GentleMan GefI bought two bundles of campfire wood on the way down and lit it at 5pm just after dark
About 20 minutes left at 930
I’d burn more if I had it, I don’t have to get up early tomorrow
I can hear coyotes yipping in the forest
Each bundle of wood came with about ten pieces of kindling
I set them aside and used charcoal briquettes and fluid to start the big pieces on fire
Now that the big pieces are mostly gone the kindling is working well to give me another 20-30 minutes
Yesterday was gale force winds here in Astoria Or, I almost didn’t come this way today
Morning report showed chance of rain but no high wind advisory
Was dry and sunny all day
The Columbia River was flat and no wind on that giant bridge
Now at 1020 51F and I can see stars through some holes in the clouds
And the roar of the surf less than a kilometer away
The friends I stayed with in Olympia not only fed me well but I got to watch them decorate the tree and we put Yule Kitties on the TV
Cats and carols
They sent me off with a gift bundle including wine, premium snacks and most fortuitous a stocking cap with a built in rechargeable head lamp
I can’t find any of my headlamps plus it keeps my ears warm!
The power just came on
That means I can use my small electric heater instead of burning propane
Fire is almost out too!
I tended the fire down to the last smolders
The electric heat has been on for about an hour, time to go inside
Drove south for a few hours and found a spot at a private marina
The waves are lapping against a small sea wall 15 ft out my door
Their store has a crab shack out back cooking until 4
https://maps.apple.com/?ll=45.668753,-123.924990&q=Kelly%E2%80%99s%20Brighton%20Marina&t=m
Not enough signal for pictures right now though
We’ve got seals!
We’ve got Grebes!
Also: Herons, Cormorants, a few types of gulls, Bald Eagles and probably a few others I don’t remember
Sideways rain, whitecaps, winds up to 30mph from the south
My back door is pointing west so I’ve kept it open since it’s not blowing right into the camper
Also have the electric heater going
The whole truck bounces around!
I’m the only one here
No campers no employees and no houses within 1000 ft
I wish I had a loud stereo!
I only have a small cd boombox with 4 inch speakers and the little telescoping antenna
I have about 100 CDs when no radio is available
I need new Bluetooth speakers to listen to music from my phone
Often when camping streaming is not an option but saved music from phone to speakers works
Currently listening to 93.3 “The Rock” rocking Seaside and Astoria signal 4/5
I only recently got my totes of CDs out of storage and still in jewel cases
I need to find a couple of those binders with sleeves for my collection
We bought a lot up until about 2000
Probably 400 at home and 200 DVDs
No TV installed in the camper yet but a small disc player and I have room for a mid 20s inch TV would work
I have my Chromebook when WiFi is available
I finally thought to search for WiFi.
The park has no password unsecured connection. I’m getting 4/5 bars and pictures are back on the menu!
An overview of the empty lot and marina.
Very near the mouth of the Nehalem river
I enjoyed watching the river for a few hours today and I plan on doing it all day tomorrow too
I have no particular place to be until Christmas so why not
Great bird watching!
The store has a crab shack out back with outdoor seafood cooking and seating
The host mentioned crab and oysters, might be some clams and fish too
I didn’t go back there today but chances are all three meals of the day may be shack related
I haven’t used the camper since summer
I left everything in a jumble then. While taking inventory and organizing I found some freaky fungus I was gifted at a party
About 3/4 gram. I don’t like going full trip dose these days, but a slow roll munching a few caps throughout the day can lead to new insights
The wind and rain have eased up
I still have the door open
52F outside and 62 inside with the electric heater going
A sweater and a stocking cap is all you need to weather the storm
Here is the website for the marina/park now that I figured out how to log in to their WiFi!
It’s crabs, all the way down!
I got the tripod out now that the rain left
First shot is to the east where the the sky is partially clear
The second shot is to the west where the cloud cover shows light pollution from there
Not that bright to my eyes but the camera never lies
The friends I just visited gave me a gift box with premium snacks, a bottle of wine (just finished) and this stocking cap with a built in rechargeable headlamp
How I felt taking that selfie
Now that I have WiFi I feel the urge to watch TV, but it’s just like smoking, once you quit for a week you are part way there
But
But
But
Star Trek is RIGHT THERE!
Now that it is 1 am, I wish I had some loud fireworks
Just to show the locals who’s boss
#CampingWithJeff
Tonight’s episode of #CampingWithJeff is singing off air at 01:48
Stay tuned for further hijinks
I’m up! It was a long night talking to you animals
Each of those posts equals about two cocktails so I’m glad I’m not driving anywhere today
Bufflehead!
Kingfisher!
Kayak man is towing a large inner tube with a big crab pot on it
Plop, there it goes, into the drink!
People on the dock are pulling up pots now too, I see crabs!
I’m just going to go to the cook shack for my crab needs
Got a day fire started even though it is almost 60F
I found a Classical station on the frequency modulation machine. Perfect soundtrack for sitting by the river #CampingWithJeff
There WERE NOT cucumber seeds in this envelope when I found it while cleaning the camper
Taking 1/2 right now
Edit: took the 2nd half a couple hours later and had a wonderful afternoon with a mellow buzz
The steam pots are running all day
Site is $49, dock access is 17 per ring more
Cleaning stations and boiler is included
Rings for rent if needed
Buy a cooked crab for 18.50 lb crabs weigh 1.5-2 lbs each
Buy oyster for 19 doz
Clams
9.50 lb
Only the steam pot so good for crab and clams
Haven’t tried oysters that way but would get them hot
The only sun of the day is as it dips under the clouds
Dry and calm all day except for a squall that lasted about an hour
I think I finally got the fire going
The one I tried to start today wasn’t burning well, the host mentioned it might be a little wet
Had to use some cooking oil to spice it up
Not as immediately explosive as charcoal lighter fluid or gas
I decided to stay another night and try to catch crabs
They suggested a trap instead of a ring for leaving in all day
Two fish carcasses in the bait box
In the drink!
Will pull at about 3 (the cooker closes at 4)
Will get some of their oysters and clams for lunch
Got the whole shack, lights, fire pit, tables and kitties to myself
Bingo was a good dog on the patio with about 20 people and a few dogs
The only barking was from one dog that barked at every dog, but not cats
Everybody else is gone, no employees or other campers
No keeper qrabs today, one dungeness almost big enough and a few small ones
I had oysters and clams via shack folk for lunch and dinner today
Bingo surveying his domain now that everyone else has left
I have had a few expeditions that had no particular place to go or time to be there
A few times I’ve found random places that warrant staying a 2nd night
This is one of the first times I’ve had time and interest in staying a 3rd night
Next stop is Salem OR through Christmas with my brother and his grandkids
I get to kiss babies!
Just doused the fire pit in the Qrab Shaq and headed back to the camper
Only 830 PST but feels like the middle of the night
I’ve been going to bed within an hour of sunset this winter
Glad we hit the turn around the local star for longer exposure in the northern hemisphere
I really have to leave tomorrow…
There is one problem with grabbing two medium size totes of CDs from two big totes of CDs at random when on the road for a while
Might be some you’re not so interested in
Lots of good stuff in the grab
Alas, no #PinkFloyd
Would fit the mood right now
Got the door open while I’m smoking in the camper
60F inside with the electric space heater going
As the Solstice approaches, Happy summertime to my friends in the southern hemisphere
I understand that your Christmas Trees are as upside down as your toilets
Please confirm
Bec@SecularJeffrey Can confirm this is 100% true
2xfo@SecularJeffrey
My grandma used to hang hers from the ceiling
My grandma used to hang hers from the ceiling
Elias Mårtenson@SecularJeffrey Over here at the equator, the trees here are horizontal.
I guess I dipped heavily in the Christmas section of the collection
One can never go wrong when Bing is involved
As Bing started signing Gloria, it was “Gloria in excelsis Deo" not GLOOORIA
Now Bing has me craving for some Figgy Pudding
HipsterDM
Bing Crosby, David Bowie - Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy
Theriac@SecularJeffrey
unless its Microsoft Bing
unless its Microsoft Bing
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Goiterzan/Amygdalai Lama
aredguy@SecularJeffrey good luck! Nothing better than a meal you caught yourself!
Mike@SecularJeffrey The daily 5 minutes of sunlight
Mx "Vote Green" Fraud@SecularJeffrey what kind of crab you got there?
The bric shape with smooth shells? Or the spiky kind?
(or maybe some other kind).
The bric shape with smooth shells? Or the spiky kind?
(or maybe some other kind).
@mxfraud mostly big red smooth Dungeness
@SecularJeffrey we got a similar ones in Britanny (well also here in Scotland) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_pagurus
Actually, that's what I'll have for christmas eve dinner.
