Midsummer Drive with Good Fences

The fields are turning gold here on the plateau

near Mt. Rainier. 

Come along with me and we will take

a midsummer's drive through

the farmlands along the foothills

 of the Cascade Mountains here in Washington State. 

These horses look very happy in their beautiful pasture. 

Tall Douglas Fir reach for the sky. 

A new section of fencing lines the drive to this 

vintage farmhouse. 

Day lilies frame this beautiful entrance 

with stone walls and iron gate. 

These remind me of the beautiful spotted 

Tiger Lilies that seemed to grow at 

every farmhouse when I was a child

in New England. 

Along the roadways the wildflowers brighten 

the way. Here we see Fire weed, otherwise known

as Rose-Bay Willow Herb. 

These are called Fire weed here because

they often spring up across areas burned by wildfire. 

Some fields are full of daisies. 

These are so prolific that wildflower seed companies

cannot sell them to Washington State. 

Wild lilies grow alongside. 

Just give me wide open spaces.....

Remember the Dixie Chicks?

I loved that song. 

A neat fence borders a rustic barn. 

This barn with the rusty tin roof is used 

for country weddings. 

You can't see them very well, but the barn

is always planted with thick rows of 

seasonal flowers along the outside walls. 

There are two lovely cottages on the property

for the bride's and groom's families

and a long, winding road for horse drawn carriages.

I love to drive by and see the festivities. 

It's especially lovely at night with string lights

across the grounds.  

There is one major route that climbs the side

of the plateau from the valley below and

leads all the way to Mt. Rainier. 

When you get to the top of the hill, 

this is what you see. 

There is something about this little barnyard 

that makes me happy.

Maybe the big, full trees, or the golden fields. 

Assorted fences surround this farm. 

Pickets for the house and rails for the barn. 

A U-pick raspberry farm. 

Happy cows. 

Hello there! 

Time to head on home, 

past the yellow farmhouse

at the base of my little mountain. 

They raise specialty cattle here - 

small, black, with a large band of white

in the middle. 

Does anyone know what kind?

The road wraps around in a sharp turn

and a steep incline here. The hill 

prevents the sun from shining on the road

and in the winter it is terribly icy. 

Almost home - a dirt road at the end of civilization. 

The late afternoon sun lights up

 the field across from my gate. 

We have seen Elk, Deer, Cougar, and Bear here. 

Home sweet home as the setting sun

turns the hills to gold. 

Thank you for coming along with me, 

dear friends. 

I hope you enjoyed our midsummer drive! 

xoxo

Linking with: The Run-A-Round Ranch Report - Good Fences