Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Road Trip to Leavenworth
A couple of sunny fall days in the forecast so we packed our bags for an overnight trip to Leavenworth. I had to remove the stowaway who was hoping to tag along. (Sorry Benji, you wouldn’t like the car ride.)
The sun was shining and the road was bare as we headed northeast on Highway 2, surrounded by mountains and rivers, all lit up with fall color.
We stopped for pictures of Mt Index and were reminded to be on the alert for Bigfoot who is known to frequent the area. (We didn’t see him.)
We continued over Stevens Pass, until we ended up alongside the Wenatchee River, beautiful Tumwater Canyon and finally Leavenworth.
Leavenworth was once a dying logging town but reinvented itself as a Bavarian Village in the nineteen sixties. It’s now a popular travel destination with charming shops, restaurants and festivals.
After settling into our hotel, we went out for lunch and some shopping. Not surprisingly I was able to find a few things to buy, before walking down to Waterfront Park where the Wenatchee River flows through town.
Hard to believe all this beauty happened on day one. On day two, we traveled to nearby Icicle Creek and the trailhead to the Enchantments, a famous backpack into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. We also stopped by Wenatchee to visit the Market and take a walk along the mighty Columbia. Too many pictures and more story to tell, so I will save that for my next post.
Until then,
~ Susanne
Nolte State Park in Color
There’s never a bad time to visit Nolte State Park. We’ve made the drive south many times to get away from the city, breathe in fresh air and walk the trail through the forest around lovely Deep Lake. We were there in January when the only colors were green and brown and the lake was frozen over.
And again in the spring when the trees were waking up in chartreuse on a rainy day in May.
But today under sunshine and clear skies, the fall version of the Park was something new and wonderful to us as brilliant colors mingled with the evergreens and reflected in the lake.
I guess you could say fall is my new favorite time to visit Nolte.
Till next time,
~ Susanne
Sunset Glow
For this week’s photo challenge I bring to you a sunset over the Strait of Juan de Fuca from a recent cruise to Alaska.
A Walk in the Rain at Soos Creek Botanical Garden
Our first storm of the fall season was supposed to land today, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds up to forty miles an hour. It still may. But this morning I decided to brave what looked like ordinary rain and headed to Soos Creek Botanical Garden for a walk.
I’m so glad I did. It was exquisite.
~ Susanne
Benji on Boxes
“Hi Benji. I see you found the box from my new shoes. What is it about cats and boxes? What compels you to get into an empty box?”
“Well Sue, it’s like this. Once we get into a box, a nap is immediately forthcoming. Works everytime. In fact I’m getting sleepy already.”
“Could you turn out the lights on your way out?”
“Sure Benji.”
~ Susanne and Benji
Colors of Coulon
I finally made it to Gene Coulon Park today to see the display of fall color under sunshine and clear skies.
Just in time. Rain and wind forecasted for the rest of the week.
~ Susanne
Cat in the Bag
Look who I found in the closet.
Benji. Cute, isn’t he?
~ Susanne
Benji and Tiger, Brothers
I don’t know exactly how or when it happened, but I do know that these two boys, rescued from previous lives that left them uncertain and scarred (within or without), crossed over from merely tolerating each other to real brotherhood.
I only know they did.
~ Susanne, Tiger and Benji
Football Magic
I suppose I should have been watching the game. After all, that’s why we had ventured out on a cold and rainy afternoon.
We had bundled up in rain gear, and as we pulled out of the driveway I texted this to my step-daughter, just in case. “Hi! We’re coming to the game. Do they ever cancel due to weather?” The reply, “Unfortunately not. We will see you there.” Haha. This ain’t baseball!
As we drove the thirty minutes south to the school, the weather improved slightly and by the time we arrived it had stopped raining. Still, everything was wet and the outdoor bleachers had no cover. We wiped down a spot on the top row and put down the blanket we had brought for cushion. We settled in for the duration, 4 quarters, 8 minutes each.
Our team scored first on the kickoff return. Six points. It was all they would score.
Okay so I’m not that much of a football fan. And I began to notice the lovely fall colors and how the purple uniforms (our team) blended into the scene; and the red track circling the field made a nice accent.
Periodically the heavens opened and our big umbrella was our refuge. Exposed parts of the blanket became soggy. Then as the sun was setting, this rainbow appeared over the field.
When it engulfed the tree I couldn’t tell you what the score was or who had the ball.
Too bad I only had my phone with me. This scene deserved a real camera.
By the second half the sun was down and I began to pay proper attention to the game, only to realize we were watching a rout. But the rainbow is what I will remember.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 