Cascade Mountains

Driving the Cascades

/ Pat / 11 Comments

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It started sprinkling as we left the campground on highway 20, heading towards the Cascade Mountains in northern Washington. The skies were heavy grey and clouds were hanging low among the mountains as we started our assent. It was beautiful and rain continued to be light enough for me to jump out at pull offs to practice my photography skills.

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Every curve in the road resulted in gasps and breaths of joy. The mountains are made of multi-colored rock, the pines are tall and narrow – pointing their way to the sun – that wasn’t shining. The hanging clouds rose and twisted around the mountains.

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About noon we saw blue peeking through breaks in the clouds and sun began to hit the mountains. What was so very beautiful was transforming into another form of beautiful.

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We were descending into sunshine, but as we moved around and down the pass I wanted to go back in the other direction because I knew there was a different form of beauty driving from west to east. I frequently looked in the rear-view mirror hoping I would get one last glimpse.

What a surprise when I saw the Cascade peaks during our drives around Whidbey Island. And I am going forward in faith that there is more beauty of a different type ahead of us. It is up to me to find it.

Did you see that Moose?

/ Pat / 13 Comments

I want to get a photograph of a moose. In fact I wanted to get a photo of a moose when we were in Newfoundland last year and road signs were warning us of the dangers of moose related accidents. I saw a couple but not at a time when I had my camera in hand.

A couple of nights ago we stayed at a nice campground on highway 20 just east of the Cascade Mountains. While I was fixing supper a moose was bellowing a ways up the stream. My heart skipped a beat – must be something about the raw sex of a horny moose. He continued to bellow throughout the evening and well past the time I wanted to sleep. By then my attraction was turning to irritation.

In the morning I walked over by the stream and heard him and his horny song right across the stream from where I was standing. I looked real hard, hoping he would come out for a drink. Cascades 009

Do you see him? Look real hard. Neither did I. Guess we will just have to use our IMAGINATIONS until I get my photograph of a real one. In the meantime, this will be my contribution to Frizz’s walk through the alphabet. This week is the letter “i” – which is for imagination.