cascades

I was in Washington recently and I had the opportunity to drive on some of the mountain roads that wound their way up into the Cascades.  We drove until the snow covering the road stopped us.  It smelled so good with all the pine surrounding us.  We took lots of hikes and had a great time.  The views are spectacular.  How refreshing!!

the ice caves

While I was visiting Washington recently I had the opportunity to visit the ice caves.  The caves are formed when the melted snow runs off of the mountains and runs under the snow field at the base of the mountain.  The caves were just starting to form for the season as the temperatures were rising.  The ice caves are at the end of a well marked hiking trail and are located about a mile or so off of the main road.  There is a nice parking lot at the head of the trail.  It proved to be a popular hike the day we were there.  A lot of people were playing in the snow field that day.  It's definitely something to see and a nice hike in the refreshing outdoor air, too.  

blue flowers

On our way up to the Johnston Observatory that overlooks Mt. St. Helens we stopped at the Weyerhaeuser  museum and learned about how the company was instrumental in the re-forestation program in the area after the volcano eruption wiped out hundreds of acres of standing pine.  I noticed these patches of beautiful blue flowers growing near the building.  I couldn't resist snapping a few shots of the lovely blue plants.  Enjoy the colors!

Mt. St. Helens

It's amazing what beauty and destruction can be found in nature.  Take Mt. St. Helens in Washington for example.   On May 18, 1980 the volcano within the mountain blew away one side of the mountain and sent mud, trees and other debris down the Toutle River and created this mud flow plain.  Hundreds of acres of timber were blown over and the topography of the land was immensely changed.

Here is Mt. St. Helens thirty eight years later.  Forests were replanted and are now ready for harvest.  Wildlife has returned and flourishes and on a clear day the mountain looks at peace.  This photo was taken while visiting the Johnston Observatory.  Beautiful!  Just a reminder though...the mountain is only sleeping.   shhhhh

Multnomah Falls

I've been here several times before but it is always a pleasure to see the falls whenever I am driving along Interstate 84 in Oregon.  This visit was a little different, though.  The upper bridge was closed to the public because of falling rocks in the area.  Last year there were massive wild fires in the region and the burn area suffered a great loss of ground vegetation.  With the plant growth gone, the soil eroded away and the end result was falling rocks.  So, no upper bridge this time.  phooey!

bridge of the Gods

This is the bridge of the Gods.  It connects the states of Oregon and Washington as it crosses the Columbia River.  Here we go.

The nice part about this bridge is that it is made of steel and is wide open on the sides.  This provides for a great view of the river below as you move across the bridge.

first umc

This is where I went to church today.  The sanctuary is very contemporary in style with the upper walls composed mostly of windows.  The individual panes of glass are pastel colors.  There is a very light and airy feel to the interior of the sanctuary.  As you look forward you can see through the clear glass windows that overlook a very natural setting of flowers and greenery.

I got to church late.  I thought the service started at 11:00 a.m. but it actually started at 10:30 a.m. so I missed all of the choir singing and the scripture verses.  I did get there right before the sermon started so I was able to hear the message.  I enjoyed my half hour of church today.