Headbangers on Hiatus

We are taking a break for a couple of months from our headbanger themes and posting as we wish when we are able. Headbangers are busy people, and it seems the much busier in the summer months. Do take a look from the links in my sidebar to see what the headbangers are up to.


Me? I have been hiking the last two weekends. Where? Where else? Mt. Rainier.


On July 17 I took a couple of short hikes--one around Tipsoo Lake and the other along the Silver Forest Trail. The image in my header--taken from this one-- is from the parking area at Tipsoo Lake on that day.

On July 24 I hiked the Naches Loop Trail and learned (1) there is more uphill than I remember. (2) A lot of people hike it counterclockwise and miss the sudden bend where the mountain appears suddenly before you. Travel the whole way without that view--with the mountain behind them. So sad! (3) I am woefully out of shape. My legs were like jelly when I completed the loop and are still sore on Thursday.

Water, wildflowers, and that wondrous view were the main attractions on that day. Here are some shots.

I may have missed the peak of the wildflowers but they were still in abundance.

Scarlet Paintbrush

Avalanche Lilies ( I think--I confuse them with the yellow Glacier Lilies).

and they were in abundance as well.

So far as I know this little lake is nameless. It is easy to reach, and you can see that it was a sill day there for great reflections. Including the young lady in pink reflected on her wanderings. She passed me by shortly after this. A lot of people passed me by.

A bit of waterfall. Many spots where the water falls on the rocky east side of the loop.

Dewey Lake. Do you see the sparkle?

You probably do now.

Did I mention coming around to the view?

I may hike again this coming weekend--if my legs are back to normal. Before I go I let my daughters know where I plan to hike, then I check in when I return, making them jealous of the view. I do not want to be one of those lost hikers that have to be searched for.

Games

Games are a major feature of Cousin Camp every year. I think the kids look forward to seeing what Grandma has in the game bag, and it is usually the same things that were there last year. These Cousin Camp pictures were taken in earlier years. Cousin Camp was preempted this year by funeral travel, but will resume next year.

Chess. In a manner of speaking. The older cousin once described the youngest's moves on the chess board as "creative."

Mancala. Well, this one was creative, too, as the stones were left at home
 and they used the pegs from the Chinese Checkers set.



Bigger games are popular as we always try to catch a baseball game. This one was at Safeco Field in Seattle and if I recall correctly, the Mariners won over the Tigers(?). Maybe it was the Phillies.

Best game of the year, though is when the priests of our diocese take on the seminarians in a fundraiser soccer game each August. Admission is free, but sale of t-shirts and food bring in a good deal of money for the seminarians tuition fund. This year two players change sides, as two of the former seminarians were ordained to the priesthood this spring. It is a lively game. At least one of the priests once played semi-pro soccer in his native Colombia, and others grew up on the game.

What games have my fellow headbangers chosen to feature? Check on my sidebar for links to their blogs.

Theme for Header: Water

If I were lazy, I could just leave my Crater Lake pictures up and change the description to water.


Actually, although we have great water features in the Pacific Northwest and are famed for it, I sometimes find my best water images in the Desert Southwest.

 The image above and my header image, taken from the one below are of my daughter's swimming pool near Phoenix, Arizona. It is very popular with her kids.

 And water in the desert can be very forceful. Just think of the Grand Canyon, and the Colorado River at the bottom, remnant of the sculpting power which carved it.

But farther north and west:

 We have rowers in Oakland, California--on the same lake as my gondola from a few weeks ago.

 Water in the sky, in the form of a rainbow over the crops. We had a beautiful double a few weeks ago. Have you noticed that the second rainbow of a double has it's colors reversed? as it is a reflection of the first.

 Orchards and vineyards along the Columbia River.

 A Merganser Duck in the river near Leavenworth, Washington.

 Spokane Falls.

 Dewey Lake.

 Sandhill Cranes. They descend by the thousands on the Othello area near here on a rest on their spring migration.

 Palouse Falls.

I have to admit that I am not sure where this was taken. But it's great water, right?

The headbangers changed the theme on my behalf this week as it had originally been set to be "What did you do last month?" Mac's choice because he knew he had a great trip and event. My month was less satisfying. You can see what the others did with "water" by clicking their links in my sidebar.





Going Strong

This IS "Going Strong".

 

In order to ride the boat out to Wizard Island in Crater Lake and around the "Phantom Ship" it was necessary to hike down to the surface from the rim. Afterwards you had to hike back up. It is the equivalent of climbing the stairs in a 70 story building.

 

We WERE "Going Strong".

 

For me, however, it's an extra "Going Strong" because I thought that these pictures from our trip to Crater Lake were long lost. But here they are hiding on my laptop!

 

We were going strong.

Check out the postings by the other members of our header challenge, linked in my sidebar.