Visiting Cousins, OR

After leaving Orcas Island, we stop for the night at a small RV campground, Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. Windjammer Park is popular with locals as a playground and as just a place to hang out. We especially enjoy the trail edging the harbor.  Oak Harbor itself is home to a Naval Air Station and while it may not be a great tourist destination, it does have all the services we need (laundry, fuel stations, and places to eat).

Trail surrounding Oak Harbor

Beached driftwood log

Guitarist practicing on the shore

Girls' soccer practice

Back on the road, we navigate south and then along the Columbia River, crossing back over into Oregon.  Fall colors are just starting to emerge and there's rain in the air.

Logs waiting for transport

Fall colors making an initial appearance

Oregon berry farm under cloudy sky

By the time we reach Peter's cousin Cindy and her husband Jack's house, there's a light rain falling. The lushness of their beautiful garden almost makes me want to live back in Oregon, but then I remember the long grey winters and am willing to put up with California's droughts and general craziness. While Peter and Cindy catch up on family news, I wander out to the garden to take photos.

The Hazard family loves gnomes

Cindy & Peter

Wonderful lush garden

Jack teaches math and art classes at a local high school, but his real passion is ceramics.  While out in the garden he shows me his pottery wheel and kiln - all professional grade.  His dinner ware is truly beautiful, but my favorites are his hand built sculptures.

Peter and Cindy set the table for dinner

Sculpture by Jack

Love their cat who only slightly tolerates my camera

Becky, another cousin, comes over in the morning. She's into horses and has a good sized ranch on the other side of Portland.  We promise to visit soon.

Jack, cousins Cindy & Becky, me, Peter

That afternoon we are back on I-5 taking the fastest, but least interesting, route homeward.  As we near Eugene, we start seeing cars flying U of O flags.  In fact, some cars have over-the-top decorations.  Apparently they are Duck fans on their way to a football game that day.  Turns out the Ducks lose that one, but it certainly wasn't due to a lack of ardent fans.

Car w U of O flags

Now that's a true Duck fan!

More football flags flying

Leaving the Willamette Valley

Passing Wolf Creek

Classic neat Oregon farm

Southern Oregon's beginning to look like California