Diamond Geezer...

I've survived six decades... under a fairer government I would be drawing my old age pension from now.. as it is like so many people of my era I have to wait another 6 plus years.  I can legitimately wear purple and a red hat, eat sausages and butter etc... (see Jenny Joseph Warning)

Its also my lovely granddaughters 8th birthday today - obviously a very special date!!!!
I refer to think I am celebrating my Diamond Jubilee - Diamonds used to be for 75 years but Queen Victoria changed all that  and for some reason made it 60 years... Its only a number but it feels like a significant one, In a good way I might add.  I have no issue being 60 years young - to be fair being a nana is more aging, having children in their 30's makes me feel old, crawling in and out of the b****y tent has aged me - however those days are passed... we have slept our last in the tent...

final striking of tent 

We have just had the most lovely few days - the last few days in our tent - on a fantastic campsite up on the coast in the Olympic National  Park in Washington.  We had one day of perfect weather - our camping spot was in exactly the right place, a completely unimpeded view of the beach and the sea from the tent and even better if you sat on the picnic table.  We spent the day relaxing in the sun and watching countless whales swim past - lolling and frolicking or what ever whales do- spy hopping actually - that's when they sort of stand up on their tails and poke their heads out to have a nosy - they were spuming and flipping about it was very fascinating.   There were pelicans flying overhead as well.

whale tail - from the tent

We lit a campfire in the evening and watched yet another superb sunset over the sea.. later the moon came up full and red -a warning of the day to come. The next couple of days was more of the same, relaxing, lazy, whales, campfires, but the forest fire smoke once again reached us and the sun was hazy. (Red moon at night smoky day)

note Dr Fred for scale 

We went down to Ruby beach and if I thought the drift wood in Lincoln city was impressive it was nothing on whats on this coast!!! Massive massive trees, logs, some like sequoias, huge dead cedars just littering the coast masses of bleached white gnarled twisted wood everywhere you look.  its very beautiful against the dark sand. 

wish I could bring some home 

We had a birthday breakfast on the beach (in the haze) and packed up, later we found a fantastic classic 50's style American diner for lunch and now we head out to try and do justice to an American steak house....

the Flippin' Fifties Diner 

So the tent and camping gear has gone to the charity shop - the very nice man in the motel reception when I asked him for directions to the nearest thrift shop let me have my laundry for free as I was donating all our stuff - just another kindness we have seen all the way along this trip, people donating food ( we probably looked like we needed it ) fire lighters, tips on good places to see and eat, even free camping at one place, loads of offers of gardens to camp in - yes we have had the odd unpleasant encounter but once again the american people have lived up to my expectation from our previous trip.