Rundown of latest adventures.....

Hello all!  This is Mandi, I thought I would take a few minutes and put some updated adventures up like I'd been promising a few of you :)

So, probably more than a month ago, our neighbor who has now moved back home to the midwest, Shawn, took us to one of his favorite hotsprings locations.  On the way up we passed by Cougar reservoir. It was truly one of the most beautiful bodies of water I had seen in Oregon thus far.  I'm told that it is in no comparison to a couple of more pristine ones.

On our way to the hotsprings, we walked on a trail about a little less than a mile which took us by this pool of water and waterfall.  Waterfalls are everywhere here in Oregon.  I am planning a trip with a co-worker right now to some of the pretties ones (in her opinion) so I can take whoever comes to visit if they should so desire.  Oh, and you'll also notice how I do not have any pictures of the hotsprings.....I figured I would save my audience from having to look at a bunch of naked old hippie men cause apparently hotsprings are where they all hang out.  You're welcome.

While Luke was here for a few weeks, we decided to go explore the coast on lookouts for good spots for future visitors.  We had used some of our tax return money to buy a new couch, and our salesman had told us of a place called Depoe Bay which is his favorite spot on the coast, little town which is know for it's whale watching observatory and the smallest harbor in the world.  On our way there, we stopped at a couple places on the way.  Most of you know that we took the 101 up from California when we first came up here.  The 101 continues all the way up the Oregon coast as well and is one of the prettiest drives I've been on.  Here are a few pictures.

So I'm exploring and getting all super nerdy over all the awesome nature things on this beach while the boys are wondering and throwing the frisbee around.  I walk over to some rocks and notice that they're an interesting texture.  I walk a little closer and see that 's cause they're covered in something.

I had no idea that mussels grew like this!  And there are thousands upon thousands of them, you can especially tell where the tidal water come up to, cause there will be an abundance of them and then they will stop as you look higher on the cliffs.  Absolutely fascinating.

This was another cool discovery.  This appears to be a sea urchin that is in the midst of digesting a crustacean.....I didn't really know they did that, but really cool and somewhat creepy.

So, if you can imagine, I'm at this point running over the rocks, giddy like the nerd I am, shouting at the boys that they're missing all the super cool stuff.  Then, in one of the tidal pools I see this:  a real starfish!  Don't really get to see those often in the gulf.  To get this picture I'm precariously straddling between two dangerously uneven rocks trying, unsuccessfully, to get a picture without my shadow, and this is about where my phone drops into the ocean water, never to be revived again.  Small loss for a nature nerd.












Then we get to Depot Bay.

Absolutely beautiful.

This is the world's smallest harbor.  It doesn't look too small until you get a boat in it, which I didn't get a picture of.  I would not want o be the captain of a boat going in here; I sat and watched a boat sit at the mouth of the harbor for about 15 minutes trying to wait for the swells to go down so they could get in the harbor straight on cause they couldn't fit in sideways.  And then they had to fit under this bridge, which if you look at the picture on the bottom right side where the water is broken up, you can see how they have to maneuver just right though to get to the docks on the other side of the bridge.

In this picture, you can see a seal/sea lion (I don't know which) coming up onto the rocks.  The white board in the bottom left corner is a long cutting board on which fish is being chopped up to be served in the adjoining restaurant.  The scraps are being tossed out onto the rocks.  This seal is very eager to get at some, but his poor little body just can't make it up all the way.  The seagulls apparently are used to this because they grab it up and fly right by him as if taunting him.  He eventually gives up and swims away.  I wish I had some food for him.

On the way back home, the boys humor me and we stop at a lighthouse.  I don't know if you all know this about me but I love lighthouses.  I would love to live in one I think.  Josh tells me I would hate it the first storm I went through in one, but I like to still believe it would be awesome.  I think it's from watching Pete's Dragon so much growing up.

I love you all and sorry it took so long to get these up.  Hope you enjoy!