I was never really gone but it certainly seems my Summer was long and, I have to admit, filled with ennui. Between a virus that hit me hard and frequent trips into work on the weekends, I never felt greatly inspired for blogging. Fires late in the Summer kept me home from so many of my favorite areas. I did some fun stuff and I visited an amazing place I will tell you about later.
It seemed that Summer would never arrive and rain persistently kept me from my favorite areas. I even got turned back by snow in early June. I had some nice visits to Eastern Washington and one of my favorite encounters was with this Great Horned Owl nest.
I paid a quick visit to my favorite hike to Red Top, but was turned back by snow. I stopped at the little abandoned cabin to check on an orchid I know blooms there and encountered this feral peony bloom with a butterfly, perfect timing.
Late in June I left for a vacation to England and Madeira. On Madeira I hiked from hotel to hotel using a Sherpa service to transport my bags. This method of travel is quite popular in Europe and I am aiming for another trip next Summer.
I was in London for the solstice.
Madeira is remarkable for its rugged volcanic mountains. I will certainly return to hike in this area. I fell ill a few days into my visit and did not feel up to the 20Km hike along the spine of the island. At ~ 6000 feet, I didn't feel totally confident I could easily and safely cover the distance. I contented myself with spending the day at the hotel enjoying the view and drinking tea.
My neighbor and I had a trip rock hounding. Augite crystals are found no other place in Washington but this one location. It was a blazing hot day and we were introduced to several methods of finding rocks.
One new activity that I have really embraced is Mud Racing, or MOB events; Mud Obstacles and Beer. Warrior Dash is one of the larger events but I am finding smaller events sponsored by local community groups to be just as much fun. I did eight events this summer and look forward to the next one. I braved the North Bend Warrior Dash along with some co-workers.
I had two nice hikes, both of which involved trains. Lester is a ghost town in the Cascades that served as a railroad stop back in the day. For a long time I have wanted to hike up the abandoned road to pay a visit.
A second hike took me to the Iron Goat trail. I need to go back as my visit was highlighted by a fall that broke my camera. This Pika was the final subject for my Olympus.
My friend Ron suggested a few cameras for me and I was instantly in love with the Nikon Coolpix 510. I have been out and about snapping pictures for my projects. I was able to capture the August Blue Moon
This fearsome Isopod on International Rock Flipping Day
A handsome rooster at the Evergreen State Fair.
The stretch of 80+ sunny days was finally broken last weekend with rain. I feel all is right with the world now. I even see a hit of new snow on some of the higher mountains today. I ran out to Snoqualmie Falls on Sunday and got this pictures of the clouds for my Scavenger Hunt.
and Kubota Gardens for the Fall color in the rain
I will probably be heading to the beach soon. I saw a kite there that I cannot get out of my mind. My little place in Neah Bay, Bullman Beach, is not going to be open in the winter this year, so I am looking for a little snuggery for the holiday week.
So that's about everything. I will try to do some stories on Madeira soon. It is a lot like here, only different.
