Skywatch Variety

We had a variety of skies over Lake Cascade, Idaho, during our four days of "Cousin Camp".

As well as a variety of the denizens of the sky.

Skywatch Friday

Bling--Headbangers Challenge

Headbangers theme was provided by our new member Gail: Bling

I am not all that much of a bling sort of girl and my bling is at home and I am not. Really, actually, most of my bling was taken by the burglars a couple of years ago, and not being a bling sort, it was not really replaced. So here and  in the header is my bling.

I blinged up my cell phone because...

Here is my husband's cell phone.

 

He does not pick mine up by mistake.

Ironman! You Go Greg!!!

My grandson Nate took this with his phone as he watched his dad near the start of the bicycle portion of the Ironman Triathlon in Couer d'Alene, Idaho, this morning.

I've been watching the tracking at the Ironman website, and within the last few minutes Greg finished the 112 mile bike ride and has started into the marathon run of 26+ miles. His swim time this morning was 1:17:12. His bike time was 6:44:59.

This is Greg's second Ironman, and he plans to do it again in Phoenix this November. We are all very proud of him.

Go!!! Greg!!!!

 (Nate came through again at the finish line. Let's get that boy a real camera.) 

 Here is Greg's finish with a time of 13:15:04.

Way to go, Greg!!!!!

Sunday's Psalm--Nativity of St. John the Baptist

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and; when I stand

you understand my thoughts from afar.

My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,

with all my ways you are familiar.

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;

you knit me in my mother's womb.

I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;

wonderful are your works.

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you

 When I was made in secret,

when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.

I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

Headbangers

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Banana

Banana who?

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Banana

Banana who?

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Banana

Banana who?

Knock knock

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange ya glad it's not another banana?

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Our Headbanger theme this week is Orange, and I couldn't resist. 

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At our quilt retreat this past weekend, after I had completed my must do projects and did not want to do anything requiring a lot of concentration, I opened my fabric bin and found a bag of orange fabrics--charms, scraps, and squares mostly. Hmm. A baby quilt is always something to have on hand, and a pattern that did not involve a lot of intricate piecing was just perfect for the few hours left in the day. And it made for something orange for the headbangers.

Sunday's Psalm--Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,
To proclaim your kindness at dawn
and your faithfulness throughout the night.

Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
The just one shall flourish like the palm tree,
like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow.
They that are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.
They shall bear fruit even in old age;
vigorous and sturdy shall they be,
Declaring how just is the LORD,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.
Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.

Headbangers are Down and Out this week.

It is twelve years ago that I was in India with this group of teachers doing some volunteer work and some sightseeing on the weekends. There was no way I would go DOWN that trail and OUT on that ledge to have a picture taken. Now today, I am much bolder about heights, so....

             ... No, I still wouldn't go down that trail and out on that ledge.

At the ball game last year DOWN on the field the batter was OUT...

           ...and then we went DOWN the steps and OUT of the stadium.

These kayakers are DOWN there in the valley OUT on the lake.

But my header comes from this shot of the bridge at Silver Falls five years ago. You see, in November of 2006 there was 18 inches of rainfall in 36 hours at Mt. Rainier.

Flooding devastated many trails and roads, bridges and campgrounds. The summer season of 2007, the connections between the three main corners of the Park were broken--with roads washed out by the floods. The loop trail to Silver Falls could not be looped because the bridge DOWN there was OUT. As I mention above, there was no use going all the way down there because the bridge was still out till nearly

the end of the season.



When the repairs were complete, the new landing on the west side of the bridge was wonderful and safe. Here it is with just the last of the handrail to be completed.


Of course, it actually was worth hiking down, because otherwise you would miss the view of the falls.

Another casualty of the floods was Campsite 26 in C Loop at Ohanapecosh. That site and several others--one of which we had camped at in the summer of 2006--were--well...


...washed DOWN into the river and OUT to the Pacific.

Headbangers, how far DOWN were you able to go?

And I don't think I am OUT of line in welcoming Gail, who will compete with us starting next week.

But the others will be here this week. Check them out from the links in my sidebar.

ABC V is for...

...Some of the Volcanic peaks we see in the Oregon Cascades when we travel between Washington and California.

Mt. Bachelor, Broken top, Three Sisters

Cross-country skiing at Mt. Bachelor into June

Mt. Hood behind what lesser cone?

Good night ABC Wednesday

Sunday's Psalm--The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

I will take the cup of salvation, 

and call on the name of the Lord.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.

Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.


I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,

and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

My vows to the LORD I will pay

in the presence of all his people.

 

I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.

Rain...

...somewhere ahead.

Skywatch

ABC Wednesday oops!

I am soooooo far behind on ABC Wednesday,  I am going to make a run through my files to find the first thing I see to catch up on S, T, and U.


Well, this is not the most auspicious start. S is for stool.

The Toy Store makes for a better picture for both S and T.

Train






Trolley

Teepee

...bringing us up to date to look for U.

So look UP and see what you might see.

 Who's looking back at you?

Always an interesting sky.

 The girls climbing UP while hiking ...

...so  they were UP there hiding (they thought) -- daughter and granddaughter--aunt and niece--giggling and looking down on the rest of us.

That would have been a good G is for giggling girls.

And  the ultimate UP looking up at the mountain peak peeking through the clouds.


A B C Wednesday

Headbangers--Advertising

Christopher--Gailsman--gave us the theme of advertising for this week's headbangers' challenge. Not really having a chance to go out looking for a shot, I had some fun looking through the files for appropriate images.

Having done some traveling, I thought I would show you this ubiquitous image

 

along with some of its competition, in various locales and versions. 

In Russia:

In rural India:

In London's Picadilly Circus:

And when there is no cola, there is always coffee:

In Lincoln UK

 and Edinburgh (what? you thought it was Seattle?)

  Here!   This one is in Seattle.     Where else?  Italian style ice cream at the foot of a statue of Lenin.   From the ROYAL Grinders?

I did not choose any of those, despite how fun they might be to contemplate. With all the advertising that comes at us from every direction--every media--every hour of the day, it came to me that sometimes--just sometimes--this is all you need to know:

And so, as they say out by Mt. St. Helens: