Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls
Whatever time you spend at the Columbia Gorge will not be enough; you will wish for more and plan future visits even as you are leaving.
According to the visitcolumbiarivergorge website, “Just taking a drive through the Columbia River Gorge is an experience in itself as you will be in awe of this spectacular geological wonder. The Columbia River is the second largest river in North America, starting in northern Idaho and southeastern British Columbia, and traveling over 1,200 miles to the ocean. Through millenniums of geologic events, waterfalls have found their home in the Columbia River Gorge. A visit to the area is not complete without a visit to the breathtaking waterfalls.”
And so it was that we headed south to the Gorge last week to celebrate my birthday. Our plan was to drive the scenic highway on the Oregon side (the best views and attractions are there) take in a few waterfalls and small towns, then cross over to Washington for a stay at Skamania Lodge near Stevenson.
Our first stop was at Vista House on Crown Point. Built in 1916, it offers spectacular views of the Gorge and is one of the most beautiful scenic points on the Historic Columbia River Highway.
I forgot to get a picture of Vista House but here’s how it looks from below. Look carefully at the top of the cliffs to the right and you’ll see the tiny knob 733 feet above. I took this as we were leaving the Gorge a couple days later, after the clouds had rolled in.
From there we continued on the old highway which as you can see, is charming in its own right.
We passed by many waterfalls the area is famous for,
until we reached the granddaddy of them all, Multnomah Falls.
Upper Falls can be seen from a distance, dropping 542 feet to the first pool below;
Lower Falls drops another 69 feet, making Multnomah Falls one of the tallest in the country at 611 feet.
After gazing at the falls for a suitable amount of time and taking too many pictures, we stopped by the gift shop for a souvenir and reminisced about our visit here almost 37 years ago on our honeymoon. (Awww.)
Then we fueled up on soft serve Ice cream and headed down the road to Hood River which I’ll save for later.
Stay tuned.
~ Susanne
Tiger by the Fire
It seems that summer packed up and left in a hurry this year, slamming the door on its way out.
A couple of weeks ago we had the most dramatic lightshow I’ve never seen in Seattle – heavy rain, thunder, and hundreds of lightning strikes – which seems to have kicked off the torrential downpours we’ve had ever since.
The cats are clearly puzzled by the change and are spending more and more of their time inside.
Tiger seems to have adjusted and has taken up residence by the fire.
I suppose we will too.
~ Susanne
Sunflower Fields Forever
You have Tulip Fields in April –
Lavender Fields in July –
And Sunflower Fields in September? Who knew?
I’ve loved the seeds since I was a kid. If I had a nickel in my pocket I’d stop at the store on my way home from school and buy a bag – in the shell of course. I enjoyed them all the way home, extracting the toasted seeds until my fingers and lips were shriveled by the salt – they’re still my favorite road trip snack!
But my appreciation of the flowers for their own sake has come late so I didn’t know there was a Sunflower Festival in Snohomish last weekend. And with heavy rains now upon us I thought it was too late to see them anywhere in abundance. But as luck would have it we had to go to Sequim today to purchase an E-bike (more on that in another post.) And while we were there we stopped at Purple Haze – my favorite lavender farm – and I found sunflowers everywhere tall and bright and cheerful – under mostly clear skies too!
So now I know.
Tulip Fields in April.
Lavender Fields in July.
Sunflower Fields in September.
~ Susanne
I traded in perfection for humility
Not exactly on purpose. It comes with age I think.
Take yesterday for instance. My birthday and happy news about Benji making it into the iCatCare Calendar – I the proud mom and photographer. So I did a quick celebratory post. Why not?
Then later I thought I’d share it to Facebook too. Only I hit the wrong button and reblogged it ( since deleted.)
So some of you likely got another email about the post which perhaps led you astray. Sorry about that.
During my working days I was a perfectionist – too much so I realize looking back.
So I seem to be letting that go. Again, not quite on purpose.
But it’s a fair exchange I think. For a little humility.
~ Susanne
Benji made the Calendar!
Happy September 13th to me and Benji. For indeed it is my birthday. And indeed Benji made the International Cat Care Calendar for 2020 – out of 1,500 entries but then who’s counting? He’s in the corner on my lap. 😻
– Susanne and Benji
Tossing and Turning all Night
Do you ever have one of those nights when you just can’t get to sleep?
You toss and turn looking for that perfect position
trying to get comfortable but nothing seems to work …
Until … finally!
Me too.
~ Susanne and Benji
From O the Joy! to Dismal Nitch
Dismal Nitch – could any place name be more apropos?
After a long and arduous journey across the North American continent, Lewis and Clark were finally nearing their destination, the Pacific Ocean. They had left St. Louis on May 14, 1804, and on November 7, 1805 William Clark had written in his journal, ‘Ocian in view – O the Joy!’ But they weren’t there yet and on November 10th a severe winter storm pinned them down in a cove that Clark called “that dismal little nitch”.
On November 12th he wrote, “It would be distressing to a feeling person to See our Situation at this time all wet and cold with our bedding also wet, in a Cove Scercely large enough to Contain us … canoes at the mercy of the waves and driftwood … robes & leather Clothes are rotten .. our Situation became Seriously dangerous…”
We stopped by Dismal Nitch on the north side of the Columbia River, and I pondered the name and plight of the great explorers.
So near their goal but day after day of waves and wind and rain.
Eventually the storm subsided and the Corps of Discovery moved on to Station Camp where they stayed for 10 days and explored the area. Then after taking an historic vote – where all participated including York the slave and the woman, Sacagawea – they agreed to cross the river to set up their winter camp where game was thought to be more plentiful. It would be called Fort Clatsop, for the Clatsop Indians who helped them there.
They still had a long and rainy winter to endure before their return trip but return they did, and continued to record their discoveries in their journals.
Is it too much to say that their journey can be a metaphor for life? We too have seasons full of Joy! but also know the occasional Dismal Nitch.
In any case, I never get tired of revisiting their story and the places they touched in the Pacific Northwest.
~ Susanne
Dreaming of the Road to Hana
We had a crazy electrical storm with lots of rain here Saturday night and this morning is gray and overcast. So it’s time to get away to tropical Paradise. You can come along too! 🙂
The Cool Colors of Summer
According to the calendar it’s still summer in the Great Northwest with fall arriving on the Autumnal Equinox, September 23rd. Meteorologists opt for September 1st which seems a bit early – I’d say it’s somewhere in between. Either way, I thought I’d share these cool colors of summer before the yellows and reds and oranges of fall take over.
These blues and greens are from my recent trip to Soos Creek Botanical Garden.
The bees are from my garden, where they are enjoying the last of the blooming mint.
~ Susanne
Benji and the Fair
Yesterday we headed south to Puyallup for our annual visit to the Washington State Fair, but not before this happened.
“Please Sue can I come too?”
“Sorry Benji no. The fair is for people.”
“Really Sue? No animals allowed at all?”
“Well, not exactly – there are lots of animals there.”
“Just no cats.”
“None?” he persisted.
“Well sometimes there are cats but they’re in cages.”
“Are you making this up?” he asked.
“No really Benji. Some cats let little girls put them in cages for all to see.”
“I wouldn’t like that Sue.”
“I know you wouldn’t Benji. And you wouldn’t like the noise either. Or the food.”
“Or people flying around.”
“Okay, okay Sue. I get it! You just go ahead and I’ll stay here and hold down the fort.”
And that is what we did.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 