Forever

Sometimes life gets busy and it isn't photo worthy or you simply find yourself too busy to dig the camera out. Well I've dug the camera out to show you that there is life in my corner of the northwest. ;)

Returning home from a day spent in Seattle the sunset was amazing and made the ferry ride even more of a joy. Downtown was glittering and then to the west there was all this color. Simply beautiful!

My oh my

Stephenie Meyer wrote 4 books set in Forks, Washington. It is small logging town that honestly before the books most people drove through on their way to somewhere else. Now because of the books the town is actually the place folks are on the way to as they journey down Hwy 101.

It was announced this past week that a producer wants to film a TV show here. Based on the real place and the real people. Reality TV arriving on the peninsula! This has me wondering what the TV show will actually find to show the world. Forks if full of normal people. Normal small town people. They also are auditioning people from La Push and Port Angeles. Those places are also low on folks that sparkle, phase or do much more besides go to work at normal jobs.

Think about cameras following you around each day. What would the world find you doing? Pretty normal, average things I'm guessing. Wonder how this show will go.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Love the movie and I love the song from the band, Deep Blue Something. There is just something about Holly that you just can't help but adore. Maybe in truth it was Audrey.

New Moon Fever

Well we are about a month away from the release of the second of the the Twilight Saga movies and our town is again buzzing. Pictures of the characters are in store windows and people are starting to really talk about the movie opening. If you are curious here is the trailer that has my little town and the even smaller town of Forks buzzing.

Power of a smile

I can't embed this favorite video of mine, but here is a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbpGl_9rrcA

It is a song by the group, Casting Crowns. It reminds me of the power of a smile or a simple hello. Sometimes a person just needs you to see them. We humans can get caught up in living our lives, dealing with our problems and stop seeing those around us. I try to keep this song in my playlist as a reminder to not let that happen.

Crashing Waves

I tried to head up into the mountains this evening, but the road was closed and you could smell the smoke from the fires that are currently burning in Olympic National Park. As close as I could get to the top was about 2500 ft.

Since I couldn't make it to the top I drove back down to sea level and drove west on Hwy 101 then hugged the coast for a few miles on Hwy 112 until I got to Camp Hayden Rd and a small county park called Salt Creek. It is a place a lot of tourists don't know about, but a place so very much worth a stop. I mentioned before that when the tide is out there are tide pools that are just full of colorful life and when the tide is in the waves crashing are beautiful. Also the park has some WWII history as it had guns that protected the coast from attack. The bunker and the area where the guns were placed are still there. You actually drive through them with your car now.

The view from the bench where I was enjoying my evening.

Sights seen while away

San Antonio's Riverwalk only gets better each time I visit it. The older part is filled with tall trees, hotels, and cafes. A feast for all your senses. In the newer part that just opened in May there is some wonderful new art pieces and water features.

The San Antonio Art Museum saved the brewery keg bridge and it has been turned it into a foot bridge on the newest part of the Riverwalk.

A mural of the missions in San Antonio under a bridge along the Riverwalk.

The mural at the top of the convention center was a gift to the city from Mexico in honor of the worlds fair. It is amazing in its beauty. Only the blue tiles are glazed. The rest are natural stone. At sunset the mural really comes to life.

One of the many fountains under a bridge along the older section of the Riverwalk.

The famous San Antonio Riverwalk

South on a Jet Plane

I've left my corner for a few days and have headed south to my old home, Texas. The flight was clear and allowed for some shots from the air as I was leaving Washington.

Mt. St. Helens

Mt. Rainier

I took this photo as we were landing at Dallas Love Field. The white building in the background is a special place. It is Southwest Airlines Headquarters. I spent many hours there when my mom worked for a VP. There were parties out on the deck on Fridays in the summer and Halloween around that place was amazing back in the 1990s. Departments used to decorate their whole workspace with different elaborate themes. Schools would even come in to tour them. I wanted to snap a photo of the building and it seems just right to have part of the wing of one of their planes in it too.

Officially in Dallas. Well at least for a day or so and then I'll be headed further south. I forget how flat it is here.

Long Days

Summer in the north means long days. It doesn't seem to get dark until 9:30 or 10:00 and this means that after work there is plenty of time for a short road trip or hike. Friday night I found myself in the mood for the mountains. So I drove the 18 miles to the what feels like the top of the world and even found a bit of snow.

Sol Duc

A couple of weeks ago on a sun filled Saturday afternoon I enjoyed a hike to Sol Duc Falls in ONP. The trail was fairly easy, washed out in a few places and there were some fallen trees in others. The easiest and shortest trail was of course in the best shape with the Lovers Lane Loop in a little less than great shape from the winter storms we had out here this past year. It was a good hike though. Here are some photos from the day.