Winter Pics

You'll have to look here:

https://sites.google.com/site/durosswest/

Let us know what you think (we are still deciding whether to move the blog or not).

Chris

A Girl!

Ever since the day in early October when we told Finn I was pregnant he has been telling us with great conviction that he is going to have a baby sister. Our 20 week ultrasound confirmed that the new addition to our family this April will indeed be a girl! Finn was pretty adorable during the appointment. When asked if there was anything else he wanted to see in the ultrasound before we left he requested to see the tiny feet again. He was pretty enthralled with the "thumbs up" image and was excited to get sent home with his own 4 picture print-out (which he hung on the bulletin board in his bedroom).

Halloween 2010

Finn talked for months before Halloween arrived of how he was going to be a shark AND that the mailman was going to deliver the shark costume. Knowing that the mailman doesn't just deliver costumes magically (without someone ordering and paying for them) I was left with the one option of figuring out how to make him his very own shark costume. So, I pulled out an old sweatshirt of mine, bought some felt at the store and began cutting, gluing and sewing. Two hours later he had the perfect costume, complete with a fin on back (unfortunately we never got a side shot to show it). At least for all the effort he got to wear it three times: his school party Thursday, around the neighborhood trick-or-treating with friends Saturday, and then up to pot-luck Halloween Party Sunday in Summit Park, which Chris and I decided to scrape together costumes for. Can you tell what we were?

Nearly a year and a half after moving into our house we finally got inspired to put the patio back together thanks to a lot of help (experience, confidence, support and physical labor) from Dad. Finn loved helping his Daddy and Grandpa by carrying bricks from one pile to another.

Since the front yard, including the patio, was excavated to a depth of 9 feet for sewer repairs, two days after we arrived, we never got to know the joys of sitting out front. We have more work ahead to find the perfect furniture for the area but for now we've moved our Adirondack bench up from the backyard and are enjoying visiting with neighbors as they come and go.

Awake My Soul

That's right...Erika is pregnant! This is week 15 and we're all incredibly excited...even Finn, who remarked that he wanted both a brother and a sister. :)

BTW...title is from a band Chip turned me on to: Mumford & Sons.

First Day of Pre-school!

Wednesday/Thursday - Orcas Island

Saturday to Tuesday - Westernclan/Easternclan reunion

 
After a quick drive up the coast and visit to Ecola state park (last surfing destination...for those interested, the waves were small, but fun and provided a good chance to get used to my board...especially the fast quad fin setup) our trip shifted gears a bit as we pulled into a Victorian mansion come B&B.  This leg of the trip will be spent with my parents, which is especially fun for Finn, who might be getting just a little worn out.   

So far, we've really enjoyed their company and have exhausted ourselves with beach hikes, forest hikes, tide pool gazing, choosing just the right campsite, and thousands of questions: what is that starfish doing, why is it on the rock, what does it eat; why is the tide low, can waves get us here; why are barnacles on rocks; how deep can cormorants dive, is that an anemone; daddy you should surf here...why don't you just steer around the rocks; where are we going; where are Nana and Papa?...

The highlight though was definitely the long crazy drive from 0' to 5500' in the interior of Oly NP to gain the Deer Park campground set in a subalpine environment.  After a foggy 4 mile hike we enjoyed near solitude, another great meal, and the slow unveiling of one of the most beautiful views from a "front country" site...billows of white to gray fog enshrouding the thick forested foothills of the glacier carved and partially snow covered Olympic Mountains....wow.

We packed up quickly in the mist and rain, drove down the narrow winding road, shoveled down all a nearby Starbucks had to offer, and made our Port Townsend ferry with room to spare.  Our next stop is Orcas Island, where all of our thoroughly damp camping gear will stay neatly tucked away in the rocket box as we look forward to showers and maybe even a chance to break the newly formed rust off of our bike chains.

PS - for more photos, see previous post.

Saturday - Sunday

Thursday - Friday, Oregon

Thursday August 5

The last three days have been a whirlwind of checking surf breaks, wandering along random beaches, admiring the views (and fog!) at overlooks, and pushing up through the entire OR coast.  

Thursday we hit the last few beaches In northern CA, including crazy rough seas at the Del Norte coast.  Definitely no surf there.  We continued on to Gold beach...and thanks to a visitors center volunteer telling us about her son "wetsuit surfing" at the jetty, we investigated.  The current was strong and the two locals not very welcoming, but I managed to sneak a few waves in.  

Friday morning we explored more of the OR coast, and completely stumbled on nice waves at another jetty, this time at the Upqua lighthouse.  We carefully navigated Dune Fest craziness and found the break.  Again, me and two locals (this time welcoming); the waves were amazing, but getting outside was quite a battle.   We rounded out the day with tide pools at yachats, and great camping on the bay near Pacific City.    

   

Wednesday - Northern California

August 4
just a short jaunt up the coast today to meet up with another good friend.  Clara and I go back to college days of mucking around chasing frogs in the Missoula vicinity.  We figured it had been somewhere around ten years since we'd last seen each other so I was happy she, and her two kids, could make the 45 minute trip from inland to hang out.  Finn relished having a fellow three year old to play with (after nearly a week of being on the road with the two of us as his sole companions).  Our afternoon was spent at Trinidad State Beach together and then out for fish n'chips/clam chowder at the Trinidad Bay Eatery before parting ways.    

Chris, still on the prowl for an opportunity to get out and catch some waves on his new surf board, scouted every potential break with anticipation.  Moonstone beach was beautiful but too uneventful.  Hiking to down to Agate beach from our camp site at Patrick's Point State Park after dinner was an enjoyable scouting session for all.  The surf was deemed worth checking into again in the morning, Finn and I scoured the beach for perfect rocks and Chris inspected the banks to determine the origin of the sediments.  

Monday-Tuesday - Redwoods

Monday, August 2


I can't imagine a more idyllic place to spend a few nights!   After a Long drive up the serpentine Northern California coast via HWY 1 we veered inland on 101, at the Lost Coast, for a few more hours of winding through Redwood forests before landing at our destination, The House in the Redwoods.  The house, nestled into a private corner of Flood Plains Organic Farm is complete with all the fine details of comfort and luxurious simplicity in and out: a private yard scattered with mature fruit (apple, plum, pear) trees, hammock, expansive garden open for wandering/ picking, deck with hot tub, blackberry bushes lining the driveway and unlimited access to anything at the produce stand.  I can already say wholeheartedly that I will be hesitant to move on after only two nights.  For now we will embrace every moment here in the Redwoods and I will be scheming on plans to return another year.

Tuesday, August 3
Driving through the Redwoods is one thing but biking beneath the canopy gives a greater sense of the grandiosity, while exposing the senses to fog-laden, woodsy aromas,  filtered sunbeams contrasted by deeply shaded stretches, skin chilling breezes of rapid hill descents, and the "taste" a bit of pain at the end of 47 miles.  Our route: Avenue of the Giants; Pepperwood to Miranda and back.

Other highlights of the day: 
Blackberry Popsicles from the Flood Plain Organics produce stand.  
Using produce stand and self-picked herbs/vegetables to make pizza with Finn (California mozzarella, walla walla onion, Jimmy Nardello pepper, yellow squash, patti-pan squash, spinach, olive oil and basil).  
A soothing soak in the hot tub.  
Looking forward to savoring the figs we just picked for breakfast........     

Sunday - Salt Point

Sunday August 1 - Salt Point

Starting to lose track of time and days of the week; haven't thought about work in a long time; excited about simple meals; amazed (and sometimes exhausted!) by Finn's running commentary; and just in awe of the beauty of this part of the coast.  just some random thoughts as we are all settling into life on the road.

Today we woke to chilly fog streaming through camp.  After a lazy morning we pulled a true "DuRoss" move and switched camp sites...can only imagine the laughs as I walked about with the tent high above my head....but we were so glad we did as we scored a beautiful quiet site and later watched an 80' long RV pull next door to our previous site.  The rest of the day included a 4 mile hike along the roaring, rocky coast and cashew tofu masala...ahhh why do we work again?  

Tomorrow a long trek noth past the Lost Coast into Redwood country.    

Saturday - Salt Point

After a hearty Oakland breakfast (Batter Blaster!) and send off, we finally found views of the ocean, along with a thousand German-made hybrid SUVs. But past Stinson beach the crowds dwindled as we ventured Into lands too far for a typical weekend getaway from the Bay.  Checked the surf at the salmon creek mouth, but no go - variable wind swept chop...not ideal for the virgin run on the fish...though the locale name was suitable.

Salt Point.  Beautiful, raged wind swept and foggy cliffs...complete with every earthquake geologist's dream: uplifted beach terraces from movement on the San Andreas fault!  No surfing here, but if i weren't a little spooked by strong crashing waves on broken sea stacks and through thick kelp forests, i'd put my wetsuit to good use harvesting some abalone.  

After settling camp we saddled up for a quick ride down to the coast, explored tide pools, watched resting sea lions, and found a rocky nook to watch the sunset.  So amazing to be huddled together as a family, watching something so simple and beautiful.

PS - sorry for the multiple posts...finally have AT&T service!

        

Friday - Oaktown

Day two drive was easier than expected; arrived in Oakland at about 2pm.  Thanks to google maps on iPad, we killed some time at a park along the bay that ended up being a bird-nerd's paradise, including a few random (and eager) shore birds migrating south from the arctic.  We are on the opposite path - pushing north to mist, tall trees, and cold water.  

Afternoon hit and we finally met our destination - old friends from what seems like an epoch ago (actually a decade) when we inhabited this part of the coast.  Great to catch up with Rob and Kristin and meet their amazing 6-month old twin daughters Abby and Emma.  Thanks again guys - and Rob, see you in Memphis!

Tomorrow - Salt Point State Park, where $80 will buy you a whole mess of BBQ oysters, some top shelf wine, or two nights of sleeping on the dirt (but you can't put a price on the sound of crashing waves from your tent!).

      

on the road and headed West

 

The car is loaded to the top, with more up top, and Salt Lake City is a distant memory beyond the view of our rear view mirror. First stop Fernley, NV.

follow our trip!  


View CA-OR-WA trip in a larger map

Fishyness

Finn giving me his best swallow tail look. we are all super excited for our trip! (we push off for the CA-OR-WA coast tomorrow am... Stay tuned for live blogging updates!

I'm Three Right Now?

Hard to believe Finn is 3!

We had a great 2-day birthday celebration. On Friday, Finn and I (cbd) enjoyed some quiet time together, including a long bike ride to the park and some weather watching (he's a true DuRoss!). That afternoon we were supposed to have a neighborhood "block" party, in which all of our neighbors were looking forward to celebrating his birthday. Unfortunately, the party was rained out...but we had fun making a cake-muffins and celebrating his special day together inside.

But wait, who's that at the door? Despite the rain, our neighbors surprised Finn at the door and sang him happy birthday anyway (did we mention that we love this neighborhood yet?).

Here is a great video to make up for all those one-sided phone conversations:

Saturday we had the real party. Lots of friends and lots of kids. Rain forced us inside, but we still had fun.

And finally, some of our favorite photos of our amazing, energetic, talkative, insightful, adventurous, sweet boy:

July, 2009 -- SLC

August, 2009 -- Uinta's

September, 2009 -- SLC

November, 2009

January, 2010 -- Driggs

April, 2010 -- SW Utah

May, 2010 -- SLC