Sky Watch reflected

The sky always reflects in Shadow Lake--how depends on many factors--the weather, the wind, the light...

SkyWatch can be found at its own site.

ABC Wednesday--B--I'm late and still don't have my computer fixed

B is for Bear Grass. These beauties stand about three feet high (1M). Bear Grass is an interesting plant in that it is abundant only every few years. The seeds take three to five years to germinate. Native Americans are allowed to harvest the leaves even in the National Park. They are used for traditional purposes--primarily for basket weaving.

ABC Wednesday is found at the ABC site.

Oops update

I think I am halfway there. I have determined that I can't do anything for the laptop without losing any files I have on it. There are a few that it would be nice not to have to reconstruct and a few that would be impossible to reconstruct, so I will be enlisting the assistance of one of the family techies. Unfortunately, they all live at least three hours away, so that may be a while.

For the desktop, I bought a gadget that will allow me to access my modem through the USB port. Now all I have to do is figure out how to make it work.

And I have such lovely BBBBBBBBBBBBBs for ABC Wednesday, too. Well, maybe tomorrow.

Oops!

I'm posting from the library.

I have two computers. One has a minor hardware problem which prevents me from going online till I get it fixed. The other has been getting slower and slower and slower and finally informed me that I have a missing or corrupted file in my operating system. I have to find the system start-up disk and I don't know if I have it or if my son-in-law does.

So, basically, I will see you in a few days when I get one or the other of them fixed.

Odd place to pitch a tent

I host Odd Shots here every Monday. Check out the details by clicking the Odd shots camera int he sidebar. Leave your link on Mr. Linky if you participate. Comments are welcome from anyone.

I don't think I would want to sleep in this tent. It seems an odd place to pitch it, and a ladder was needed to ascend. Hope no one needs to get up in the middle of the night.
It may not seem so odd to some, as we were told that they were quit popular in Australia. What do you think, Australian visitors. do you think it is odd?

Sunday's Psalm--Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Mt Rainier, Arches, San Pedro, Olympic coast

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.

The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

The LORD is just in all his ways

and holy in all his works.

The LORD is near to all who call upon him,

to all who call upon him in truth.

The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Psalm 145: 10-11, 15-16, 17-18

PhotoHunt--Utensils

These are the utensils our grandkids prefer when cooking over a campfire. They are pie irons. Put anything between two slices of bread and cook it in the pie iron--almost instant pizza, fruit pie, whatever you might imagine.

Others will link their utensil photos at TnChick's longlasting meme. Thank you TnChick for continuing to host us and the best for your husbands continuing recovery.

Mountain SkyWatch

We made sure each evening of our camping trip that we found a place to take advantage of the sweet light of sunset.




Zooming in from the Longmire area, I caught the sunlight on the western face of Mt. Rainier. A bit later, there was some nice pink in the sky.

Our last night we walked down to the bed of the White River after dinner clean-up to catch the sunlight and pink of that evening's sky.

Skywatch links are found here.

Same View in Paradise

February 14, 2009
July 18, 2009

Here we go again--ABC Wednesday--A is for...

I start out this ABC round with A is for Avalanche Lily. These delicate blooms are the first to bloom in the meadows of Mt. Rainier, announcing that "Winter is over, everyone come hike and enjoy!"

They are followed by their yellow cousins the Glacier Lily. And soon enough both are gone, to be replaced by a colorful panorama of blooms. When camped at White River and hiking at Sunrise ten days ago I was able to identify over 40 varieties. The Avalanche Lilies were already gone then there, and the Glacier Lilies were in abundance.

But in Paradise this week, it was the turn of the Avalanche Lilies. The difference just across the mountain and 2000 feet lower in elevation makes the season later by about three weeks.

ABC Wednesday starts its fifth season. I did not go back and look to see if I used Avalanche Lilies when I first participated in round two, two years ago, with a theme of Mt. Rainier's flowers and sights. I may have, but I don't think I could have had better photos than the ones we got this week while camping and hiking with wonderful bloggy friends.

Visit the ABC Wednesday blog to see who else is participating and what wonders they have come up with for the letter A. And thank Denise for bearing with us in sponsoring the meme for so long.

Is he taking an odd shot?

Another Odd Shot from my retreat at Leavenworth. I thought I was the one who took odd angles.

This is where Odd Shots is hosted. Leave a link to your Odd Shot post on Mr. Linky add a comment as well. The details of Odd Shots are linked in the sidebar at the Odd Shot Camera. (Sometimes Mr. Linky does not show--in that case leave your link in a comment.)

Sunday's Psalm--Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

Dave's ewes and lambs

beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

Rimrock Lake

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.

Silver Falls Trail, Ohanapecosh

Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side

Ohanapecosh

with your rod and your staff
that give me courage. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;

dinner at Whistlin' Jack's

you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

fountain, Seattle waterfront

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

for years to come.spires of St. Joseph Church, Yakima

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Psalm 23: 1-3, 3-4, 5, 6

PhotoHunt--Theme: Rocks

Rocks (and Flowers)

When I looked up the week's theme I immediately associated rocks with flowers. We were hiking last week (and are again now) at Mt. Rainier National Park. (What a surprise!) The number of wildflowers growing among the rocks on the mountain was amazing. All in all, I identified more than 40 different wildflowers, and while not all were in the rocks, quite a few were.
Like these Lewis Monkeyflowers growing among the rocks along the White River. The White River, BTW, gets its name because of rocks. The river is white because of the "glacial flour"--the residue of rocks ground up by the Emmons Glacier.

There are a number of varieties of Saxifrage growing in the park, including these Tolmie's Saxifrage (above) along the Burroughs Mountain Trail and the Cliff Paintbrush (below) from the same area. The Cliff Paintbrush varies from other paintbrush varieties with the pointy bracts among the colored ones.

The tiny flowers of the Alpine Willow-Herb are no more than a half inch in size. The tiny petals form a cross.

Slender Mountain Sandwort is another we found among the rocks on that mountain trail.

For more rocks--probably without so many flowers--check out the others choosing to participate in PhotoHunt this Saturday at TnChick's site. While you are there, offer your prayers and best wishes for her husband's quick recovery from recent surgery.

SkyWatch--I looked up

Click to enlarge to full size so you can see caused me to look up. See other skies around the world by clicking here.

ABC Wednesday Round 4 has reached the letter Z

...and for that reason I will celebrate the word Zoom.


My camera which I have had since March has a 20X optical zoom.



I know that doesn't mean much if you have a telephoto lens on a DSLR, but it is what makes it possible for me to do things like this:



...and this:

I took some moon pictures when I had a 10X optical zoom on a previous camera, but they were nothing like this. Look craters!

.

And with the 10X, I certainly couldn't do anything like this (yeah, it's a little fuzzy yet. There is still room for that telephoto.):

I was glad that I had the 20X Zoom the other day when we met this guy. He was clear away across the meadow.

That was one big bear, but without the zoom, he would have looked more like this:
And with the digital zoom stretched in effect, he would look all pixelated like this:

So if you are getting anew camera, look for the most Optical Zoom that you can. Try to avoid using the digital zoom if you can, it seriously decreases the quality of your photo.

.

And I can assure you that you probably cannot get a good picture even fairly close if you are Zooming down the highway. (No, I was not driving.)

See other ABCs that have reached Z at the ABC Wednesday blog and thank Denise for starting this two whole years ago. I think it is among the most long-running photo memes in the blogosphere. What will the Round 5 bring?

Odd Shots Monday---Huh?

There is road work going on in our town, and I am totally confused. The other evening I followed a detour sign, thinking the way I wanted to go was blocked. The detour led me in a circle back to where I came from.
.
I think.
.
I'm really not sure any more.
.
We host Odd shots here and we actually have Mr. Linky back for if you post an Odd Shot, too. Details of the meme are always accessible by clicking the Odd Shot camera in the sidebar.

Sunday's Psalm: Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

R. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD--for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.

Truth shall spring out of the earth,

and justice shall look down from heaven.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

The LORD himself will give his benefites;

our land shall yield its increase.

Justice shall walk before him,

and prepare the way of his steps.

Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.


Psalm 85: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14

All phtos were taken in the Ohanapecosh area of Mt. Rainier National Park.

PhotoHunt--theme: Garbage

After the Fourth

For other PhotoHunters, see TnChick.

St. Helens Sky Reflected

Johnston Ridge Observatory

Other Skywatchers can be found here.