PhotoHunt--Theme: Painted

This old farm wagon doesn't look like it's seen a coat of paint in an awfully long time, but look at the building beyond. This is Toppenish, a town near me, which has chosen, over the last twenty years or so, to tie its city development to a series of murals painted by teams of professional artists.

More than seventy murals grace the city, depicting the rich history and heritage of the area, from the days of Native American dominance through the coming of the white man and development of the agricultural industry--as shown in this one.

The mountain in the scene is Mt. Adams, which I have shown you before. I am noticing that a detail of the peak is included which I had been unaware of until this morning. I posted about it at Yakima Valley Daily Photo earlier today.

Do you see it?

Tnchick is the hostess with the mostest for PhotoHunt. You can find other PhotoHunters linked at her place.

Stringing you along

It was perfect kite weather last weekend at the beach.

/Spidey/ Ironman sees all.

Sharing the skies.

Trading places.

Find other Skywatchers here.

ABC Wednesday--Q is for...

Lake Quinault

On our recent trip to the Olympic Peninsula we took a drive along Lake Quinault. It is a beautiful resort area just outside the Olympic National Park. (above: looking east, below: looking west.)
A variety of boats are prevalent along the lake.

The Olympic Mountain Range lies beyond.

It would be fun to stay in the quaint Lake Quinault Lodge.

ABC Wednesday is brought to you by Denise Nesbitt and is located at the ABC Wednesday blog.

I'm back!

I have turned in my final project and am back among the land of the living. It will take me a while to catch up with everyone and everything in blogland, but I'll be stopping by soon.

After I take a nap.

Look below for other recent posts.

Sticky Note: I am taking an intensive online class for the next three weeks--April 21-May 11. Put that on top of an otherwise busy schedule, and I may not be by to do much visiting during that time. I am working now to make sure most of my regular activities are ready to post in a timely manner.

Odd Shot on Monday

We were early to a movie and waited while the theater was cleaned between shows. As we followed a gentleman into the show, I almost shouted "I love your wild shoes!" I'm glad I didn't, because look at MINE!

Red lights along the base of the wall gave everyone eerie feet.

Odd Shots is hosted here. Click the Odd Shot logo in the sidebar to find the details. Sign Mr. Linkie if you have posted an Odd Shot. Comments are welcome from everyone.

Sunday's Psalm--Fifth Sunday of Easter

I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts live forever!"

I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
all the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.

I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendents shall serve him.
Let the coming genereation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.

I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
Psalm 22: 26-27, 28, 30, 31-32

PhotoHunt--Theme: In Memory

Some of the Remembrance tents from the 2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day. Walkers are free to write a message of remembrance of why they walk. I lost my mother and my sister and others to Breast Cancer, and have many other contacts with those who have either conquered the disease or lost their battle.

In Memory is why I walk.

Other Phot0Hunters exploring the In Memory theme can be found at TnChick.

Reflection of the Reflection of the Sky

...and other things.

Other SkyWatchers are here.

ABC Wednesday--P is for...

P is for the piano at the Paradise Inn and for the Paradise Inn itself with its summer long Parade of guests.

The Paradise Inn at Paradise in Mt. Rainier National Park is one of the treasured lodges of the National Parks which were built int he early part of the last century. I believe Paradise Inn dates to 1916. I can't imagine the hauling of building materials to 5300 foot elevation on the early roads of the park. In fact, can you imagine the construction of those early roads?

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The Paradise Inn was reopened last season after being closed for two years for renovations. these renovations were done to strenghen the original structure and bring it up to code. The original character of the Inn was preserved.

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The chandeliers in the Paradise Inn depict the wildflowers of the region. The huge beams were harvested in nearby forests. Some probably came from the site--something not likely to happen in a National Park these days.

No matter the weather, guests can have a cozy haven for reading, playing games, a cup of coffee, or just a chat. You might peek out the window of the Inn and find it to be a bit foggy.

But the treasure of Paradise is not just the Inn, but the out:

Standing at 14,410 feet, Mt. Rainier towers over its near neighbors in the Cascade Range, and so is known to make its own weather. That is a lenticular cloud hovering over the mountain. A common sight, this Astronomy Picture of the Day photo shows some spectacular ones from a few months ago with links to explanations of the phenomenon.

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Even on days when the view is not that spectacular, the trails are very inviting around Paradise, and thousands of visitors arrive daily to visit. It's a good thing the close ups are gorgeous, as I have a couple of friends who have been to Paradise multiple times and still not seen the mountain.

We aren't the only ones who appreciate the trails around Paradise.

You would also be likely to see marmots, ptarmigan, foxes, and last summer because the late snow melt made the munching slim in the higher country, one visitor told me he had had seven bears in sight at one time.

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This is a view across Paradise Valley.

and so is this:

Paradise is known for its winter snowfall. In fact, for many years it held the record for annual snowfall--something like 90 feet. the record fell in the late 90s when a few inches more blanketed nearby Mt. Baker.

On our first snowshoe hike at Paradise, we were treated to wonderful weather and this sight of snowboarders down by the Nisqually Glacier.

When do you think this one was taken? No, I won't make you guess. It was June 6, 2008, on the Stevens Canyon Road approaching Paradise from the east. Weather can be unpredictable, but June snows are not usually of the blizzard variety.

Now let us speak of history. The charm of the Inn had a most unusual neighbor for over 40 years in the shape of the old visitors' center. Built in the 60s, its space age style reflected the times. But it was not practical for 5300 feet up a mountain with the heaviest snowfall in the world, cost for heating the roof so it would not collapse were phenomenal.

The old building was deteriorating as well. So a new visitor center was constructed and opened last fall. It fits in with the historic buildings of Paradise and is much more cost effective to operate.

So, there you are. Just another day in Paradise.

Visit the ABC Wednesday site to find other participants, and shout out to Mrs. Nesbitt who started the trend.