The weekend in Washington

We left for the DMB concert late Saturday night,

figuring that Orin would be on his best behavior for the 4 and 1/2
hour drive to the venue if he was not awake.
I am not sure if you are aware of this,

but lately our docile little infant
has undergone a striking transformation into a Terrible Toddler.
(Orin claims that he sees no point in waiting until he turns two
to begin his career as a demon child. "I am close enough," he asserts.)
Anyway, the driving plan worked pretty well.
Orin slept soundly for the first 4 hours of the trip.
But when he woke up, he wasn't happy, and we weren't
sure that there would be a camping spot left when we arrived
so instead of continuing on we slept here:
A rest area ten miles away from the show.
By now I am sure that you have noticed
that October is back in action.
After several months of being stuck in the driveway
due to a small hold-up with DEQ
(she was blowing hydrocarbons at concentrations about 12 times
the legal limit... sort of a problem)
she is back on the road and running like a top.
Orin was certainly glad to have her back.
October is his favorite car because the steering wheel
is big enough he can actually step through it and sit down,
which is apparently a fun activity for a baby.
Casey and I were equally happy to have the van back
on the road again, especially after we pulled into the campground
to be greeted with near-hurricane-force winds.
Casey pulled the van in sideways to block most of the wind
and we spent the afternoon hanging out in the sun
playing with Orin, drinking margaritas, and watching
our less fortunate neighbors trying
to keep their stuff from blowing away.The van also proved essential when it came time for Orin's nap.
I just threw a blanket and some pillows in the back and presto:
an instant crib.
When the sun started to set, we packed up the van and drove
the 10 extra miles to the venue.
There we were greeted by Casey's cousin Morgan,
(who worked very hard to get this pose right)
and friends Kyle and Steve.
The concert was better that I ever could have imagined.
I think they played every one of my favorite songs
and we all danced the night away.
Orin stayed awake for the entire show
but was pretty mellow and didn't even show off
any of his aforementioned dance moves.
Maybe next year.
The next day we woke up and hung out at the river for
a couple of hours before packing up and driving home.
It was a long drive back to Oregon,
especially with Orin driving,
but it was all well worth it.
Until next time.