Rampart Ridge Trail

Nothing feels as good as hiking boots on my feet, backpack on my back and somewhere to go. Last Sunday, I met up with Darrol to hike the Rampart Ridge Trail in the Mt. Rainier National Park. It's one of Darrol's favorite hikes and I could see why.  A five mile loop with an elevation gain that won't make you feel like you are suffering for one and two - the view at the top is so peaceful on a clear sunny day.

 Because this park is so family friendly, I encourage you to arrive early to avoid the large crowds.

 I think this special tree decided to take up yoga and wanted to do the reverse pose Viparita Virabhadrasana

 This hike started in Longmire.

 Vista view point. Wouldn't hurt if that tree decided to fall down.

 Mr. Chipmunk aka timber tiger decided I was easy pickings for lunch. He enjoyed all of my leftover nuts.

 When in Longmire, start the loop going left so that when you descend you see this instead of having it to your back.

 When I left the park at 2pm, the line to get in at the Nisqually Entrance was super LONG! Note to self: Good job for waking up early! I will be back soon!

Trip to Rialto Beach and the pit stops along the way

I met Tajar and Sarah on meetup.com and we ventured out together to Rialto Beach from the Edmonds ferry dock at 10:30am. I have fond memories of Rialto Beach so the idea of going back there felt magical. We arrived in Kingston and headed for Hwy 101.

It was nice to have someone else drive so I could take in the scenery especially as we approached Lake Crescent. As we got closer to Sequim, we stopped off at one lavender farm.

We then drove a little further til we saw a sign that said Wildlife Lookout Point and pulled over for the panoramic view.

We left here with hungry stomachs and made our way to Granny's Cafe on Hwy 101 in Port Angeles.

Thumbs up for the bacon, cranberry, goat cheese spinach salad I ordered.

Next stop Lake Crescent for a very short hike to Marymere Falls.

Burnt out tree on the way. The hike was 1.8 miles through old growth forest. We crossed two bridges and came upon a trail staircase leading up to Marymere Falls.

Pretty cool tree to sit in on a hot summer day.

The trail takes you under the highway into this tunnel which made the best echoes. We made it back to the car excited to reach our destination. Rialto Beach was calling our names. 45 miles later the beach wind was on our face.

 I brought a plastic bag so I could pick up some drift wood and pretty rocks for future terrariums. After a little walking we decided a nap on the beach was called for.

Knarly piece of wood on the beach that I couldn't resist photographing. The beach can be so cold, so I came prepared with hiking boots, snowboard jacket and knitted cap! That is my kinda comfortable. Tajar and Sarah took off their shoes and got hit by fast incoming wave. Shrieks and screams followed!

We left the beach and drove back to Port Angeles for a Mexican dinner and a short drive to the Kingston ferry arriving back in Edmonds at 10:10pm. It was a long full day filled with good and funny memories. Well, one bad memory is Sarah got a speeding ticket right before Hood Canal Bridge as we were heading to Kingston. Beware of the speed trap right before the bridge. I had an hour drive south back to my apt. in Sumner putting me at 12:40am to bed. I was so exhausted, but even more excited that my alarm was going to go off in 5 hours and 10 minutes to hike Rampart Ridge Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park with another new friend.

Behind in times

Father's day passed and I told my dad he would get a card from me in a couple of months, ha! I just moved into a new apartment and have yet to craft, but it's on the to do list. Pics to come. I love my new place because my balcony overlooks a river and we have a large bunny population :)

Cards for MOM

Here's a share of some Mother's Day cards I made for this Sunday.

Life

This morning I woke up with the thought, "I have so much growth to achieve and I have so many creations to create." Made me smile just a little. Sometimes I would just love to have someone tell me the answers instead of making mistakes and learning from them. It's like reading the end of the novel first. I say that only because I read about this woman who does just that and I thought that's a little crazy, you ruin the element of surprise.

Homeless

With the house sold and all my belongings in a storage POD, I am offically homeless. Thankfully, my sister was kind enough to let me stay with her until I find a new place. I bring the total to 7 at her house! It is loud and crazy with two little ones aged 2 and 4.

One thing I find that I am missing from the sale of the house are the plants. The backyard was an empty slate and I put in a real pretty purple smoke bush and lime smoke bush. Hoping they don't get removed! The last plant I planted in the garden were several small euphorbias and this is the last image I will see of them. I hope they fare well.

Happy 93rd Birthday!

My grandpa turns the big 93 Saturday and I wanted to make sure I sent him this card before everything was all packed and loaded.
He is a storyteller. He stills drives. He loves to eat at the Pancake House or HiJoy Bowling Alley and they know him by name. He still operates his tractor and is part of the maintenance crew for the Knights of Pythias Cemetary. He is crafty!

Change is the air

It has been so long since I last posted. What have I been doing you say? Packing! Yep, that's right! I can't believe I am selling my house after only 3 years, but it feels right and it feels good. I can testify that it is a seller's market. I received 2 offers 4 days on the market.

I am so thankful to God for blessing me to buy this house.
Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
    enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
    along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.

It will be a sweet sadness leaving this place that Christopher and I invested so much energy into making it my heart's desire. There are still lots of things undone, but I can't believe how much change we put into this house.
New furnace, new main bath, new half bath, new laundry room, total makeover in the backyard- shed, garden beds, fire pit area, privacy screen and two arbors.

Adieu Auburn!

Autumn in January

Time is flying and this little girl is growing too fast. She is the spitting image of Linda.

 She loves to eat blueberries and her red haired doll

 Oh, and she's quite savy with an I-phone!