A Water Dog Is Born
July 1st, 2009Surf Hair
June 30th, 2009
I have always been told that I have beautiful hair and was even trained by my Grandma Lowman how to gracefully take compliments from strangers telling me what a gorgeous color my hair is. This post isn’t about my gorgeous hair. This post is about Barry’s hair.
Barry has beautiful hair. It curls, it is thick and it grows like those dang weeds in my garden. Not only does it grow like a weed but it also makes for a great show each morning, even when we aren’t camping. When we are camping/surfing/being plowed by piles of sand, however, his hair has it’s own life. It’s kind of like a teenager, doing as it pleases with nobody else in mind.
Looks normal here, right? I thought so too.
I mean, what exactly is normal, right?
How is it possible to have your hair do that? Does the saltwater really work better than L.A. Looks?
It doesn’t really look any better from that side either, does it?
The top? Oh. My. God.
Phew. Luckily, we bought The Vacation Hat to help when the hair becomes so unruly neither one of us know what to do with it. Not only does he look super cute in The Vacation Hat, but I also happen to think his hair looks beautiful when standing up at all angles from his head…can’t be that much of an improvement over my wind-blown dome.
On the Road Again
June 29th, 2009
I dumped about a pound of sand out of my ear this afternoon after we returned from the beach to our car. Trying to fight the fight against the sand just isn’t an option on this trip.
About a week before we left, Barry’s brother, Brian, got a ride from us for whatever reason and even he made a comment about how much sand we had in our car. This was before we spent majority of our days lolly-gagging on the beach.
We’ve pretty much steered clear of the beaches filled of tourists that instantly drop their beach chairs once their white little toes hit the sand. We’ve discovered a new favorite beach in Oswald State Park. You have to walk down a winding path for about 3/4 of a mile before discovering the beach.
The fact that getting to this beach means you have to essentially hike down a trail allows for it to feel much more remote than other nearby destinations. Each time we’ve been there, we’ve been able to find a private and peaceful area to call our own. Sadly, today was our last day at Oswald West State Park, as tomorrow**, bright and early, we hit the Tillamook Cheese Factory (yummy!) and drive to southern Oregon!
** I’m attempting to write a couple more posts right now and will have them post tomorrow and in days to come. In the past, it hasn’t worked, but I’m crossin’ my sandy little fingers.
Where’s Your Mom?
June 25th, 2009Sydney and I decided to check out a view point at Echola State Park while Hannah took a couple pictures with her camera.
Normally, we hit up this park so I can try to surf. It’s a nice protected cove, and makes a great place for a beginner like me to dial in my popup stance. Unfortunately, it was too windy and the waves were washed out, but it did let us explore the beach and trails a bit.
Down on the beach was a baby seal. I couldn’t figure out why it was trying to stay on land, but a woman on the beach was insistent that I leash up Sydney so Syd didn’t disturb the seal.
Apparently, she’s never seen The Pug on the beach. She focuses on monitoring birds trying to land and chasing wind blown feathers. Needless to say, we didn’t stick around the seal for too long. Instead we turned our attention to the view point.
The view point itself really isn’t that notable. It’s your standard walk up a hill and look down at a beach. However, while Sydney and I stopped to investigate a sign post (she smelled it while I checked the distance to our destination) two little girls of about 5 years old asked if they could pet Sydney.
I thanked them for asking and told them that Sydney would love to be petted. While Sydney soaked up the attention one of the girls inquired if I had a mom. I assumed she was asking if I had another dog that was Sydney’s mother, and told her that Sydney was the only dog I had.
The girl paused for a second looking confused and asked again.
“Do you have a mom?”
I realized she was asking about me, and told her I did in fact have a mom. I decided I probably didn’t need to get into the biology of the whole process and instead tried an indirect route by asking her if she did.
She completley ignored my question and shot back “Where is she?” Apparently I didn’t look fit to be hiking by myself. Her Dad chuckled a little bit to himself and informed her I was old enough to hike by myself.
I, of course, relayed the story to Hannah as proof that I am aging gracefully.
Listen and Obey
June 24th, 2009I’d like to trade. Last year we camped at Fort Stevens State Park surrounded by a group of retiries with the Good Sam’s Club. This year we’re surrounded by a big group of family tent campers. I’d gladly take the Good Sam’s Club back.
It’s not that the kids are that loud. I actually think they’re really funny. Riding their bikes around the loop endlessly or sneaking through the woods in “stealth” mode to shoot us with imaginary guns. What I can’t handle are the parents constantly micro managing the kids. Just let them have fun. I get that you need to keep them under control to some extent, but I doubt that yelling across the camp ground every ten minutes is the best way to do it.
One mother is particularly found of yelling “listen and obey”. Unfortunately, it seems like her son is just as fond of doing exactly the opposite of that. Let’s be honest though. If there were a lady yelling the same catch phrase and following me all the time I’d probably start to ignore her too. It’s got to start sounding like the same background noise eventually.
————- Example Follows ————-
Riding my bike to the other side of the street: “Listen and obey”!
Ah guess I should stop.
Leave the tent without my jacket on: “Listen and obey!”
Hmmm… Kind of annoying, but ok. It was raining an hour ago.
Trying to hunker down in a sweet hiding spot for a make believe fire fight: “Listen and obey!”
Nope that’s it. Mom just blew my cover. I don’t care if these needles are hard on my clothes. I’m gonna out grow them in another week anyway. Time to act like I don’t hear her.
———–
So far I’ve heard the “listen and obey” battle yell 5 times tonight. Maybe it is something I can start using with Sydney.
Summer Reading
June 22nd, 2009
This weekend we went up North to attend Adam & Alyssa’s wedding (Congratulations, guys!!!!) and to visit our families. I found myself in a panic after finishing my book Sunday morning because having a good book to read is necessary in my life, especially in the months of June, July and August!
I was rooting around my old bedroom’s bookshelf and I came across a box of my old books from when I was a teenager. Many of these books I read over and over again and some of them I’ve never cracked. I pulled a few of the not-so-sentimental ones with the intent of adding them to my classroom collection, but also pulled a couple of them to read again! Many of them are Newbery winners from the late Eighties to the mid Nineties.
Tomorrow we will hit the road for a few weeks and with me I have packed a bag full of books, some of which came from the box I found in my old room, some from used bookstores, and even a few newbies that I’m thrilled to smell!
Self Reflection On Vacation
June 22nd, 2009Day one of vacation and I’ve learned two things about myself. My workouts are so boring that a group of dogs aren’t interested in finishing them and I’m not much faster than a pug.
This morning I went out for a run at Flip and Janet’s, but the Camp Janet Dog Pack wanted to follow along. I could see that going terribly wrong, so I decided to do a set of 10 sprint circuits up and down the driveway. I’m sure the neighbors were wondering what was going on, but the dogs were loving it. Even Sydney was running back and forth with us.
That’s when my first realization sank in. As I was sprinting up the hill in the second circuit, I noticed the pug was going all out and was pretty much keeping up with me. Not exactly an ego boost.
My second realization sank in when I turned around for the 6th circuit. Not a dog in sight. Apparently pulling a stick out of the ground was more fun than my driveway sprint routine. Go figure.
Hobuck
June 17th, 2009
Last weekend I had the chance to go camping
with my parents, Phil, Izak, and Genevieve while Barry went camping for Adam’s bachelor party. My family headed to one of the most beautiful places, Neah Bay.
We’ve been going out to 
Hobuck for years and even 
have pictures of us as kids there. (Specifically shots of Izak…) There is a special campsite that, quite frankly, I consider ‘ours.’ By the time that Izak and I rolled in late Friday night 
my parents had already 
put some signature Elvrum/Lowman stamps on the site: rearranging the campfire, collecting buoys, and even making a sculpture out of sand dollars, rocks, and other 
beach findings.
After the Sparky & Sydney reunion on Saturday morning we headed down the beach to check out the neighboring coves. Sydney really doesn’t have an ‘off’ switch on the beach.
She just keeps going, and going, 
and going, and, well, you get the idea. Izak brought his frisbee and he and Phil spent their time throwing it back and forth, back and forth, back and forth….oh, well, again, you get the idea.
A couple years ago we went to Hobuck with the intent of having a fun-filled weekend, but it was raining so hard that we were forced to hang tarps everywhere! I remember waking up to my dad and brothers
working hard to get the rigging just right, a depressing sight in August.
I’m not a huge meat eater, I love seafood very, very much
, but Phil has a 
passion for meat in all forms. I believe that his first word was ‘meat’ as a child, that is how strongly he feels about meat. I don’t remember eating a whole lot of meat growing up. Tofu? Crab? Vegetables? Rice cakes? Yes, yes, yes and yes. I do remember, however, cooking steak over the campfire with my family as a teenager at Hobuck.
I think the best part about the trip was that we all made an effort to be there. I hope we always do this.
This Just In:Tubby Torpedo Not So Tubby
June 15th, 2009
People often say to us, after not seeing Sydney for a long time, that she’s gotten fat. She is actually a very petite pug that has a very athletic body. Proof? Look at the picture above. This is not our dog, but it is a pug.
Happy last week of school!
The Smell of a New Book
June 11th, 2009
I found myself at the book store the other day trying to find the book that I’m supposed to be reading for my book club. Of course, I found myself hugely distracted by all the other books calling my name on the shelf. After not being able to find the book that I needed I asked the clerk to help me.
We found ourselves talking about all the different books that we love, and it turns out that one of my very favorite authors is releasing a new book this September. The clerk gave me a small preview of the I am so excited. Her books have a special meaning to me.
The first in the series take place in Scotland and I happened to be in Scotland when my aunt Nancy introduced me to them. I can’t even begin to go into detail about the premise of these books because they sound too strange and unbelievable.
Needless to say, I couldn’t put them down when I found myself on the shore of Loch Ness reading the first one that I’d purchased in a bookshop on one of the first days of our trip.This was almost 10 years ago and I’m still looking forward to seeing what is new with the main characters, Jamie and Claire. Reading again about their lives and immersing myself into their world will be like sitting down with two old friends and catching up.
I am having to exercise self-control and rad my book for Book Group so I can actually participate in discussion with friends that are living and breathing, not just fictitious characters!