~ Wordless Wednesday ~

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Goldendale, Washington – USA

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~ Coneflowers – In A Vase On Monday ~

 Echinacea and Rudbeckia create a riot of color along the border of my front yard. Though somewhat raggedy up close, they still bring a smile to my face!

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Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum,’ Echinacea pupurea ‘White Swan,’ Echinacea pupurea ‘Magnus’

The vase is a pottery pitcher displayed with four mugs, which my father sent home when he was stationed in Europe during WWII. Stamped ‘Made in Belgium,’ it is a precious heirloom.

To see other lovely displays of cut flowers, check out Cathy’s site  Rambling in the Garden

 

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~ Weekly Photo Challenge – Narrow ~

Washington State highway 14 eastbound — two lanes

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Slender fir trees tower over a tiny Pacific Ocean inlet

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On the trail to North Head Lighthouse, Cape Disappointment State Park, Washington USA.

Two way footpath through dunes to the Pacific Ocean

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Longbeach, Washington USA

If narrow leads me to expansive, vast wide open places, I can drive or walk that trail!

 Narrow

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~ Repost ~ Hillary is Hermione — rachelmankowitz

Sometime over the past few weeks, after the twentieth or twenty-first media expert complained about how careful and studied Hillary Clinton is, how she plans and researches everything, and she’s so boring compared to Trump’s constant impulsiveness, I started to think that Hillary is Hermione, from the Harry Potter books, all grown up. I […]

via Hillary is Hermione — rachelmankowitz

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~ Mac’s Landing ~ Deer Lake, WA ~

I don’t know why this post disappeared, but it is one I want my family to be able to see, so I am re-posting it. Sometimes these things just flummox me!

 

Last night we stayed in Newport, Washington where my family lived from 1950-55. Since I was very young, my recollections of Newport are few and far between. Our focus yesterday, Sunday was to visit…

Source: ~ Mac’s Landing ~ Deer Lake, WA ~

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~ Wordless Wednesday ~

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Priest Lake, Idaho

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~ In A Vase On Monday – Sunlit Stargazers ~

Our next-door-neighbor dropped by to wish us welcome home with two of her gorgeous stargazer lily blossoms. Carolyn, sweet as the flower, removed the pollen stamens to extend the life of the cut blossom.

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Lilium orientalis ‘Stargazer’ and Huechera (generic)

The ceramic vase was a gift from my wonderful niece, Lynn. I love how the lotus-like lines of the vase going up, harmonize with the shape and curves of the wide-open flowers.

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With the pond backdrop and sunlight casting shadows, this one is special!

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Thanks to Cathy, at  Rambling in the Garden to give me another way to get grounded back home!

 

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~ Wenatchee ~

It was difficult to leave Shady Pines Resort on Friday. We liked the cabin, the intimacy of the resort and I was pleased at how unspoiled the entire place remains.

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View of Shady Pines from Conconully Dam

On the road to Wenatchee, we drove into a thunderstorm with strong winds, occasional lightening flashes and rain mixed with hail.

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Okanogan

Driving into the Wenatchee Valley, we emerged from the storm, for which I was very grateful.

The main reason for visiting Wenatchee, was to spread ashes of my mother and father upon the graves of Mom’s parents, Charles (Bill) and Fannie Twitchell, as Dad had specifically requested. I did the same at the gravesite of my father’s brother, George.

I had no script, nor prepared prayer or quote, just the spirit moving within me, which was full of love, appreciation, tender thoughts and heartfelt thanksgiving for the life these precious people gave their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren  — the unbroken circle.

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From the cemetery we drove to the house my parents built at 310 Shady Lane, and where I lived in the formative years of grade school, age 6-12.

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Then we were on the road again, to Yakima for some time to reflect.

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~ Conconully by Canoe + WPC – Cherry On Top ~

Thursday afternoon, I rented a canoe and paddled Jello over to the 72 foot high (~21 m) earthen dam that created this reservoir. Constructed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1910-11, and reconstructed in 1969, the Conconully Dam is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

IMG_5854 View of the dam taken on my morning walk (7/21) from Shady Pines to Salmon Creek.

1,075 feet (328 m) long at its crest, the dam impounds Salmon Creek for flood control and irrigation storage. I remembered the creek valley on the other side and wanted to see it again.

Off-leash, Jello sniffed and romped as we walked along the crest.

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From the dam we cruised the north shore to the delta of Salmon Creek.

In the marsh I spotted a pair of Cedar Waxwings, while Belted Kingfishers scolded and dove for small fry, and Pintail Ducks scooted through the reeds and took flight.

As I came to the drop-off from the creek to the basin, memories of fun and adventure over 55 years ago, filled me with joy!

Though Scotch Thistle Onopordum acanthium, is an invasive weed, seeing one silhouetted upon Queen Anne’s lace Daucus carota, is my cherry on top!

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Cherry On Top

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~ Shady Pines Resort – Conconully, Washington ~

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When I was in grade school, my parents would bundle us kids into the pickup with camping gear and fishing boat, and drive from Wenatchee to ‘Harry’s Resort’ (now Shady Pines) on Conconully Reservoir, near Omak.

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My memories of those times are of fun with my family, fishing, exploring up the creek with my brother and sister, and looking for frogs and pollywogs along the shoreline.

 It is still a peaceful place; family oriented, quiet and small.

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