Mt. St.Helens and over to Oysterville, Washington

We left Madras and our old and new friends behind and headed to Mt. St. Helens.  We camped at Seaquest State Park for two days where we met up with Suzanne.

 Mt. St. Helens from the observatory

A glacier has formed in and around the bulge in the crater

Then we head west to Oysterville on the Washington coast.

Must buy some oysters to take home

And visit Jim and Nick

And walk on the beach 

Lunch in Ilwaco at black lake before we leave Washinton

August 21st.....Solar Eclipse Day!!!!

We are ready...

John, Rob, Vickie, Andrea, and Bill

Andrea and Bill

John and Vickie

Chris and Rob

We are ready!!

Note the time and thermometer 

Here we go....

My photos didn't turn out so most of these are Rob's

The shadows

This next one from Ryan's dad

And from Milinda

It was so amazing to see the first flash like a diamond as the moon began to move past the sun!!!

Amazing, also that the temperature went from 86 degrees to 64 degrees

And back again

Celebrating the light!!

What an experience!!!

Some of the amazing breakfasts, lunches, and dinners while we were at Andrea and Bill's

Andrea's Lattes in the mornings with Bill's amazing bacon or Vickie's eggs and ham in muffin tins.

Lunches and dinners to die for:

Bill's paella

John cooking the baby back ribs

And this doesn't show the wonderful salads or Vickie's peach cobbler or apple pie!!!

August 16th...6 am...on the road again!! This time to Oregon for the Solar Eclipse

First stop after breakfast is the Sundial Bridge in Redding.

After a long day on the road, a great campsite at La Pine State Park off of Hwy. 97.

Not as much traffic as we expected driving through Madras to Andrea and Bill's house on the Deschutes River.  I thought it was going to be more of a cabin!!!!!...wrong.

View from their deck

The turkey vultures roost across from us at night

There are lots of Ospreys and nests here because there are lots of fish for them.

We walk up the road to see how the traffic is on Hwy 26.  Each time we are surprised how little traffic there is.  On the way back down the hill I stop at the overlook.

I am practicing with the filter in front of my camera for the eclipse.  Tomorrow is the 'Big' day.  There are big fires around and we are hoping it isn't smokey tomorrow.