is very impressive too, you should see what complete dross I cooked for us on a camping trip a few years back ha ha. It would make your hair stand on end. You have taken some lovely photos - the moon, your grandsons running into the water and your pup are my favourites. Love reading your blog and tales of your warm happiness-filled life. Well done you.

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  7. That sounds like a fantastic holiday. Such stunning scenery and water. Thank you for sharing it with us. I think I'll have to add it to my list of places I'd like to visit ;)

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  8. What a stunning location to go camping in and what fun times with the family:)

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  9. I loved this post Teresa. Welcome home and what a wonderful holiday you had. The scenery is stunning there. I really enjoyed all the photos but that shot of Dayle with Buddy in his little life vest just made me grin from ear to ear. Priceless memories for you all. The honeymooners land at Heathrow in 3 hours and have had an amazing tour of your West coast. Good to have you back my friend,
    Jane x

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  10. What a wonderful vacation with yr. family. Thanks for sharing it w/ us. We missed you here :)

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  11. Hi Teresa you were certainly missed. Absolutely stunning pictures of your vacation hough. An very envious. Love Anne x

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  12. Hello Teresa...Your photographs always leave me breathless...the scenery is amazing! So lovely for you all to be able to enjoy a big family holiday together...your trailer looks fabulous and I love the camper van too...the pic of Buddy is adorable!
    Hope you have a lovely week,
    Susan x

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  13. Teresa, That was amazing! What a vacation you had. The weather, water, family, food and scenery are spectacular!!! You guys sure know how to do it, but I bet it takes a lot of planning and organizing. Great job Teresa!!!
    Loved your campsite and home away from home. All you blankets and pillows looked so at home and cheery. The boys are so cute. It's so nice to see the love they have for both of you and the fun they have. You are really making so many memorable times for them and yourselves.
    Nice to have you back and I am back too! Missed you❤

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  14. Terrific photos of beautiful scenery, happy family, yummy food, and lovely crochet projects! Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Absolutely beautiful, Teresa. Thank you so much for sharing! x

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  16. Glorious post-utterly idyllic and I almost felt like I was there-I wish!!!

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  17. Good to have you back Teresa and from all the photos it looks like you had a wonderful time with family. That clear water is amazing! There are so few unspoiled places anymore. You sure stayed busy, and the kids look like they were having so much fun. All that fresh air and the scenery, I can truly understand why you love that vacation spot. I'm glad you got some hooky time, packing a wip is always one of the things I also make sure is in the suitcase. I won't even mention the food, doesn't everything taste better over an open fire? Thank you for sharing some Paradise with us.
    I did take the time to check out your Etsy Store and a few other points of interest on your sidebar. I love the jewelry and will try and come back this week and buy something. Your artwork is awesome, I did not realize you are so artistic. You know how I feel about your dollhouse, and it only reminds me to get busy on my own. You take care, have a good week resting up from the vacation.
    Susanne :)

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  18. *sigh* This looks like perfection to me! I love your trailer and I want one!!!!! I always enjoy seeing pictures of your trips :)

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  19. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It looks like heaven. I just showed Little Lady the inside of your camper and her jaw dropped open, it's fabulous Teresa. And oh my, the colour of that water, sooooo beautiful. Have loved holidaying with you adn your sweet family. thanks for the ride ♥

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  20. oh wow, I am so in awe of the scenery, the sailing, the wildness of your camping area and the stunning weather. I love you take full size furniture in your huge caravan! Your holiday sounds amazing, I am so glad you had a wonderful time with all of your family and friends Fiona x

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  21. H Teresa! I certainly missed you! I have been gone all weekend too. Just got home. Your pics are wonderful, and I can see why you love going there so much. This reminds me of our Bass Lake up near Yosemite!
    : ) XO Kris

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  22. What a great post! I feel like a voyeur! LOL I love, absolutely LOVE the photo of all four of your sailboats with their reflection in the water! And the last pic of Buddy! They're all great...such cute grand kids! What a fun family you all are! I'm an only child...my Mom was an only child and my Dad's one brother was never really big on "family". So I look at your family outings and joys and feel a little envious! You are very blessed! Thanks for sharing all your memories with us! You asked about the oil paint look. It is a free plug-in that I use in Photoshop...called Pixel Bender. If you have Photoshop, check it out! I'm not sure if it works with other programs...it might! xoxo, Annette

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  23. Probably the most fabulous post ever. So much going on I don't know where to begin. What a great trip this was. You sure know how to camp in style. And those wonderful meals. I so need to get us out that way one year. Glad to see you are back. We are doing well here and finally have a break in the weather and have been out all weekend bike. Can't wait to see what's up next out your way. But, first grab a shower and a good night's sleep.
    Kate xoxoxox.

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  24. I read every word and thoroughly enjoyed every word and every picture. I made a fast trip to Portland on Friday & Saturday and couldn't believe how hot and dry it was there. 106 in The Dalles as we drive through!!! We have also been enjoying our trailer - wouldn't it be fun to go together sometime?

    Thank you for the trip, I feel like I was there too.

    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  25. Hello Teresa! Such wonderful pictures of such a beautiful place! How lovely that you spent such happy family times there, it all looks just perfect! And the camper looks so comfortable and well equipped too :) Have a happy week back home.
    Helen x

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  26. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. The lake is soo beautifu. I will be putting this on my bucket list. lol The pics were awesome. I loved the one of the log under water 15 feet down. It must be really chilly with all the natural springs feeding it. Gorgeous though! Thank you for sharing!
    Tammy in Ct.

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  27. Welcome back!!! You've been missed! You had such an amazing trip! Gorgeous campgrounds too! Lots of traveling for the Hubs, so I hope to be able to use some of his frequent flyer miles to make some trips myself. Maybe I'll find my way to the great Northwest ;)

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  28. I missed ya! I loved this post. The lake looks amazing. The boys are getting very handsome...all four of them look like they had a blast. Buddy is also getting very photogenic, you got some great shots of him. Your hubby is also a complete charmer...what a chef, he looks really well! You can't beat family vacations in my opinion. I have no idea what those flowers are either. First one to find out is the winner. I have never seen Bear Grass isn't that amazing! xxx

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  29. Absolutely loving the shawl, can't wait to see more! I can't get over how clear the water is in the lake - it looks absolutely beautiful! I don't like open water swimming but I reckon even I'd give that a go for sure!

    So pleased you got to spend time with some many people in your family - love it! x

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  30. Well, I got a gold medal and loved every minute of the trip. You surely do live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet and your pictures are superb. That one of Buddy at the end of your post is adorable - you can almost read his mind. Thanks for sharing your wonderful holiday. xoxox

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  31. Wowowow Teresa what an amazing time you've had!! Next time people ask my top 3 dream holdiday destinations "Teresa's Lake" is definitely in it :D Such a dream! Such gorgeous surroundings, and that water!! I can't believe how amazingly clear it is. Thank you for sharing your holiday, I enjoyed this sooo much!! :-) xxxx

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  32. WOW! A fabulous place to crochet lol the splash of colour in the camper looks stunning too, one wonderful place to spend family time....stunning
    Have fun, hugs x

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  33. Oh wow!!! I'm enjoying all your wonderful photos, over and over again! What a fabulous place!!! Wish I could be there, even once! :)
    I'm so glad you had an amazing time with family! For sure that are unforgetable moments in life! Thank you for sharing with us!
    PS: I so much love your crochet blankets, too. They are very delightful!!!
    Hope your days are always gorgeous!!!
    Best wishes, LS

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  34. Wow! Cool camping site indeed. I can think of a lot of things here in this place . Cool!

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  35. WOW Teresa that is absolutely gorgeous. You guys really know how to camp! That is inspiration for me -- how glorious. Thank you!

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  36. OMG, this was so fun to read through. I get a gold star because I read every word! All of your food looks so good! Of course, I would mention those first. I need to make that Yakasoba Chicken again. Your pictures are just beautiful! Looks like you had a wonderful time.

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  37. Welcome back! LOVED your photos--I hope you will print, mat and frame some of them so you can daily look back on your time with family and smile at the great memories:)
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  38. Awww it looks so wonderful! I am glad you enjoyed your time.

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  39. Thank you for sharing your heaven.
    I love all the post and the beautiful pictures !
    It's so fabulous...
    Julie

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  40. Thanks for sharing your holiday with us Teresa. What a wonderful time you have had and so nice for you all to holiday together. It looks so beautiful there - the water is so clear and inviting I would love to jump in for a swim lol! Joanna xx

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  41. It looks just divine. What else can one wish for, sun, water, sailing, canoeing, spending time with loved ones. And so many beautiful photo's, love to look at them. Thanks for sharing. The space you have!! groetjes, Gerda

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