More Fun In Tillamook

Family got together in Tillamook for a weekend, and it was a great weekend!

We stopped with the crew at the footbridge above the Wilson River. Alot of folks fishing the river, and the water looked great.

Didn't see alot of catching, though.



The waterfall across the highway was also worth the short hike.

Stops like this on a long drive are always fun, and break up the trip. There are always great stops to see along any trip here in the Pacific NW.





Most of our time with family was wandering the woods above Netarts bay. The weather was gray, but it was warm and dry.

We found ALOT of salamanders. They were very friendly, and liked being handled with all the warm hands.





In fact, they got rather clingy, and wanted to sneak home with us.









We found some huge old-growth stumps still in the woods. These dudes were big!

Many of them still sport the old spring-board notches, too.

It is fun to find them, but adds a bit of sadness in their reminder of what this country used to be.



We took the new guns, and they were another big hit.

The kids are getting pretty quick with setup and servicing the weapons, too. The best part is their safe behavior.

It is nice to put a couple teenagers in charge and have everything and everyone safe.



We recovered a couple of the old rounds. Digging bullets is as fun for a 12 year old as shooting can be.








Some of the salamanders were very small!









Small animals, big stumps.

And big egos?







On leaving the woods, we spotted a number of clammers out in the low tide.

With new fishing licenses in our pockets, we thought we'd check it out. Everyone was digging Cockles. A few tips and pointers from the friendly folks, and we soon were digging our own, too.




Cockles are definitely the easiest clams we've dug - they aren't deep at all.

Some of them were sitting on top of the sand, too.






We boiled them, cleaned out the sand, and quickly ate them. They were very good - not as good as the razors, but they were eaten in no time.

And the little girls pointed out they have nicer shells to keep forever.

Another great trip. Not bad for January!