A Farewell Weekend at Washburne

We departed home on Friday AM, around 11, and arrived at Washburne around 1:30. Flo met us as we rounded the loop and gave us a nice greeting! We parked, and headed up to visit with Harry & Flo for awhile. We conned them into taking some pictures in front of their volunteer sign at the park, and then we headed off to Florence for our usual Friday night supper, and visit to Bi-Mart!

We woke on Saturday to some drizzle, but it quickly dried off, and the sun came out. Kristin took off to ride her bike, and I was busy working on a parting gift for Flo & Harry. They have been park hosts in the winter at Carl Washburne since 1997. We officially met them in Jan 2000, when the mud slide in Florence closed the highway, and we frequented the park, because no one else did & we loved having it to ourselves! It was this way for 3 months before they opened the road. In that time, we got to know Harry & Flo, and always tried to spend some time there when they were hosting in the park. Winter is our camping time on the coast anyway, since it is way to busy in the summer. For these last 9 years, they have been adopted grandparents for our kids while we are at camp, and good friends to us as well. We look forward to our visits when we camp.

Kristin over the years has picked up many treasures off the beach at Washburne, and she helped with our project by contributing a small sand dollar, 2 agates, and a pretty shell. We grouped these together in a nice wooden collage, and pasted the treasures around the frame. Together with the photos we took on Friday, along with some nice pictures of Washburne beach, and Heceta Head Light House, it made a great grouping. We took our gift down to them on Saturday after supper, and they were both very pleased. Flo had visited earlier in the day (thankfully, I had already finished & wrapped the gift!), but she saw that I had printed the group picture I had taken the night before, and had it on our fridge. Needless to say, we talked our way out of that, and made sure we gave them the gift that night!

Sunday brought a lazy morning, in which Ryan read us the lesson we were working on at church. He was disappointed because it was the lesson on Sampson....so we read the two chapters, had a good discussion, and will download Sunday's teaching tonight, and listen to it on the way to work tomorrow!

After our quiet morning, we had lunch, a nap, and then we headed to the beach. As we got onto the beach, it was nice & sunny, but a storm quickly blew in, and we spent the evening inside at Harry & Flo's visiting while the wind blew. Thankfully, Washburne is protected by a high bluff behind the camp, and lots of trees. It rained hard all night, and thankfully, come Monday morning, it burned off, and we had another beautiful day...so beautiful, that we decided to stay another day. Bill called work and took a vacation day, and we enjoyed yet another relaxing day in our favorite place.

Today was sad as we pulled out of camp after lunch. We realized it was our last trip there with our smiling hosts there to greet us. We will miss the, and Washburne won't be the same. I guess we'll have to start camping in southern Oregon where Harry & Flo are going to settle. Thankfully, they are keeping their doctors in Corvallis, so will see them for that, and of course we will get together from time to time...so we're not "too sad"!! We wish them well in their new adventure!