Speed run to Whidbey Island

We made a speed run up to Whidbey Island on Saturday. Gail, Grandma Bev, and all but Cian and Jack, went to a 50th wedding anniversary for Denny and Marci Zylstra in Oak Harbor as well. While the others visited with relatives, Cian and Jack were busy making sea otter and bald eagle sightings. Here is an image of Rilla and Cian on the beach.

Goodbeach October 2009

We took advantage of the Adobe shutdown this week and headed up to Whidbey Island to spend three days at Goodbeach. Here are the kid's video blogs taken on the ferry on the way home (including Cian who had no comment).

Goodbeach October 2008

Recently the Brenchley Family spent five days on Whidbey Island at Goodbeach (see also April 07 & July 08 blogs). Here are some links to our adventures captured on pictures and video...
At Goodbeach : Colin in the bay; Caleb and a log.
At Fort Ebey: Playing at Pt. Partridge beach and Battery 248 (aka Used).
At Ebey's Landing: Playing at the beach.
At Fort Casey: Exploring Battery Trevor; Hiking down the bluff to play at the beach.
Video wrap-ups: Rilla & Cian; Colin; Emma; Caleb. See these and more at our Photobucket site.

Fort Casey (with Admiralty Head lighthouse in background) 10.5.08

Goodbeach July 2008

We spent three days and two nights up at Goodbeach; Gail’s family’s beach front house on Whidbey Island (See April 07 for more Goodbeach blogging). Gail’s Grandparents, Allan and Arlie Ostling, built the house in the early 70’s and Gail has fond memories of Summers spent on the island (don’t ask her about berry picking though).

Some of the things we did included, hiking to the point, and two extended hikes:

1. Hiked from Ebey’s Landing up along Perego’s bluff. It was pretty foggy out and we couldn’t see Port Townsend let alone any shipping traffic when we started out. Had a small lunch at a ‘Whale Bone’ looking fallen tree. Gail was able to find where the trail that they used to take across the island from Goodbeach came out – now it is fairly overgrown.

Continuing the hike we dropped down to the beach and came back that way. The sun had come out by then and was actually getting warm! The kids were excellent hikers and the two littles only needed a relatively small amount of carrying.

On the way back we stopped at Prairie Center and then in town at Kapaw’s ice cream for essentials. They do great ice cream and are definitely worth the stop! Interestingly, the building Kapaw’s is in had once been owned by Luther Weedin, Gail’s Great Uncle (Arlie’s Uncle) who was the Island County Sheriff and later U.S. Immigration Commissioner in Seattle in the Twenties. We slurped our ice cream as we walked the wharf to the red barn to look at real whale bones.

2. The second hike was the next day where we stopped off Highway 20 and hiked in Kettles Park across to Fort Ebey State Park. Kettles is named appropriately due to the many glacial indentations in the area (check out the topo). Without a map and numerous enticing trails scattered through the area we took a round about way finally ending up in the park. Jack trek’d back to fetch the van; needing Gail’s guidance over the talk-a-bout to sort out the marked and unmarked trails. Everyone was worn out and the vote was to return to Goodbeach. There folks swam, laid out on the beach, and even had s’mores after dinner!

Overall it was a jam-packed three days! Here are images for Cian, Rilla, Colin, Emma, Caleb, Gail, & Jack. See more at our Photobucket site.

Perego's Bluff 7.1.08

Goodbeach

We headed up to Whidbey Island for a few days, where Gail’s family has a beachfront house. Arlie, Gail’s grandmother who was actually born in nearby Coupeville, claimed that the Indians referred to this area on Penn Cove as Goodbeach – which describes it nicely. So besides playing on the ‘good’ beach, doing some gardening, we also did some hiking at Fort Ebey State Park and at Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve (which has an excellent map of the area). The kids did a better job of describing the trip than Mom or Dad could, so here is their input:

Here is Emma’s narrative
Here is Caleb’s sonnet
Here is Colin’s picture of one of the battlemounts at Fort Ebey (compare to the actual image here)

There are some more images of the trip at our Photobucket site.

Fort Ebey 4.27.07

Happy Birthday Gail!

Today is Gail's Birthday! She is (today's date * 11) on the 4th! The Ostling side of the family had a celebration for Sterling and Gail this evening - one of the gifts she got was a chocolate fondue fountain! (thanks Bruce and Rachel!) She was ecstatic! We can now say that chocolate will be truly flowing at our house! Even Cian, who is just 26 some months old, knows the word chocolate. Emma (7 going on 8) gave her mom a card this morning which said, "I love you even though you aren't dipped in chocolate." I think she had a premonition...

Gail at Goodbeach c.1965