Flags a-flapping~~~~~~~Movement Cdp October 1st Theme

The Flags are flapping on a windy day.

Linking to CDP Theme Day HERE

Broken-down Barn

 This old barn is just down the road--well on the same road only around the corner from my house

A different angle in sepia.
The owners said they will leave it to nature.  

Linking to Rubbish Tuesday at Roan's HERE

Hibulb Center~~~~~~~~~~~~~Mosaic Monday

The Hibulb Center and Natural History Preserve mission is to revive, restore, protect, interpret, collect and enhance the history, traditional cultural values and spiritual beliefs of the Tulalip Tribes who are the successors in interest to the Snohomish, Snoqualmie and Skykomish tribes and other tribes and bands signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott.
The Hibulb Cultural Center is approximately 23,000 square feet with a 50-acre natural history preserve. The interactive cultural center features a main exhibit, a temporary exhibit, two classrooms, a longhouse, a research library, and gift shop. It also features a fully certified collections and archaeological repository. It was the first Tribal facility certified by the state of Washington. 

 Tuesday Bob and I along with our treasured friend from France--VDP-- visited this center.  It was truly amazing. Top left-the beautiful carved front doors, next an actual carved cedar canoe used long ago and then the greeters at the door dressed in the style of the day and a replica of a longhouse with center fire where ceremonies and other family business went on---(sans the big screen of course).  There was so so much to see what I have pictured here is only a tiny tiny part.  More to come later on.

I am linking this to Lavender Cottage and Mosaic Monday HERE

Playful Pup for Saturday's Critters

This is my Daughter's Cow Dog, Bandit.  She was a pup in these pics.   She's all grown up now and maybe knows better.

 She is awfully cute though.

I am linking this to Saturday's Critters HERE

Whidbey Island Sky

There really was some blue sky when we were visiting Double Bluff Beach on Whidbey Island.

 See it doesn't always rain here!

Linking to Sky Watch HERE

Odd Fence for Good Fences

I found this fence in the small town of Cle Elum and wondered "why?".

Linking this to Thursday's Good Fences HERE

Blue Water~~~~~~~~~~~~Blue Monday

Blue water and Blue Sky at the Ranch in Ritzville.  My daughter and her Husband live and work on the Ranch founded by his family back in the mid 1800s.  A wonderful place to live and work and play.
Linking to Blue Monday HERE

The Elvis Church~~~~~~~~~~~InSPIREd Sunday

We visited ApacheLand in the Superstition Mts when we were in Arizona in March.
The Elvis Church!

 

Survivor of two fires, one in 1969 and one in 2004, which decimated Apacheland Movie Ranch, the Elvis  Memorial Chapel was donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum by Sue and Ed Birmingham owners of Apacheland from 1976 until 2004.

The chapel has been restored and preserved 7 miles north of its original location in Gold Canyon. The Elvis Chapel now resides on over 10 acres located at Superstition Mountain Museum.

Linking to InSPIREd SundayHERE

Fall Colors for Weekend Reflections

 Picture Lake surrounded by the red foliage of Fall Blueberries

 Not too much snow on Mt. Shuksan  (  9131 ft / 2783 m )    this summer

But enough.  Everything looks so wonderful when the sun is shining.

Linking to Weekend Reflections HERE

Sky Watch

We have been having either total blue sky or gray overcast rainy day so I dipped into my archives to show this beauty from the Valley.  Gray sky but what a rainbow.

Linking to Sky Watch HERE 

Where we live

We live in/on the Tree Farm and it is a great place for horseback riding, bike riding or just walking.  It gets pretty hilly in there so hiking might be a better word. 
No motorized vehicles allowed on trails.  Horse groups maintain the trails as do some mountain bike groups.
Here is a picture of the view looking north horseback.  My daughter riding and taking pictures with her phone.  I read at one time that the area was comprised of 15,000 acres but ???  It is wonderfully cared for and judiciously logged and replanted.     Bob's property too is in, on and/or next to the Tree Farm.  We love it here.   

That is Lake McMurry in the forefront.

Samish River Eagle

Samish River area is always a good place to find Eagles whether they are sitting in a tree or fishing in the river. King Salmon are coming in the river right now.  Good hunting this guy says.

 Tide is out

Oh that steely-eyed stare

 I am linking to Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE

Old truck ~~~~~~~Rubbish Tuesday

These old trucks and other old stuff are available for use in Sprague Washington.  Neat huh!

 I love these old trucks

 Sprague is pretty much a ghost town but still lovely.  Population is around 400.

 Sprague is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 446 at the 2010 census. The town was plotted in 1880 and named for former American Civil War Union general John Wilson Sprague.

 My favorite

I am linking to Rubbish Tuesday HERE

Lobelia Blue~~~~~~~~~~~~~Blue Monday

This is my first time visiting the Blue Monday meme.  I hope my crystal Palace Blue Lobelia qualifies.

I am linking to Smiling Sally at Blue Monday HERE

St James~~~~~~~~INSPIREd Sunday

This is St. James Episcopal Church in Sedro Woolley. It was built in 1907 and the top was added in 1965. The church looks like it needs a little TLCand actually it does.  The Church facade is made with Skagit River sand and the state says it needs to be repaired at a costly sum I am sure.  So they have decided not to repair it hopefully only for now.  they meet at another closeby church.  The Skagit River runs through Sedro-Woolley.

Linking up with Sally and Beth HERE

Snips and Snails.......

 .........and Puppy Dog tails.


Bingo is always sitting on the porch watching nothing and I mean nothing going on.  We live on a short dead end road with woods all around.  But he looks right and looks left just to make sure.

He looks straight ahead too.  I hope nobody shuts the door on his 'puppy dog tail'.  LOL

I am linking this to Saturday's Critters HERE 
                                      and
Camera  Critters HERE

Boating on Diablo Lake

 Diablo Lake is a reservoir in the North Cascade mountains of northern Washington state.  Created by Diablo Dam, the lake is located between Ross Lake and Gorge Lake on the Skagit River at an elevation of 1,201 feet above sea level.

 The sky was beautiful

The water is beautiful too.  It is a lovely turquoise color  from all glacial runoff.
The mountains surrounding this area are gorgeous.

I am linking this to Sky Watch   Here

Old fences~~~~~~~~~Good fences

I wonder what the story is on this old homestead barn.  It looks like it got a metal roof (or is it) but that was probable years ago.  It is still a beauty out in the middle of no-where. 
 And the fence is still there to keep in imaginary cattle.

I am linking this to Good Fences Here
 

Fall is near

Most of Washington's snow geese nest on Wrangel Island in the Chukchi Sea off Northern Siberia. They winter in the Skagit Valley.   Research has shown that it take the Geese a week or less to make the trip.  Amazing, eh?  
Of the around 100,000 Geese that make it to Washington and close by winter on Fir Island and Stanwood.

The earliest I have seen them here was October 8th.  So they will be here in about a months time. 

Make your way to Stewart's place for Wild Bird Wednesday HERE  and enjoy!!!

Harvest Moon

 September Moon--Harvest Moon and a so called Super Moon too.  No  matter what it is beautiful

 And we have been harvesting all kinds of fruit and veggies--Apples, Zucchini, cukes, Corn, some tomatoes, potatoes and the list goes on.

All of these shots were taken right off the patio--one after another. The moon kept rising and the clouds kept changing.    A beautiful Moon

Yummy Peaches

We went to Eastern Washington on Thursday to buy peaches for canning.  
And here they are!!!

 Picked on Thursday--canned or Saturday (Bob and I did this together--a team effort)--and will be eaten 'til they're are gone.  Oh yeah!

Lake Keechelus for Weekend Reflections

Keechelus Lake is a lake
and reservoir in Washington state.  It is the source of the Yakima River.   Keechelus Lake is the western lake of the three large lakes near I90 and north of the Yakima River in the Cascade Range. After crossing nearby Snoqualmie Pass , Interstate 90 runs along the eastern shoreline of Keechelus Lake.

Keechelus Lake is part of the Columbia River Basin, being the source of the Yakima River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.

The lake is used as a storage reservoir for the Yakima Project, an irrigation project run by the Bureau of Land Reclamation. Although a natural lake, Keechelus Lake's capacity and discharge is controlled by Keechelus Dam, a 128 foot (39 m) high earthfill structure built in 1917. As a storage reservoir, Keechelus Lake's active capacity is 157,900 acre feet (195,000,000 m³)
The name Keechelus comes from an Indian term meaning "few fish".

Here are some pictures I took Thursday

 Beautiful reflection

 The water was very low in the upper part of the lake when we were there and stumps can be seen. 

 Since this lake is a reservoir the water can be drawn down for
various uses.  

I am linking this to Weekend Reflections HERE

Down the highway we go~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sky Watch

 Today was a beautiful day.  We went to Yakima and Naches to buy boxes of peaches for canning.  I mean we could have bought them anywhere but how nice to buy them at the farm where they were raised.
This is the road we traveled home on.  Isn't the sky beautiful.

Going home we took Hwy 97 from Ellensburg to Leavenworth.  That is over Blewett Pass.  Here is an interesting sidenote. There once was a town named Blewett and the highway we were traveling on was in fact exactly where the town was located.  Nothing left of the town except this marker.  It just was forgotten and melted into the forest.

I am linking this to SkyWatch Friday HERE

The Chickadee and the Sunflower

Some of our Sunflowers are dying back and the Chickadee love them as do the Goldfinches.  This guy posed perfectly for me.

 Are you watching?

I'm digging in.  Thanks.

Swoop over to Stewart's and Wild Bird Wednesday HERE  and enjoy !!

Girl in the Garden

My little Faerie girl 
My little Sprite
She watches over everything
to makes sure it is all right 

I am linking this to Ruby Tuesday too HERE

Labor of Love + a Chipmunk for U.S. Labor Day Holiday and Mosaic Monday

 Clematis (unknown variety) then a pot of purple Petunias and some Alyssum below that a sedum Autumn Joy and the little chipper a Townsend chipmunk with a Clematis background

Today is a holiday in the U.S.  It is Labor Day honoring the labor movement in this country.
Labor Day in the U.S.is a Holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American Labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country. 

School usually starts the day after so gear up kiddies it's time to go. 

I am linking to Lavender Cottage and Mosaic Monday  HERE