Steller Jay at Ohanapecosh at Mt Rainier

Welcome to Mt Rainier National Park!

Mt Rainier National Park, Ohanapecosh Campground

Shadow Forest

Rain Forest

Shrooms

Cedar, Western Red

Ohanapecosh campground yesterday .. Mt Rainier National Park

The Painting Process

In the process of painting and hopefully creating an unusual room.

This back bedroom needs help.

Probably requiring stenciling, and shutters, who knows?

I don't have a plan, just seat of my pants be ing.. like I live life..

I'll take you along, but warning, I may have periods of nothing happenning as I invent what I want..

Taking ideas tho? Will you send ideas my way? I like India and Moroccan designs.. etc.

Well here we go..

Will need special lighting, decorative shutters with a pierced pattern, stencils around the light on ceiling, and some stenciling on walls, maybe a purple wash on red wall?

New window coverings, maybe with Sari's?

Just a few ideas going round just now.

Soup Stock for Tomato Basil and Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Steam vegetables, puree, saute leeks, and garlic, fresh basil, add puree and spices salt , pepper, chicken broth, and divide into two batches. Add more chicken broth to one for Butternut soup, and to the other add tomatoes, and cream for a creamy basil tomato bisque..

Umm, how good is this for your body?

787 Dreamliner flies!!!

I think it was the first flight.. cool, I'm in the flight path, so I see them (planes) all the time, usually 777's. This was, I thought the 747 400 cargo plane, but I went out to look up,and it was the 787 dreamliner!
Boeing is just over the hill from where I live. Here it is, altho the one that just flew was an all white dreamliner. No design paint yet I guess.

Shi Shi Beach

Shi Shi Beach hike now is primarily a boardwalk. I'm disappointed. I've mostly hiked it in rain, since it is the rain forest, and in water about 6 to 8 inches deep, and I honestly love every step of that trek.. Call me crazy.

But I love it..
this toilet is pretty close to the end of the trail by the beach. Not very private, probably a mountaineer joke?
Believe me I've seen many of their jokes. How about two of these about 15 feet apart at, where was it, Cascade Pass? I forget, but very funny,, no cover just out in the open with a nice view..

Anyway, Shi Shi is an amazing beach and much of the wild beaches can be hiked from here to to here..

Cape Flattery

This is from a site that proposes that the trail to Shi Shi has been improved, well maybe everyone didn't like the old trail, but I loved it..

Here is the report about the almost 300,000.00 trail built. A boardwalk..

"Reaching the most northwestern point in the lower United States just got easier for thousands of people.

The Makah Tribe's long-awaited renovation of the Cape Flattery trail is complete.

For years, sightseers from all over the world have hiked through a muddy, poorly maintained trail - and risked plunging off dangerous cliffs to see one of the most breathtaking views on the Pacific Coast.

Those who could not navigate the trail before, now can reach their destination via a 20 to 30 minute walk across a combination of cedar boardwalk and groomed earthen trail.

At the end of the 3/4 of a mile hike over a picturesque trail with bridges across wetlands, one will enjoy the views from five observation perches with cedar decks and guard rails. If you bring a lunch or a light snack two picnic tables can be found and the end of the trail also.

The Makah's built the trail with a $170,000 Department of Natural Resources grant and an $85,000 State Department of Transportation grant.

Seven Tribal members learned construction skills and earned partial college scholarships for donating 900 hours, through the AmeriCorps project.

The Trail provides a view of waves crashing against rocky shores and of Tatoosh Island, a former Makah fishing and whaling camp and more recently a Coast Guard station. Sometimes visitors can catch a glimpse of puffin, sea otters, seals, gray, orca and humpback whales and other marine life.

A short side trip after you come back from the Cape trail, cross over the Waatch River to see Hobuck Beach and the famous Shi Shi Beach.
" http://www.northolympic.com/capeflatterytrail/

The iPhone Phenomena

The Super gadget!!

I was in Seattle Friday night, (The U-Dist), and on the street, in the theatre etc, all I saw were iPhones! Everywhere!

Everybody had one! In the movie a couple sat next to each others surfing the web until the movie came on. On the street, everyone sported an iPhone or didn't sport!

Amazing little computer! And yes, I have one! Of Course! giggling.. it's the best toy I ever owned!

My ipod was a simple nano, and the other night my car was broken into at my house and it was taken from the console. Of course I used it in the car for music while traveling, but yes, my iphone is an ipod as well.

And many may have noticed that I am not blogging daily, well, Facebook has come into my life, and so far I'm not sure what apps Blogger has for iPhone. I'l check, but it is easy to integrate FB and iphone.

I also have Ocarina , an application that costs 99 cents, makes my iphone into an ocarina, or small flute, yes, you actually blow into the mic and play the iphone, and it is connected with other players worldwide. You can listen to their music, and play yours for them to hear. This app is by Smule, who also has several cool apps besides Ocarina. I have Zephyr, it's a drawing application that you can send art messages and hellos around the world with too, in shamrock, heart, snow or star formats..

(all us children love Zephyr)

All day yesterday while traveling Whidbey Island I emailed friends, and uploaded current photos from iphone. I even downloaded applications while driving around..I had better reception than at home.

Amazing!

later I'll upload a video of Ocarina for you to see and appreciate the world of iphone technology.

What a cool phone!.

The Skagit River

The Skagit River at LaConner WA

This is a get a way just a bit north of me. It's the Skagit valley where the tulips bloom in fields each year in spring; our own little Holland! I like to go here just to watch the birds and water, hike some tidal lands, and admire Mt Baker sitting like a white jewel over looking it's precious valley and farmland.

A Close Look at a Seastack

17 point elk

This elk was taken down somewhere around 1904 I think. There is also a 12 point in this same lodge. I know this is blurry, I took it with my iPhone and hadn't gotten the hang of it yet, but it's amazing to see an elk this large.

This is at Crescent Lodge.

The Rain Forest, Olympic Peninsula

Yes, as Maya says, "perfect for those vampires!"

Olympic National Park

Crescent Lake

Rialto Beach near Forks Washington

Nimbostratusdweller..

That is always, and only, me!

It's Twilight for Forks WA

These trees at the trailhead are mostly dead near the water line from salt and surf, and being beaten by large old growth trunks that floated out of the Bogasheil River, one of three that flow from the rain forest.

They have a spooky appearance.

The whole area 's dark wet climate was used in the book Twilight. The Author had never been to Forks , however, until the third book was written, she did all her research online.

The school in the film is not Forks High School, but probably one in Canada instead. Most of it was filmed in Canada, none of it was filmed in Forks, however.

Forks is getting it's two shots of limelight anyway..good for their economy, and tourists shouldn't be disappointed with nature around Forks, Sol Duc Hot springs, The Hoh rain forest, Rialto Beach, etc.

Forks has been a small logger community whose new presence in the limelight is being shifted as a result. They are getting visitors from everywhere. It was quite the busy place.

Rialto Beach by Ellen Creek

Rialto Beach, near Forks WA (Of Twilight Movie Fame)

I had to watch the movie after seeing how Forks has come to be a well worn destination due to the movie.

I'm still amazed this has turned Forks into a tourist destination.

Not that this area isn't amazing, it is, it just wasn't filmed at Forks.

I'll post some photos of the woods around Rialto and Forks later..

Come back!!

And search my blog for Rialto Beach

A bouquet from a walk, sweet peas

HOT HOT HOT

Hard to believe Seattle is this HOT!

I mean, I know we're cool, but HOT?

Please get out your rain sticks, and do a rain dance........

this temp is too hot for a city that goes w/out A/C

Seattle recorded the hottest temperature in its history

seattle times photo

Drum Sticks and more..