Summer Solstice Hike

 This is Payne Creek Falls.

I hadn't been here before.

It is a lovely hike!

It was my Summer Solstice celebration hike with

3 "neighbor" ladies.

Lots more to explore in this area, I can't wait to return on my own.

It is forest service land and now I know the access route,

I thought it was all private land to get here.

Dragonfly

 As Mike and I were having an evening dinner on the back deck, we had this beautiful visitor in the pond.

 A couple of times one of the fish would swim up to investigate,

 probably looking for a  bit of dinner of their own!

We bought that glass ball during the Lake Pend Orielle Art show at City beach during the Festival.

We bought it from a guy named Zeus who was wearing a kilt that appreared to be constructed of carhartt material. We asked if the ball would float, he said, "for sure", well it does, but it floats all cock-eyed. We didn't ask if it would float prettily! So here it rests on this piece of "driftwood" in the pond.

And we laugh.

 Here you can see the fish in the background, I think that is Curley.

I love the reflection on this shot.

Camping

 We went on a little camping trip.

Up the Yaak River.

Just upstream from the confluence with Hellroaring Creek.

 The weather was fine.

A bit windy, which meant no bugs.

 The food was over-the-top good!

Dutch oven enchiladas, calico beans, chocolate birthday cake

homemade from scratch everything...Mmmmm!

 Good company, long walks, campfire, fireworks....

 Gorgeous site.

 It was deeply relaxing.

Weekends are wonderful!

Melting Snow

 Two co-workers and my daughter Molly and I took an evening hike to Crowell Falls.

 It is always amazing to see this place when the water is high.

The view from up here is spectacular.

The wildflowers are in full bloom.

 Bull Lake through the trees from on high.

 It is amazing that all this water is fostered by the sun on the snowfields!

 Crowell Falls

(just down the road and up the trail from home)

....."Dashing waters, faithful friends,

foaming over stony ledges
deep in dark sequestered glens!
Dashing waters, ancient friends!
Gushing gulleys! elfin dens,
girt with rock along the edges!
Dashing waters, faithful friends,
foaming over stony ledges!".....

excerpt from"Valley Song" by Jonas Hallgrimsson
 

Elliot Bay

 This is the view from my bedroom window where I stayed last week in Seattle.

This is from my uncles condo on First Street.

 It was lovely to be back in the 'hood.

To walk Alki Beach and witness the sunsets that turn the entire city orangy-pink.

The sound of the waves rolling onto the beach and the smell of salt water.

Nostalgia.

Hope Idaho

A group of us from work had dinner together at the Floating Restaurant in Hope, Idaho
Here are some scenes of the gorgeous sky.
We had to beg to sit outside, but the nice server relented and we got to soak in the magesty
among the boats.

Dorr Skeels

Dorr Skeels is a campground on Bull Lake named after a district ranger (and maybe forest supervisor) from the early 1900's. I know he was active when the 1910 Fire came through.
It is a beautiful spot on the north end of Bull Lake, one place in America where camping is still FREE.
Some friends that we met at Turner Mountain, that live in Eureka, were camped there this weekend. They came for Circus Camp and because "the dad" is working in the area AND they needed to drive to Spokane to get "Gigi and Pops" on Saturday night.
So, MX and I had to go visit camp on Friday and then again on Saturday when we drug Helen along too!
Us girls swam across the Lake on Friday in high winds to swing off the rope swing and it was SO much FUN we did it again Saturday morning! Thankfully, it was dead calm Sat. morning!
Lovin' Summer! Lovin' the Lake!

Camping

View out the camper door.

This was a lovely scene each morning,

The Lake, beckoning us to jump in!

Lake Cocolalla

Lounging.

Dockside.

Great Blue visitor.

Both mornings I awakened early and took a dip and then went back to bed to snooze and read.

This foto is on morning 2 when it was real early and the sun wasn't yet over the horizon.

It was actually much brighter than this shows and very orange and yellow.

That black blurr in the sky is the heron before he landed on the beach.

Gorgeous!But my photography skills weren't able to cover it.

The heron flew onto the beach just after I snapped this foto so I snapped one of him (at least I think it was a "him" but how do you tell?) too, but it just turned out black!

 I was glad when he came back in full daylight and let me have another chance.

 {I am sure it was the same one! ;-0}

Lilies of the Lake

The lovely lilies of the Lake,

bidding us welcome to the water.

May you live like the lotus

at home in the muddy water.

Lunch Lake Laps

The daily swim.

Lunch lap across Savage Lake and back.

Better than a sandwich any day!

This is MX.

Those are our Montana Mountains in the background.

This is what lunch time means to us come swim season.

Other seasons it is just a walk in the Park.

This is true love!

Water.

mmmmmmm!

Puddle Jumpin' Rubbers

A sunny time between rain showers....Our Lunch walk 'round the park.

Puddles are like magnets to these girls!