August 24, 2011

A West Coast Experience

We went whale watching on Fraser's Birthday.
It was a glorious day.  And an unforgettable experience!
We were on the boat for seven hours.
And we sat up front most of the day.

Emma waiting for the
Captain to launch us out into the deep.


Howie enjoying a little *down time*.


A happy looking bunch.


There they are!
See the black fins lined up in a row
off in the distance?


Orca Whales! (Which, btw, really are
part of the Dophin family...who knew?  Not me.)


Emma and Fraser enjoyed a chat with
*Rusty*...the dog-mascot.


Calvin with his *zoom* lens...
he got some *close-ups* of the Orcas. :)


This pod dove under the boat after this shot
and came up about 1/4 mile away!


Our young man.


Enjoying a rare treat.


Gorgeous views all day long.


It was a lovely day.  A real joy.
We are thankful that we were able to have this experience
with our children.  God's Creation truly is Glorious!

What special memory did you make this summer??
Please do share.  I'd enjoy reading about it.

Many Blessings,
Camille

16 comments:

Ann at eightacresofeden said...

We are also able to go whale watching on our coast and during our first year in Australia this is what we did. It was an amazing experience. On some headlands you can view the migrating whales without having to go out on the boat. In New Zealand it is very expensive to go whale watching but here the price is very reasonable and some operators guarantee that you will see whales or give you a second free trip. That is what happened to us so we had two days out on the water! My favorite winter (summer is yet to arrive!) memory was a recent reunion with friends from NZ we have not seen for over 10 years. They took advantage of the reasonable prices and also went whale watching when they were here. If you ever visit Australia I will have to think of a different experience for you other than whale watching! How about koalas or kangaroos? I'm sure your boys would also love the reptile shows which educate the public about snakes! You can stand with me Camille at the back and watch from a very safe distance!

Hopes Handcrafts said...

Wow...what wonderful photos, Camille! What a wonderful experience..I'm so (not) jealous of Calvin's camera lense LOL!

Dianna said...

What a beautiful way to spend some quality family time, Camille, as you celebrated Fraser's birthday. The views are absolutely breathtaking!

Maryann said...

The pictures you took are absolutely beautiful. One of the things that we did this summer that was a lot of fun for the grandchildren was to pull out the badmiton set. Everyone participated, we made our own rules (we introduced the use of squirt guns as a way to distract your opponent) the kids loved it.

Jill said...

Hi Camille,

What a lovely experience for your family! Beautiful pictures! My girls would love something like this. :-)

I found that the summer went by way too quickly! Next week is back to school already. We had a great summer and these last few days we are just enjoying no strict schedules :-)Hanging out in our PJS watching movies, playing outside, crafting....life is good!

Many Blessings,
Jill

Linda said...

Happy Birthday to Fraser! Loved the photos Camille and I am sure a wonderful day was had! Thank you for sharing.
I am sorry-I have been absent for awhile but now hoping to be back and catching up and posting.
Have a great day!
Hugs.

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

Spent a few hours with our granddaughter and took her to see her great grandma. We had a nice afternoon. We love spending time with her. Her parents and baby brother went to a museum for time away, which they need! Hugs and love seeing your blog again!

Unknown said...

WOW! What a wonderful experience for your family!

Wanting What I Have said...

What a FABULOUS day!!! I can only imagine! So glad you got to enjoy together!

Hopes Handcrafts said...

I'm sure I commented on this post yesterday....

Anyways..just wanted to let you know how jealous I am of Calvins zoom lens...actually, I confess..his camera too LOL!

What a wonderful experience! Thanks for sharing..

Blessings,
Julia

Camille said...

Dear Ann ~ Oh YES...koalas and kangaroos would be PERFECT!! We will have to make some plans. But, skip the snakes...eeeeewwwww! :)

Dear Julia ~ He saved and saved and carefully decided which camera to purchase...it's fun to watch him enjoy exploring with photography. :)

Dear Dianna ~ It was a wonderful day and an unforgettable experience for us all. Thanks for sweetly entering into our joy. :)

Dear Maryann ~ Squirt guns with badminton does sound like a fun twist on an old classic! How wonderful that you were able to make such happy memories together. :)

Dear Jill ~ Oh the Summer did fly by, didn't it?? How wonderful that you were able to have such fun times with your girls...I'm sure they will cherish the memories forever. :)

Dear Linda ~ How wonderful it is to hear from you my friend!! I will look forward to catching up with you soon. :)

Dear Becky ~ How precious that time must have been for *Great-Grandma*!! What a blessing to do those special family things together. It's good to be *back*...thank you for your kind words. :)

Dear Jenn ~ We loved it! Thank you for sweetly entering into our joy. :)

Dear Jennifer ~ It felt like a holiday...we so enjoyed it. Thank you for being excited for us...you are a blessing to me. :)

Dear Julia ~ Yes, you did leave a comment (it's visible above now)...I only publish when I am online, which currently is about twice a week...sorry for the confusion!! And thanks for understanding! :)

May each one of you have a wonderful week!
In HIS Love,
Camille

Lois said...

I wanted so much to go whale watching while I was stationed in the military in the Pacific northwest! Unfortunately, the seasons for that never corresponded with my leave times. I did see a whale or two on the ferry rides from Bremerton on occasion. I just love that part of the world. We spent our honeymoon in Seattle and Victoria, BC, and then took our young children to the OR coast back in 2000. It's time for a refresher field trip, don't you think?

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

How fun! That is something I've always wanted to do. You got some great pics!

Camille said...

Dear Lois ~ I do wish I could return the visits to you at your blog (which you don't have)...but, thank you so much for stopping by here! You were up here for your honeymoon?? How fun! And yes, I do think it's about time for another visit!! Let me know if you do decide to come...it would be fun to meet. :)

Dear Jackie ~ Thank you my friend! I've always wanted to do it too...and we finally did! I found a *deal* and bought discounted vouchers...what a blessing! :)

Blessings to you both!
Camille

Cinnamon said...

What an incredible day!! A treasured memory I'm sure.

Happy Birthday to your Fraser~

~Cinnamon

Camille said...

Dear Cinnamon ~ Thank you so much my friend! :)

Love,
Camille