Dad, Joseph, and Jack Go Ziplining

On April 30, the three of us went ziplining on Camano Island, just north of Seattle (near where Jack and I go crabbing each summer). It was a six-line course, about two hours through a forest on a large farm. We went with some guides who helped us navigate the course and get us safely from platform to platform.

Google Photos put together an automated video of our day (including the cat in the parking lot at the start of our day):

Henry Finds His 50th Geocache

Henry has been bitten by the geocache bug!

For those of you who don't know what it is, geocaching is a popular worldwide treasure hunt activity. Hundreds of thousands of people have hidden objects - typically small tupperware bins about 6 inches square - along hiking trails, in the woods, or even hidden in near plain sight on suburban streets. There are about 3 million of these objects hidden worldwide! You can go on a website (or an app) and get the GPS coordinates of one of these hidden items. You then go out to find it! You usually take your phone with you, which guides you close to the GPS settings, and once you get close you need to find the actual object - it's often hidden under a rock or behind a stump off a hiking trail, or on the underside of a utility box, or literally camouflaged in the bark of a tree. If you are able to find it, you typically just sign your name to a log book (leving it behind for others to find as well) and log on your account that you have found it.

Henry has been very active lately. He's found about 30 caches in the past six weeks, to push his "lifetime" total to fifty. Here he is with his fiftieth find - hidden in a small tube which was velcroed to the wood underneath a bridge on a hiking trail not far from our house.

We knew the Geocache was somewhere near this bridge, and
the hint said it was near the northwest corner of the bridge

Henry found it!
Can you see the geocache in this picture?
(Hint: it's a black tube under the beam; you can see it's left edge
just in front of the vertical silver panel with the bolts in it)

Henry with the geocache

Henry & Dad's Adventure to San Francisco

With Joseph away at college and Jack busy with baseball practices, Spring Break took on a different form this year - just Henry & Dad took a trip.

We left on Wednesday morning on Amtrak...

... and it rained for most of the train ride. Though as the train climbed high in the mountains of Oregon, the rain turned to heavy snow ...

.. and when we woke up the next morning it was brighter with palm trees. The ride from Seattle to San Francisco took about 23 hours. 

The sun was shining for our whole stay in the Bay Area. Here's Henry at Ghiradelli Square ...

... before climbing aboard a WW2 submarine ...

and wedging through the different rooms on board.

At the Exploratorium, Henry seemed to float in mid-air!

On Friday, we rented one of these tiny cars to cruise around and see the sites of San Francisco !

Our first stop was the Presidio for a beautiful view of the Golden Gate

After returning the car we took a bus out to "Twin Peaks" and did some semi-urban hiking up the hill to a beautiful view - of the city to the north, the Bay to the east, and you could see the ocean to the west...

... here's the view of the City from the top of Twin Peaks.

After that we rode the Cable Cars... 

... and then went to a custom-made ice cream sandwich shop !

On Saturday we rented a car and went down the coast to Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. We had lunch on the beach ...

... and drove down the ocean highway for some amazing view ...

... and we got out and climbed on some rocks right on the coast. 

Before flying back to Seattle on Sunday we stopped in the John Steinbeck Museum in Salinas and Henry got to sit in a Model T Ford. It was a fun trip with great weather and beautiful sites!

Rainbow

It's been a VERY rainy winter and spring. One of the benefits to that, is that you do get some nice rainbows every now and then!

Painting the Hallway

Henry helped Dad paint the hallway upstairs in April. Good thing we put on a second coat!

Newport Beats Issaquah, 3-2

On Saturday April 1, Newport played their local rival Issaquah. Jack got the start and once again pitched a gem - a complete game, giving up just two runs in a tight contest.

Jack walked one and struck out 3. Four of his innings were 1-2-3 innings. The only inning he had more than one base runner was the 4th, when he gave up the two runs. He ended that inning at 61 pitches, but then ended the game with two 7-pitch innings and a 6-pitch inning, to end at 81 pitches. He was once again backed by strong defense in the infield, with nice plays by Nick at 3B and Nolan at SS.

Newport won, 3-2. After starting the season 0-4 the Knights have now won 3 in a row.

Warming up to start the 7th

Another typical ground ball out for the Knights

Last Two Outs vs. Issaquah

Henry's First Game Umpiring

Henry has started umpiring for Thunderbird Little League. His first game was for AAA (8 year olds), and he umpired the bases.

Henry was REALLY excited to have his dad take his picture before the game

Henry umpiring in the field 

Henry's first call - SAFE at first base !