Lately I have not had much chance to get out into the wilds of Washington and enjoy my scenic hikes to familiar and favorite places.  I realize how much I miss these weekend journeys into the woods and hope that I can soon find time to get back to the things I truly love.  The following excerpt from a book I was reading expresses some of my thoughts rather well.

"The woods are so human that to know them one must live with them.  An occasional saunter through them, keeping to the well-trodden paths, will never admit us to their intimacy.  If we wish to be friends, we must seek them out and win them by frequent, reverent visits at all hours; by morning, by noon, and by night; and at all seasons, in spring, in summer, in autumn, in winter.  Otherwise we can never really know them and any pretense we may make to the contrary will never impose on them.



They have their own effective way of keeping aliens at a distance and shutting their hearts to mere casual sightseers.  It is of no use to seek the woods from any motive except sheer love of them; they will find us out at once and hide all their sweet, old-world secrets from us.  But if they know we come to them because we love them, they will be very kind to us and give us such treasures of beauty and delight as are not bought or sold in any marketplace.



For the woods, when they give at all, give unstintingly and hold nothing back from their true admirers.  We must go to them humbly, patiently, watchfully, and we shall learn what poignant loveliness lurks in the wild places and silent intervales, lying under starshine and sunset, what cadences of unearthly music are harped on aged pine boughs or crooned in copses of fir, what delicate savors exhale from mosses and ferns in sunny corners or on damp brooklands.



Then, the immortal heart of the woods will beat against ours and its subtle life will steal into our veins and make us its own forever, so that no matter where we go, or how widely we wander, we shall yet be drawn back to the forest to find our most enduring kinship."

~from Thistle Harvest by John Foster

Tags: hiking, weekends

Autumn is here and the leaves are turning.  Actually many of them have fallen by now, but just before that happened I was able to get some photos of some of the colorful scenes around Hoodsport.



Driving through Potlatch past powerhouse #2 of the Tacoma Power Cushman Hyrdo Project, I spotted this beautiful maple tree in full color and had to stop and take a picture.



This tree is much larger than it looks in the picture because the powerhouse is very tall.  If you consider that the lamp posts you see are about nine feet tall it gives you some perspective.  I love the way the water from the creek was diverted to run right down through the lovely old cement railings along here.  It makes a pretty waterfall I think.  It is amazing to look at this beautiful building and the graceful curves and majestic arches that were incorporated into the architecture.  This was built at a time when beauty was something that was revered.  Sure, none of these arches are really functional, but they are a delight to the eyes.  Now, it seems, the only value in architecture is to be either purely functional or completely meaningless and bizarre.



Sailboats are another thing that are lovely and graceful, while still being very functional.  I caught this picture up in Port Townsend while taking a ferry across to Whidbey Island.  The people on the boat appeared to be having a very relaxing sail around the harbor, not really going anywhere.



Here you see some of the old Victorian architecture of Port Townsend in the buildings behind the sailboat.  In the upper right is the original fire station bell tower from the 1800s.  The homes on the bluff are also from the late 1800s.  I recently was on a tour of homes, which included the one on the left.



It was amazing to see the architecture of this home, with 12 foot ceilings, huge rooms, and many artistic touches throughout.  As you can imagine, the view from the enclosed porch or the upstairs windows was quite a treat too.

I haven't had time to blog here much since becoming involved in at least 3 Bible studies during the week.  Most nights I go straight from work to Bible study and then straight home and to bed, only to arise the next morning and go back to work.  Sometimes I take time to eat at least once or twice during this time, but I haven't really had a chance to even sit down for several months.  So you'll excuse the fact that there are not many blogs and not many pictures left to show.  If there are any things you would like to see or hear, feel free to leave a comment.  Thanks to those who have left comments in the past.  It is nice to know that someone is actually reading this.  I do think of you when I see your comments.

Tags: weekends
Current Location: Port Townsned

This past weekend I went to the Mason County Fair in Shelton. It was actually a lot of fun this year, since I knew several of the families entering things in the fair.  The weather was great which made it all the more enjoyable.  The children really seem to enjoy this fair, despite all the work that goes into preparing for it and being required to take on duties in the barn areas.  Two good friends of mine won the top prizes for their pigs, which is especially commendable considering this is their first year raising pigs.



Here is Yutaka, with his Grand Champion pig, getting ready to auction it off in the livestock auction.  It brought the highest price in the auction.  The auction was a lot of fun.  Everyone seemed to really get into the spirit of it and the bidders (mostly Del's Farm Supply and Les Schwab Tires) were very generous in their support of the efforts of these children to raise money from their animals.  I was impressed with these two companies and others who are trying to give something back to the communities in which they are located.



Another winner was Lexi with her Champion prize-winning chickens, which are very handsome indeed as you can see.  She auctioned them off for a good price as well.  Les Schwab Tires got the winning bid on these fryers.

Aside from showing animals and winning prizes, the best part of the fair was just hanging out at the fairgrounds with other people and finding fun things to do.  I spent a little time with Megumi running and jumping in this nearby pile of wood chips.  It was loads of fun until we started itching quite a bit.



Another fun thing for the children was the Let's Pretend circus, where volunteers got to wear costumes and put on a make-believe circus, complete with a strong man (who couldn't quite lift the 1000 pound barbell, but a little girl did), and a lion tamer.



Here you can see the ferocious lion, played by Yutaka, ready to attack the audience if they didn't stay back.  Yutaka took this pretty seriously and made a very convincing lion.  I think he may have a future on the stage, at least as long as the part calls for a wild animal.  I thought the Let's Pretend shows were a great way for the children to enjoy being a part of something at the fair and use their imagination to put on a little show of their own.  I was pleased that they had that this year.  I'm not sure if I've noticed it before.

Tags: weekends
Current Location: Shelton, WA

I am taking a break from my usual travelogue style blog entry and actually writing about something interesting that I did. Thanks to all of you who commented on my last blog entry. I know that I have at least 4 people who are following my blog. It was good to hear from people in 3 different countries!

Last weekend I had a new experience which I will not soon forget.  I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to fly in a vintage World War II B-17 Flying Fortress.  Every year the Olympic Flight Museum hosts an air show which features many warplanes from past wars, including several bombers which you can tour.  This year the bombers on tour were a B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator, and a B-25 Mitchell bomber.



Here is the B-17 taking off.  This was one of the most successful bombers used in World War II.  It was very heavily armed as you can see with thirteen Browning M-2 .50 caliber machine guns.  It was powered by four 1200hp turbocharged Wright Cyclone radial engines.

I admit to always having been fascinated by these symbols of American air superiority from the World War II era.  They look and sound so ominous flying through the air.  So I couldn't pass up the chance to actually fly in one.



Here is the seat I chose for most of the flight, right in the bombardier nose section.  This is the position where the bombardier used the once top-secret Norden bomb sight to sight and control the dropping of the bombs.  The domed nose window allows a birds-eye view of everything up, down, left, right, and ahead, a perfect spot to enjoy the scenery over the Puget Sound.



We had a beautiful flight, low over the country around Olympia, Shelton and Hood Canal.  There was something thrilling about sitting in the seat that had been once used by men who successfully flew 140 bombing missions in this plane.



So here I am sitting back, enjoying the view of the lovely waters of Puget Sound passing by beneath my feet.  But after sitting here awhile, I was curious to see the rest of the plane so I wandered back through the bomb bay, which has a very narrow catwalk squeezed in amongst the bombs.  I carefully navigated across the walk, minding the words from our briefing that falling off the catwalk into the bomb bay could mean a very unexpected exit from the plane.  About that time we hit some turbulence and I instinctively grabbed for something to steady myself, unfortunately catching one of the control cables which run unprotected all through the plane.  I heard a strange noise and felt the resistance of the cable and quickly let go and grabbed something a little more solid.  I don't want to be the one to send this plane into a dive.  Past the bomb bay was the radio room and the top mounted gun turret.  This was open so that people could look out for an unobstructed view across the top of the plane.



The 170mph wind in my face was almost enough to take my breath away.  But the feeling of sticking my head out of the top of a B-17 bomber flying along over the lovely landscape of Puget Sound was quite exhilarating.  I stayed there, looking out in all directions for quite awhile, thankful for this wonderful, unique opportunity to see things from a perspective few ever have seen.



I will end this story with a fitting scene from the air show of a sky diver who carried this incredibly huge United States flag with him on his descent and brought cheers from all the crowd.  It made me proud to be a part of such a wonderful country, which has been so blessed by God through the years.

Tags: weekends
Current Location: Olympia, WA

OK, this will be mostly a photo blog, because I've taken lots of photos, but haven't really done anything much worth writing about.

We had a week of very warm weather here in Washington and I took a trip up to Whidbey Island to enjoy the peaceful countryside, take a long walk, and scope out the area for a friend planning on visiting soon.  One of my first stops was to buy a wild blackberry ice cream cone at Kapaws Iskreme, which has perhaps the best ice cream cones in the state, with fresh homemade waffle cones.  Their "worldwide headquarters" are in the small yellow building with the flag.



My long walk was next (gotta' work off all that ice cream), so I headed for Fort Ebey State Park, the site of a World War II coastal defense. There are concrete bunkers to explore and a very nice, long walk along the bluff, offering views of the Puget Sound and the ships coming and going.



This trail follows the bluff for miles and is the perfect place for just walking and spending time thinking and praying.  Something about the salt air, the sand, and the sound of the surf makes it easy to get lost in your surroundings.  I personally prefer the high vantage point where I can see more, than walking the beach itself, thought that has its own merits.



Once again I happened to be in the right place to watch the cruise ships headed out for the ocean.  I also hung around to see if this hang glider ever got anywhere.  He never quite got up in the air, though the wind did pull him around a lot.  It is just as well as he didn't really look prepared to plunge into the waters of Puget Sound.

I caught the ferry back to the mainland at just the perfect time.  The sun was just setting as we crossed the Sound and I practically had the boat to myself.  It was a gorgeous night.



Coming into Port Townsend with the sun beginning to set, I caught this picture of the silhouette of the town.



On the way home, I saw that the sky was filled with color and the fields were aglow as the last rays of sun set over the mountains and I had to stop and take this picture.



I hope you have enjoyed this little photo tour.  If you have, please send me a comment using the Leave a Comment link below.  I'd love to hear from you.

Tags: weekends
Current Location: Port Townsned

It has been a long time since I have written a blog entry.  I guess it is time to write about something.  This week I took my mother to Port Townsend to watch a very special movie.  The movie was called Miss Potter and was a drama of the life of Beatrix Potter, children's author and illustrator.  She wrote stories of such characters as Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddle-duck.

This movie was one of the most delightful films I have ever watched.  From the opening scene, filmed in the beautiful, serene Lake District of northwestern England, to the poignant ending, I was enchanted by the cinematography, the music, and the charming, tender story of this amazing woman.  Publishers laughed at her cute little bunny stories.  Her own mother considered her delightful watercolors to be a childish waste of time.  But one man believed in her and believed that her stories would sell.  The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published by F. Warne & Co. in 1902 when Miss Potter was 36.  By Christmas the book had sold 20,000 copies and Beatrix Potter was well on her way to becoming wealthy enough to eventually purchase thousands of acres of pristine farm lands in Lake District, rescuing them from greedy commercial developers.  Upon her death in 1943 she bequeathed 4000 acres of land, cottages, and 15 farms to the National Trust to be preserved forever.

I also spent time in Port Townsend last Saturday and managed to find plenty of sunshine, despite the threats of rain.  Of course I had to take a quick trip by the Point Wilson lighthouse just to enjoy the view. I happened to arrive just as the cruise ships were making their way out of the Puget Sound and a rainbow was developing in the sky.



Later, the clouds started to break and the sun peeked through making the lighting perfect for this shot of the wildflowers near the lighthouse.



Last night I joined Hank and Betsy, along with my mom and dad, for a picnic up at Elk Lake.  The weather was perfect for a picnic. Betsy brought some wonderful homemade pasties with chicken, potatoes, and carrots as well as fresh spinach from her garden.



What a beautiful place we live in.  I feel so sorry for the folks who never venture out to find and enjoy the wonderful places around our state.  I appreciate it more and more every day as I realize how truly blessed we are here in Washington.  But that blessing is only available to those who are willing to take the time away from their busy lives and truly enjoy God's creation.

Tags: movies, weekends
Current Location: Port Townsned

Saturday afternoon was a beautiful day to return to the Colonial House for a special tea, tour, and fashion show.  This special event is an annual fund-raiser for Habitat for Humanity of Mason County.  I was particularly looking forward to a chance to see more of the house than last week and see how progress was coming on the restoration.



The grounds look very nice as you can see. The weather cooperated enough that we could enjoy the cool breeze coming through the open door while we sipped tea and munched on all sorts of goodies from little sandwiches, scones, and cookies to fruit and chocolate.





While enjoying our tea and goodies, we were treated to a fashion show of vintage clothing.  There were outfits from the early 1900s on up through the 1970s (an eye-catching gold pant suit).  One little girl couldn't wait for the show to begin and kept peeking out of her hiding spot in the upstairs balcony.





Finally she got to come down, holding the train of this 1910 wedding dress.

After the fashion show, there was a tour of the whole house.  In case you didn't bother to click the link above, this house was built in 1920 for Mark E. Reed, who was president of Simpson Timber Company at the time and also served as Mayor of Shelton and State Senator in the early 1900s.

The home had later been used as a boarding house and later training offices for Simpson, going through a horrible remodeling in the 1970s which included ugly fake paneling, and acoustic tile ceilings.  Thankfully some folks have taken on the huge task of restoring this home to its original glory.

So far they have done a fine job, even managing to secure some of the original carpets to replace the hideous wall-to-wall shag carpeting that had completely covered the beautiful wood floors.  It seems that all of America lost any sense of taste or common decency regarding interior decorating in the 1970s and had no appreciation for the fine workmanship of past decades.  I have heard that shag is making a comeback though, just as avocado and gold appliances are.

I was also impressed with the number of beautiful antique Japanese artifacts scattered throughout the house, which were originally purchased by Mr. Reed's wife Irene, who had visited Japan and enjoyed collecting articles from there.

I apologize for the number of photos I tried to cram into this blog.  I know that some of you using dial-up access from remote areas have complained about how long they take to load.  My blogs have gone from almost entirely text, to mostly photos recently just because of the many interesting things I have seen that are far more interesting in pictures than in text descriptions.

Tags: weekends
Current Location: Shelton, WA