July 1, 2018

A Month in Summary - June 2018

Port Orford, Oregon
June 2018

Another month has come and gone. I've noticed that when we're traveling, the days just fly by. We were gone for two weeks this month, camping in three Oregon state parks on the coast (between home and the California border), as well as "boondocking" at a couple of nearby wineries. It was a great trip and, as is with our new lifestyle, we started planning for a new trip for July while we were still on the road! We didn't have any house guests this month, but my dad and stepmom stopped by for a quick visit on their own travels back to the Kitsap Peninsula (WA) from California. We swapped road trip stories as we enjoyed a nice lunch at The Horn in Depoe Bay. Still no puzzle time and I only managed to complete two books, but I did finish posting all my travel essays for our 2017 Olympic Peninsula trip. You can find those posts here.

Books Read in June:

The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

First Lines:

Daughter, I have a story to tell you. I have wanted to tell it to you for a very long time. But unlike Babar or Eloise or any of the other stories that you loved to hear, this one is not funny. This one is not clever. It is simply true. It is my story, yet I do not have the words to tell it. Instead, I pick up my needles and I knit. Every stitch is a letter. A row spells out "I love you." I knit "I love you" into everything I make. Like a prayer, or a wish, I send it out to you, hoping you can hear me. Hoping, daughter, that the story I am knitting reaches you somehow. Hoping, that my love reaches you somehow. (The Knitting Circle - Prologue)

Okoloma was one of my greatest childhood friends. He lived on my street and looked after me like a big brother: if I liked a boy, I would ask Okoloma's opinion. Okoloma was funny and intelligent and wore cowboy boots that were pointy at the tips. In December 2005, in a plane crash in southern Nigeria, Okoloma died. It is still hard for me to put into words how I felt. Okoloma was a person I could argue with, laugh with and truly talk to. He was also the first person to call me a feminist. (We Should All Be Feminists)

Movies & TV Series:



The Bridge - We finished Season Two, which was good but I liked the first season better. We'll start Season Three in another week or so. I love the cast and think the writing & acting is excellent.



The Shape of Water - This was a very odd film, but we both liked it. I enjoyed seeing Richard Jenkins (from 6 Feet Under) and thought Sally Hawkins was outstanding in the lead role.



Amy - Wow. This documentary was well done, insightful and heartbreaking. Winehouse had such incredible talent as a jazz singer. It's a terrible shame that so many talented artists (musicians, actors, etc.) rise to fame and fortune and are unable to handle the pressure and demands of that lifestyle.



Lost in Space - I grew up watching the original TV series and am now enjoying this updated version. We've binged on Season One and it's gone from fun and entertaining to predictable, silly and sappy. If anything, it's inspired me to go back and watch the 1965 show on Hulu. I want to see just how Machiavellian Dr. Smith was since I remember him as more of a bumbling idiot than a devious con-artist. 

Outings & Trips:


 Humbug Mountain State Park
Port Orford, Oregon
(Can you find our motorhome?)

Chetco River
 Alfred A. Loeb State Park
Brookings, Oregon


Eel Lake
 William M. Tugman State Park
Lakeside, Oregon


Monmouth, Oregon




Salem, Oregon

We camped in Humbug Mountain State Park (Port Orford, OR), Alfred A. Loeb State Park (Brookings, OR) and William M. Tugman State Park (Lakeside, OR). We also "boondocked" (dry camping - no hook ups) at Emerson Vineyards and Eola Hills Wine Cellars, both of which are in the Willamette Valley. I plan to blog more in-depth about this trip in the coming months, so stay tuned.

Visitors:


Dad & June - the other Happy Campers!


Depoe Bay, Oregon
Delicious fish tacos & beer 
(and, if you're ambitious, within walking distance from our house!)


Depoe Bay Harbor


Depoe Bay 
(Click here for more information)


Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Click on images to enlarge them.

6 comments:

  1. Your travels look like so much fun!

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    1. Kathy, we are so happy and enjoying our retirement! I'm busy planning a BIG trip to Texas this fall. We'll travel through Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Not sure of the exact length, but it will probably be around 6-8 weeks. We're hoping to go to Alaska next year!

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  2. What a month. Retirement definitely agrees with you!

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    Replies
    1. JoAnn, it's been a wonderful year of retirement! I need to remember to enjoy the slower days, though. I'm always eager to get out and do something! :)

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  3. I'm sure I visited Depoe Bay when I was in Oregon...however don't remember much of it.
    Will have to check it out after reading about the quaintness of the town.

    - Lisa

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    Replies
    1. Lisa, we've been visiting Depoe Bay for 20 years and are so fortunate to now call it home! It's a lovely little town.

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