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A Sunny Sunday

Ryan and I were lucky enough to have a night away without the boys or dogs and we went to stay in our campsite near the beach. We only have about 2 more months on the site we leased.

Saturday we drove up past Newport to Depoe Bay to whale watch and get a beer at a Rogue Brewery. We saw several whales, including a mom and calf but I didn’t capture anything photo worthy.

This morning was fun. We…

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Today is day 8 of our camping trip. We have finally got into the 80’s here with 2 days left on our trip. We are having a blast and doing as much as we can fit in each day from brewery tours to kayaking the Deschutes.

We are camping in Central Oregon about 25 minutes south of Bend. We’ve seen about 100 deer, 3 elk, 2 river otters, bald eagles, osprey, mink, coyotes and pups.

We’ve had our share of thunderstorms this past week but they seem to be behind us now as the weather is amazing today! We hope for possibly a night hike this evening and one more float down the river before we pack everything up on Sunday.

We are expecting more company today. My cousin and her family and also my second oldest son Jared will be arriving tonight. Should be a fun campfire with lots of family around!❤️

We’ve probably seen over 150 deer this past 10 days.

Hunting in the wildflowers

These river otters are always fun to watch. The icky water didn’t keep them from being silly otters… 😳

Mt Bachelor

We watched this coyote catch breakfast one morning. I was happy to see him catch something because his front right leg is injured, and he hobbled along a bit. 

It’s now Sunday morning and we are about to start packing up for home. What an awesome trip. We enjoyed every moment we were here.  I can’t wait to come back again!

This trip will always be unique because of the storms we experienced during first part of our trip. It’s strange how so much rain, hail can hit us in a short period of time and then be 80’ the next day. My son Jayden definitely won’t forget the thunder anytime soon.

Thanks for following us on our summer trip. ❤️

  #summer2019, #familyvacation, #colecampfireblog, #coyotes, #baldeagles, #kayaking, #swans, #otters, #centraloregon, #thousandtrails, #sunriver, #glamping, #camping, #wildlife, #photography, 

Summer Vacation 2019, Today is day 8 of our camping trip. We have finally got into the 80’s here with 2 days left on our trip.

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Cygnets 🦢 born on the 4th of July

Cygnets 🦢 born on the 4th of July

Today was the baby swans first swim with a very proud mom and dad. They are the cutest thing ever! ❤️

#colecampfireblog, #wildlifephotography, #nature, #swans, #wildlife, #familyfun, #vacation2019, #photography, #birdwatching, #centraloregon,

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Our Coyote Pup Morning...

Our Coyote Pup Morning…

We saw these three coyote pups without their mother just before 7 am this morning along the Deschutes River. Coyotes breed in the winter months and give birth in early spring, usually 4-7 pups. Our best guess is these 3 pups are around 3-4 months old. They weren’t in much of a hurry, which was nice since I fumbled my camera a few times trying to capture them.

This one is my fav! The pup closest…

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Blog Update

We are about halfway through our summer vacation in Central Oregon. This is a trip we have been taking for the last few years. I was hoping to have many beautiful blue sky photos to share with everyone, unfortunately that has yet to happen. We just aren’t getting the wonderful weather we usually see in July here. We’ve had four afternoons that brought thunder, lightning and hail to our campsite.

Despite the weather we have still been having a wonderful time. We have seen over 80 deer, 3 elk, a bald eagle and a mink while kayaking. We’ve had one long kayak trip down the Deschutes, a few bike rides through the trails in Sunriver, played in the pool, BBQ’d, roasted marshmellows over the campfire, played boardgames and I’ve finished a few good books. We also took a day trip to Crater Lake and went on a tour of the Deschutes Brewery.

I haven’t wrote a personal blog for a few months now and I sure miss making the time to blog. When we get back from our trip I am hoping to make it more of a priority. I am sure you all know how time consuming keeping your blog going can be. I won’t be going back to a daily blog but at least I’d like to add a weekly Sunday update.

Since I last blogged we finally purchased two tandem kayaks! I have been wanting kayaks for a few years now and we have been having so much fun with them! We can’t wait to explore more of Oregon from our kayaks. The float we took a few days ago was the longest of our trips and was almost cut short by the weather. Luckily the hail and thunder held off till we were out of our kayaks.

I finished a few NetGalley ARC’s this week that were both very enjoyable. Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston, which is the sequel to The Little Shop of Found Things. This story takes you back to the 17th century.  And also The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox (stand alone), which was the right amount of spooky, gothic mystery just like in her debut novel The Witch of Willow Hall. Both of these were wonderful historical novels that I would recommend, especially The Widow of Pale Harbor.

Here are the books I hope to still read on vacation…

Mrs. Everything By Jennifer Weiner

Roll With It by Jamie Sumner

Circe by Madeline Miller ( I can’t believe I still haven’t finished this one yet)

How are you enjoying your holiday? The boys are in a parade through camp this morning…and then we are off to a celebration.

Drop me a message below… I hope to be online more often now! Have a wonderful holiday!

    Happy Independence Day Blog Update We are about halfway through our summer vacation in Central Oregon. This is a trip we have been taking for the last few years.

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Book Tour~Rouge, @stmartinspress, @RKirshenbaum

Author: Richard Kirshenbaum Genre: Historical Fiction Pub Date: June 25, 2019 Publisher: St Martin’s Press Rating: 💄 💄 💄 💄 💄

  Synopsis

Like Swans of Fifth Avenue and Truman Capote’s Answered Prayers, Richard Kirshenbaum’s Rouge gives readers a rare front row seat into the world of high society and business through the rivalry of two beauty industry icons, by the master marketer and chronicler…

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Book Review~ Montauk, @NicolaHAuthor, @stmartinspress,

Author: Nicola Harrison Genre: Historical Fiction Pub Date: June 2019 Publisher: St Martin’s Press Rating: 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚

Synopsis

Montauk, Long Island, 1938.

A simple town on the brink of a glamorous future.

A marriage drifting apart.

A life on the edge of what is and what could be…

An epic and cinematic novel by debut author Nicola Harrison, Montauk captures the glamour and extravagance of a summer…

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Author: D. E. Night

Genre: Middle Grade, YA

Pub Date: July 21, 2017

Publisher: Stories Untold

Rating: 👑 👑 👑 👑 👑

Synopsis

In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret… For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. When Ivy s magic and her life is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.

My Review

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This book surprised me, usually some magical worlds are hard for me to follow and become invested in, but I loved this magical world! Occasionally I was reminded of Harry Potter, but only because Ivy was away at a magical school. This story is still very unique and original. 

Sixteen year old Ivy Lovely has been hidden away leading a life that doesn’t suit her. But once she loses her job and crosses the border she starts to uncover her truth and her family history bits at a time. This magical system is so much fun! The story is full of whimsical creatures, secrets and adventure! I will definitely read the next in the series!

Also by this author

  The second book in the series, The Girl with the Whispering Shadow was released January 2019. I have yet to read it, but hope to review a copy as well!

    Thanks for stopping by!  Have you read either of these? I hope you check it out! Let me know what you think…

#colecampfireblog, #thecrownsofcroswald, #bookreviews, #bookbloggers, #denight, #thegirlwiththewhisperingshadow,

Book Review~ The Crowns of Croswald, @authordenight, Author: D. E. Night Genre: Middle Grade, YA Pub Date: July 21, 2017 Publisher: Stories Untold…

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Book Review~ Maybe A Mermaid, #josephinewrites,

Author: Josephine Cameron Genre: Middle Grade Pub Date: March 26, 2019 Publisher: Farrah Straus Giroux, Books for Young Readers Rating: 🧜‍♀️ 🧜‍♀️ 🧜‍♀️ 🧜‍♀️ 🧜‍♀️ Synopsis

  Eleven-year-old Anthoni Gillis is not the kind of kid who believes in fairies, unicorns, or even the word “maybe.” She’s more of a comic-books girl. So when her mom brings her to Thunder Lake for a summer at the Showboat…

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Author: Dee MacDonald

Genre: Contemporary

Pub Date: April 24, 2019

Publisher: Bookouture

Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Synopsis

Tess and Orla have been best friends throughout most of their adult lives. So when life gave them lemons and their loved ones let them down, they pooled their resources and bought a dressmakers shop on the corner of Penny Lane. And they’ve been doing just fine ever since.

But one day, while studying her tired eyes and shapeless figure in the mirror, sixty-two-year-old Tess realised that she doesn’t want her life to be just fine anymore. She wants it to be extraordinary. For as long as she can remember she’s put everyone else first. Now she wants to rediscover herself – and experience the kind of whirlwind adventure that will have the power make her smile when she’s confined to the armchair of a retirement home.

With the encouragement of fun-loving and quirky Orla, Tess joins an over-the-hill dating agency and the two friends book a singles cruise around the Mediterranean. And that’s when their adventure of a lifetime really begins…

A totally uplifting, heart-warming, hilarious page turner about embracing the moment, learning to love again and the joy of second chances. Perfect for fans of The Kicking the Bucket List and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

My Review

The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane was such an enjoyable story about the pitfalls of dating and rediscovering yourself in your golden years along side your best friend. I could identify with the storyline of trying to lose weight and also find a suitable date for an upcoming family wedding.

Much of the story focusing on the dating site Tess and Orla join. They were sent on some hilarious dates. It reminded me of some of my own crazy first dates when I was single. 😳

The two also embark on a Greek Island Cruise together that was equally entertaining. I tried to imagined myself on this cruise as I’ve always wanted to take a cruise, and now more than ever! 

This book is for anyone who has survived a dating site, lived through an embarrassing divorce, or just wants to enjoy the adventures of two aging best friends.

About the Author

The Runaway Wife is Dee’s first (published) novel but in fact she wrote her very first book – at around seven years of age! This was a love story which she duly illustrated before sewing all the pages together up one side. Writing was what she ‘was good at’ in school and she won several essay competitions, but then life got in the way and she didn’t pick up a pen again until after retirement.

Dee left Scotland and headed for London at the beginning of the swinging sixties. After typing her way round the West End she became an air stewardess on long haul routes with BA (then BOAC) for eight years. After that she did market research at Heathrow for both the government statistics and for BA, she became a sales rep and was the receptionist at the Thames Television Studios in Teddington when they had the franchise.

She then ran a small B&B for ten years in Cornwall, where she lives with her husband. Dee has one son and two grandsons who live locally.

Her second book, The Getaway Girls, was published in July 2018.

Have you read any of these? Share with me your thoughts…

#colecampfireblog, #bookbloggers, #bookreviews, #silverladiesof

ennylane, #bookouture, #Deemacdonald,

Book Review~ The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane, @DMacDonaldauth, @Bookouture, Author: Dee MacDonald Genre: Contemporary Pub Date: April 24, 2019 Publisher: Bookouture Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Synopsis Tess and Orla have been best friends throughout most of their adult lives.

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Book Review~ Song For a Whale, @lynnekelly,

Book Review~ Song For a Whale, @lynnekelly,

Author: Lynne Kelly Genre: Middle Grade Pub Date: 2018 Publisher: Random House Children’s Rating: 🐳 🐳 🐳 🐳 🐳 Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Iris has never let her deafness slow her down. A whiz at fixing electronics, she’s always felt at home in the world of wires and vacuum tubes. School, on the other hand, isn’t quite as simple. Between her frustrating teacher Ms. Conn and her overly helpful classmate…

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Percy Jackson, The Lightning Thief Musical

Percy Jackson, The Lightning Thief Musical

We surprised Joey with tickets to the Percy Jackson musical last week. He had read the entire series and I figured he would enjoy going. This was his first musical! It was a great night and I think he enjoyed it! I have only read the first book so Joey got much more of the story than I did.

The performer who played Percy was awesome, he reminded me of my oldest son Jordan. If you enjoyed this…

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HUMP DAY!

Last weekend when we went to Wildlife Safari Jayden was brave enough to ride this camel. He was a bit weirded out at first, but then realized it was a piece of cake!

I cant look at these photos without thinking of the commercial, “Mike, Mike, Mike….what day is it?! HUmP DAY!

A little uneasy at first…

“Mike, Mike, Mike….”

Have a great HUMP Day friends!

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Blog Tour~ The East End, @EathanJason, @parkrowbooks,

Blog Tour~ The East End, @EathanJason, @parkrowbooks,

Author: Jason Allen Genre: Thriller Pub Date: 5/7/19 Publisher: Park Row Books Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Synopsis

THE EAST END opens with Corey Halpern, a Hamptons local from a broken home who breaks into mansions at night for kicks. He likes the rush and admittedly, the escapism. One night just before Memorial Day weekend, he breaks into the wrong home at the wrong time: the Sheffield estate where he and…

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McKenzie Pass

Diamond Peak

Taken near Hoodoo Ski area.

Mt Washington

We stopped a few times on the way home to try to get some photos. The blue sky with the snow peaked mountains and green forest was just amazing to see. I love this area!❤️

#colecampfireblog, #photography, #oregon,

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Hiking Along the Metolius River

Hiking Along the Metolius River

On the drive from Sunriver to Sisters Oregon, The North, Middle and South Sister.

We took this 2 mile trail along the Metolius River near Sisters. Just Beautiful…

All weekend we saw so many trees down from our winter storm a few months back.

Metolius River with Black Butte in the background.

Our weekend has come to an end… best time we’ve had in such a long time…

Hope you had a great weekend as…

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Motivation for Monday

Have a wonderful week friends!

#colecampfireblog, #motivationalmonday, #motivation, #inspiration,