Showing posts with label The Cascades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Cascades. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Out of Washington...

photo above...A gaggle of Canadian Geese following the leader through a parking lot. This was taken from our hotel balcony on a very overcast day. It was early evening and the parking lot is in deep shadow. Also my wee little camera only has 3X magnification zoom lens and this shot required at least twice that...maybe my next camera...I wish !


At the moment we are in America's heartland, Kansas. Land of cornfields, grains, cattle, and sunflowers (to name just a few). However, as has been the case from the start, my blog still lags behind my present location.
My hubby, John, had his 50th year high school class reunion just a few days ago in Issaquah Washington. The reunion went well, though I must admit I knew no one there and was swamped by too many new faces and unfamiliar names. I had thought about bringing my camera to the reunion but as I reached for it, John gave me an expression I have long ago grown to know, after almost 40 years of marriage I would be hard pressed not to understand that slight tilt of his head, the raised eyebrow and the almost imperceptible roll of his eyes. A look that says; "You can't be serious ?" or "Oh no ! Please tell me you're not really going to do that !" In short the camera remained in our hotel room.

photo below...The geese gaggle as they proceed across the parking lot.


photos below...As we start on our journey out of Issaquah, Washington, we stopped to purchase some bottled water. The sky was dark and thick with clouds, except for one small opening in which the morning sun was shining a brilliant shaft of sunlight through. Wish the camera could have captured it as well as the human eye does.




Photo below...At the Selah Creek rest stop in Yakima, Washington. The Cascade Mountain range showed us two tall snowy peaks but were too far apart to get them both into one photo. We think this peak might be Mt. Rainier...but we could very well be wrong!


photo below...and looking to my far left is, perhaps, Mt. Adams


Photo below...This is the bridge we crossed that broaches the gorge of the Selah Creek. Once we exited to enter the rest stop I was wowed by the splendor of this lovely structure...and it's big! The bridge accommodates 4 lanes of traffic and by looking at the 18 wheeler truck on the bridge you get a perspective of the size.

photo below...An interesting bridge throws an interesting shadow into the deep gorge below.

photo below...Steep canyon walls drop abruptly into the gorge of Selah Creek.


photo below...View of the valley with the mountain range behind. A wonderfully photogenic rest area. Oh and the facilities here are nice and well maintained also.

Next posting will be of Idaho and Wyoming and hopefully I'll be home by then and have the use of my own computer and our own dependable Internet connection. Hopefully!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Last Days in Bend Oregon...


In the middle of Bend is a tall hill called "Pilot Butte", the top of this butte affords one a 360 degree panorama of all of Bend and its surrounding mountain ranges. An awe inspiring vista.

photos below...Used the zoom feature on my little camera to get a close up shot of the Cascade Mountain Range. Wish I knew all the names of the many peaks but the only one I know by name is Mt. Hood and I'm sorry to say I don't know it by sight. Bet you Oregonians know which one it is.



Photos below...Different view points in the 360 vista.










photo below...shows more of the city of Bend. Over the last 10 years this small high desert city has grown in leaps and bounds. Some of the growth good, some...well not so much !





Photo below...This large Juniper tree grows at the top of Pilot Butte, it has obviously seen better days but it is still impressive, plus I couldn't resist snapping a photo of my hubby as he waited patiently for me to finish taking pictures.


As I get this blog ready for posting I'm sitting in a hotel room in Denver, Colorado and it is COLD outside, or at least it feels cold to this tropical Florida gal. When we left Rock Springs (really Green River) Wyoming at almost 7:00 a.m. this morning, the temp outside was 27 degrees. My teeth are chattering just thinking about it.

Now I've got to pack stuff back into our suitcases as we head out tomorrow towards Witchita, Kansas. So I'll leave you with a few photos of vivid flowers that caught my eye on my last day in Bend, Oregon.


And the GRAND FINALE...my bouquet to all of you


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