In the "hood" at Hoodsport

Actually, we weren't in the neighborhood when we went to Hoodsport, but it was the best thing I could think of at the time.  Hence the title: In the "hood" at Hoodsport.

We traveled about 45 minutes north from Olympia and our friends, Helen and Milo, traveled about an hour south so we could see them.  It had been about a year and a half since we last met up with them because they moved from Colorado Springs to Poulsbo, Washington.

After a picnic lunch provided by Helen and Milo, Helen led us on a 2 mile hike in the Staircase Campground.  If you talk to Sandy, she went on a WALK, not a HIKE.  She doesn't do hikes.  Just ask her!

If you think your eyesight is going bad and the pictures seem a bit blurry, it is not you!  I got a new, smaller camera, and it was the cheapest one that Walmart had.  BIG MISTAKE!  Most of the pictures taken on this day are out of focus, or in focus in one part of the photo and blurry in another.  Go figure.  The camera is going straight back to the store and I will get another Nikon Cool Pix for my second camera.

Okay, I'm off my rant now and settled down.  I better get re-focused on my blog.

There was one area in the Staircase campground where the trees were covered completely with moss.  This one looked like it was draped in long, white cobwebs,

while this one looked like it came off a set in a scary monster movie.  The gnarled, moss covered branches made it look rather ominous and sinister.

Helen and Jerry walked on ahead of us.  I'm sure she was telling him all about this part of Olympic National Park since she and Milo have been here before.  She is like a walking encyclopedia and has a boatload of information stored in her head.

And what walk/hike in the woods would be complete without a slimy green slug?  I'm sure Sandy and Jerry's small grandsons would love one of these!

Helen knew where every interesting point was on the trail.  We took a side trail to see a gigantic Western Cedar tree with a 14 foot diameter lying on it's side.  Think of all the cedar lined closets that could have been made with this tree!

The photo below was taken by Helen, and I borrowed it from her Facebook page.  Thanks, Helen!  Guess that is why you're seeing me in the pictures for a change.   Sandy is holding on tight to the cable of the swinging bridge, which she wasn't so sure of when we had to cross it.  None the less, we all made it safely to the other side.

No sway to this log bridge and it was sturdy enough to hold the three of us!

And to make a good day even better, we made a stop at the local coffee company that also carried homemade ice cream.  Can't beat a combination like that!

We were all trying to decide what kind of ice cream we wanted.  Most of us wound up with blackberry cheesecake, absolutely delicious from the first bite to the last.  Between the coffee and the sugar in the ice cream, we all were wired up enough to drive home without getting sleepy!

Thanks again to Helen and Milo for planning the day for us and furnishing the picnic lunch.