Pia Mission Cemetery

A friend recommended a Sunday drive destination for Hubby and I. She suggested Pia Mission Cemetery (Pia – pious or devout). The Catholic mission is a very scenic and easy drive from our home, and I have no idea how we had never heard of it in the many years that we have lived here.

I cannot find any history of this mission when surfing the internet, nor is there a landmark sign with any information.

* Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!

Two of the Stations of the Cross:

The walls and ceiling are completely covered with stamped tin:

Find A Grave calls this cemetery Little Mission Cemetery.

It is also known as the Kelly Hill Indian Cemetery, and is cared for by the families of those interred here.

Chief James Bernard of the Lakes Band Colville Confederated Tribes.

Chief Andre Aurapahkin also of the Lakes Band of the Colville Confederated Tribes.

We were impressed by the patriotism represented here; there are many veterans.

And we wonder what stories this woman could share!:

Stay healthy.

Stay safe.

Keep smiling.

See the world around you!

Saltar’s Point Park

We had a beautiful afternoon on the last day of our visit with our son and his family, so they took Hubby and I to Salter’s Point Park to enjoy the beach.

I loved it all…the sun, the ocean, the smells, the sounds, the colors, the textures, the critters, the train and the family time!

* Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!

“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” -Isaac Newton

“To find a seashell is to discover a world of imagination.” -Michelle Held

“Don’t let the waves of others drown out your own ocean song. Hold your heart as though it was a seashell. And listen to it. Listen to its music. To the whispers of your ocean within. And then swim.” -S. C. Lourie

“Can I be as serene and simple as this bleached shell, rubbed smooth by wind and water, receiving and releasing, filling and emptying and filling again, eternally receptive to the currents of life?” -Katrina Kenison

“A beach is not only a sweep of sand, but shells of sea creatures, the sea glass, the seaweed, the incongruous objects washed up by the ocean.” -Henry Grunwald

Thanks Fam!

Stay healthy.

Stay safe.

Keep smiling.

See the world around you!

Steptoe Butte and Steptoe Battlefield

Hubby and I took a road trip and visited Steptoe Butte State Park. This 3,612-foot butte is a wonderful place to visit and view the surrounding Palouse (a major fertile agricultural area; the most important lentil growing region in the USA). The steptoes, or hills, are formed from lava flows.

*Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!

The butte is named after Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe.

Steptoe Butte is a popular area for hang gliders, kite flying, paragliders, model airplane fliers and sight seers.

From a photographer’s point of view, the best times to visit are sunrise and sunset, but the views are spectacular at any time of the day or season.

Nearby, one can also visit Steptoe Battlefield…a sober reminder of the Battle of Pine Creek, where a conflict between  US Army forces under Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe and members of the Coeur d’Alene, Palouse and Spokane Native American tribes took place.

The land did not look so pastoral then. It was not farmed; it was scrubland and native grasses.

Because of the many hills, it was also a difficult land in which to fight battles.

The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude. -Jeff Miller

*I am in no way condoning any conflicts with anyone, only commemorating every veteran’s loss of life in the performance of his/her duty.

God bless the veterans!

Douglas Falls

Many of you know that I am taking a photography class.

Hubby and I took a drive to one of our favorite places, so that I could practice and catch up on homework.  We drove to nearby Douglas Falls Grange Park State Park.

My daughter, daughter-in-law, and niece are all beautiful girls interested in photography (and are becoming excellent photographers) and wanted to see what I was working on.

So this post is for them.

I was working on photographing water with different shutter speeds.  Here are the results:

*Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!

See the world around you!

Stay healthy!  Stay safe! 

Mt. Rainier Vacation

I had a vacation from work, so Hubby and I packed up and visited the kids.  I got a much needed family fix!

We also went to one of our favorite places to spend a vacation…Mt. Rainier.  You can see a few photos from previous trips by clicking here and here.

This time, I am going to share a lot of photos, so this will be a picture heavy post.  In fact, the next couple of blog posts will be picture heavy.   My good camera bit the dust some time ago, and has never been replaced, but the pocket camera does a decent job.

There is no internet/cell service at Mt. Rainier, but visiting in October is well worth the disconnect from the rest of the world!

• Clicking on a photo will give a larger view.

In the past, Hubby and I have camped with a tent, but on this trip we stayed at the lodge in Longmire.

The mountain was out!  This is the view when standing in front of the lodge.  As you can see, the weather was great!

We drove up to Paradise and spent time hiking up there.  One can spend days at Paradise as there are several trails to choose from.

Yours Truly hiking at Paradise.

Myrtle Falls

The weather is quite changeable.  A snowstorm breezed through on the mountain while we were hiking. 

Yes, the mornings were quite cool, but the fall color and majesty of the park are well worth the visit!