Monday, June 12, 2017

A Country Drive


Hello, Dear Friends, I hope that you had 
a wonderful weekend! 

I had a stressful end to my week - my 
two dogs, Whitey Bear and Kai 
got sprayed by a skunk! 
Oh, yes they did! 

I'll spare you the details, but to make a long 
story short, it was a very stinky affair,
involving skunk remover shampoo, 
baths on the deck under a patio umbrella
in the rain and the dark, 
and a lingering odor that is gradually dissipating, 
but none too soon.  

There was no harm done to the skunk :)

Sigh........Life in the country! 

I was only too happy to get away
 this weekend for a long country drive
to my little grandson's house, to cheer me up. 

So come along with me and we will enjoy the 
better side of country life - beautiful scenery! 


As you can see by the dramatic skies, we've had a 
bit of rain and cool weather, but on Saturday, the skies 
were starting to clear. 


The fields and roadsides were full of beautiful 
wildflowers. Buttercups, daisies, foxglove, wild phlox
and roses. 

Usually, 14,411 ft. Mt. Rainier looms over the landscape, but 
today it was hidden by clouds. 


There were happy cows in lush green fields,
 and farmers on their tractors.


Old farmhouses nestled among the rolling hills and fences. 

I love the very large flowering tree (mulberry?) in the fenced yard
and the purple flowering ground-cover on the sloped bank. 

Perhaps a favorite place for grandchildren to play :) 


Who wouldn't want to explore these lovely fields with a basket for wildflowers? 


An old gas-station on a once bustling corner, 
remains to tell its tale. 

You can barely see the old gas-pump peeking through
the weeds. 


And what is this mysterious object anchored 
in the middle of an overgrown field? 

Perhaps the remains of a basket-ball court at a long ago
home-site? 

Only the daisies are left to whisper of the secrets held here. 


As we leave the farmland, we enter the mountain forests, 
bisected by high electrical lines carpeted with yellow Scotch broom. 

As a child, along with adventurous friends, we would 
explore the wild places through these dangerous access points, 
where guardian angels hovered over us unawares. 

I think of some of these 'adventures' we had,
 oblivious to the risks taken through innocence and curiosity. 


Small mountain towns filled with charming cottages 
make us yearn for simpler times. 


The side entrance.....


A modern 'cottage' with an equally charming garden. 


On the way home we pass through a modern mountain village. 


This one with a pedestrian bridge
leading to shops, a hospital, movie theater, etc. 


The long road home......it is 90 minutes each way. 


We follow the setting sun as it illuminates the old 
wood mill. 

This is a lonely, isolated road that I would never take alone. 

There are miles and miles of forest and this mill
 in the middle of nowhere is particularly creepy. 


The lowered sun illuminates grasses along a small pond. 


As we enter the farmland, we see a faint rainbow 
in the distance. 


A very lucky horse. 


Shall we search for the pot of gold? 


Oh, no, it's in a cow field! 

You go first.......:)


It was a wonderful ride! 

Thanks for coming along, Dear Friends! 

xoxo

38 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the country roads and views. Spring is always so lovely for a drive...when it's not raining!

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  2. Driving through beautiful countryside is one of life's pleasures, isn't it. Your drive beholds many gorgeous vignettes, Karen. Such majestic countryside. Oh my, that little cottage with the garden and that divine front arch and gate...be still my beating heart. So very fortunate that Australia is free of the dreaded skunk. I can only imagine the putrid odor that lingers. Nothing like a country drive to put a smile in your day.

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  3. Love all these photos and the rainbow is just beautiful!! Many of these pictures would have a great story to tell! Have a wonderful week!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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  4. I'm catching up on blogs after a weekend away. What a lovely drive you took us on. The rainbow is beautiful. Rain freshens the landscape in so many ways, but it's nice to have some undiluted sunshine as well. Have a great week.

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  5. Great pics but not so great for the poor doggies that got sprayed. Poor babies. Nothing better then to end the day with a rainbow. Lovely.

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  6. Dear Karen, my sweet friend, thank you for another wonderful country drive! Love the skies, with big clouds and rainbows and red sunset ...
    Have a wonderful week, my dear friend, sending Love and hugs and blessings, Claudia xo

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  7. Brilliant photos full of atmosphere and weather. So glad the skunk was excluded! x

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  8. What a wonderful ride, the dramatic skies were a joy to behold! So sorry to hear about your dogs, not a good end to your week.

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  9. Hello, I enjoyed the lovely ride. Beautiful scenic views. The pretty is always a pretty sight to see. So sorry about the dogs and skunk, that must have been awful. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!

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  10. Fantastic skies and clouds, so idyllic and beautiful views <3 Thank you for sharing.

    Oh my, luvkily we don't have skunks in Finland! Wishing that the smell fades away quickly!

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  11. It is always nice to escape (especially escape that skunk scent!) and soak up the beauty of this wonderful land.

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  12. What a real treat it always is to go on these country drives with you.

    Thank you ~ FlowerLady

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  13. What a wonderful post, Karen!! I loved all of your photos. I pinned a few of them to my Pinterest boards. : ) Those cottages are wonderful as are the shots of the rainbow. Just beautiful!! Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. You are so blessed to live in such a beautiful part of our country. xo

    ~ Wendy
    http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

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  14. Oh Karen....everything is just simply magnificent!!

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  15. Oh gosh - what a trauma! What did the dogs think of being sprayed by a skunk? Our Crazy Poodle is in heaven when he's rolled in a smelly dead bird or something... Poor you. Still I enjoyed the drive with you afterwards which seemed a whole lot calmer.
    Hope you have a more peaceful and fragrant week!
    Wren x

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  16. Just gorgeous! I love long drives like that in the country. We took a ride from our village to an ice cream shop over the weekend that takes us down a long familiar road full of farmhouses, apple orchards, tractors and horses. I love that I can see all that within 10 minutes of my house and then all the rest of the way.

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  17. Oh no, your dogs got sprayed by a skunk! It sounds like you did all the right things to eliminate the odor. These clouds are so pretty on your drive. Oh, to see the cows in the pasture, what a delight. I was wondering if the old gas station is still open for business? What a charming cottage with all the different flowers in the front yard. The sun picture with the old wood mill is just beautiful. Karen, whenever you show pictures of your country drives, it always makes me long to take a drive in the country. I have been wanting to lately, so maybe soon. : ) What a wonderful post that is filled with so much countryside beauty.

    ~Sheri

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    Replies
    1. ps thank you for the rainbow today. It made my day. : )

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  18. Karen, I am so sorry to hear about the skunk episode. Poor things. (and you too!). I have not seen a skunk here yet (thankfully!). Your photographs are simply magical! I love looking at simpler times cottages. xo

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  19. OH my goodness Karen...these pics are gorgeous!
    And I bet they are from inside the car!
    I love doing this too....except when the windows are dirty! Hahaha!
    Love the rainbows ....and the barn.
    Enjoy your week....skunk free! One of our cats was sprayed once.....yuck!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  20. That white picket fence stopped me in my tracks Karen! I so want that house! Then we could be neighbors...sort of :)

    That must have been quite the adventure with the skunks! As you said...life in the country.


    xxx

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  21. We've both been spotting rainbows this week on opposites sides of the world - how lovely Karen! Race you to that gold!
    Wren x

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  22. ooooh karen, a drive through the countryside, this beautiful countryside, one of life's many simple pleasures. you have so many pretty barns, cottages, gardens and views - this drive would need to be a slow one!! the rainbow is stunning, something that always lifts the spirits and makes one smile!!

    we have skunks, they spray the house. usually after i have cleaned and refilled all the air freshers. it is a horrible smell - so sorry it happened to the puppies!!!

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  23. Sorry for that encounter with the skunk! Hope the pets are all smelling better now. Gorgeous photos!! It sure makes me thankful to the Lord that I have eyes that sees fine so I can see these lovely photos! The open skies, flowers, rainbows, peaceful horse and beautiful fields...all just beautiful! I let my imagination go when I see an abandoned building like this gas station. Thank you for the post! Blessings to you!

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  24. What a wonderful photos!
    I love to spend my time on the countryside! My aunt lives far away from big city and there is fresh air and a lot of green! I visit her for time to time :)
    Sorry about the skunk :( I can imagine how hard was to wash your dogs from the smell :(

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  25. Beautiful photos! It looks like a wonderful place to live and visit. Your poor dogs! I can imagine it would be quite stinky. I hope it worked and they smell better now!

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  26. Glad there was no harm done to the skunk, ha :)
    Beautiful photos indeed, and lovely landscape.Thanks for sharing and warm greetings!

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  27. I'm glad you were able to go for a drive after the skunk incident and I've enjoyed seeing the varied landscape and places you saw along the way; well-cared for homes and gardens, areas where vegetation has taken over, dense forests and interesting farmland, beautiful barns. It's always uplifting to see a rainbow.

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  28. The landscapes are a pretty sight. It makes the long trip a bit more enjoyable I think. Your poor dogs. Hopefully the smell won't linger long.
    xx Beca

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  29. You captured it beautifully all those treasured sights and I thank you so much for sharing it with us. Your poor dogs! I smell skunks a quarter of a mile away, I can only imagine the smell close up, goodness! I always heard tomato juice takes the smell out but when I told a friend she scoffed. She had tried that and it didn't work :) As for what we do as children, I was pool hopping along the coast with friends when the tide came in and blocked off our exit. We had to climb up a cliff face to make our escape. I shake my head at the memory. Now I can't stand heights.

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  30. Oh how I love these rides with you dearest Friend! The beautiful scenery creates peace in my soul. And those majestic skies are so gorgeous!

    So sorry about the skunk incident -the worst!! Ruby had a mishap a few summers ago. Definitely not fun! Lol Hope the smell is gone now. ;)

    Blessings on the rest of your week and weekend ahead. xoxo

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  31. Sorry about the skunk accident!

    I so enjoyed the beautiful ride with you and seeing the rainbow was most special.

    Take care...
    My good wishes

    All the best Jan

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  32. Wow, a lot of dramatic clouds, love the rainbow shoots, it is always fun to see it pop out! The gate and fence at the cottage looks so sweet. Such great evening pictures too, I always like the way the things look as the sun is getting ready to set. That is a long drive but looks like you have a nice variety of things to see :)

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  33. When my youngest son, Tim, drove into camp Wednesday evening he told us that he followed a skunk who was walking down the middle of the road for quite awhile. He said he kept a respectful distance and the skunk was not scared by the car so did not spray it. I was especially thankful because Tim was driving my car!
    So sorry for your furry friends mishap!
    Thanks for the lovely photos from your drive. Some of the clouds were magnificent, and the rainbow, and cottages, and mill and... 🤗😘

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  34. Thank you for enriching my soul with beauty and serenity of your magnificent countryside dear karen!

    driving through such lashing fields and surroundings deliver unforgettable peace to mind and soul and i am sure you had wonderful time while roaming there .

    hope your dogs are doing fine now .
    thanks again for outstanding virtual treat

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  35. Oh, poor doggies. The humiliation.
    Amalia
    xo

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  36. Perfect photos Karen. So beautiful. Those clouds are amazing. A part of the world I would love to explore. Hope those dogs of yours don't have anymore smelly adventures anytime soon. B x

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  37. Dearest Karen,
    Oh my what a stinky skunk encounter that was!
    Glad you managed to get a handle on it and indeed, your escape was perfect.
    On the 24th I had my check up with my nephrologist and I got a real depressing update. Both my kidneys functioned for 40% end of November and now only for 34%. It hit me really hard and I also worried because my right lower leg, ankle and foot was so swollen around the 11th of May. I rested for two days and biked some 11 miles with Pieter; next day it was swollen again. So Pieter told me to sit and have it elevated. So I did, left the house the house (tough to do...) and did lots of reading on the balcony with my legs up; literally. It totally went away with lots of rest. So I started cleaning again and doing my ironing and folding away of laundry. I'm almost caught up again! Having been depressed about it, I decided to shake it off and do the best I can by living a low sodium diet and eating healthy. More I cannot do than hoping the best. My Mom had almost 7 years of dialysis and lived close to being 91. IF I manage that too; don't know but each day is a gift!
    We got a male part added to our Nissan Murano so now we can again have the bike rack on and go for a bike ride in the more flat areas. Love doing that together with Pieter. We had heavy rain for days but yesterday and today we could ride.
    Wednesday I was worn out as I had cleaned our office really thoroughly and removed the old desk (more like a juvenile desk, not my right size!) after 7 years as the new one from Italy would finally come in. The ergonomics of this one are just perfect and I couldn't have been more happy with it.
    It would be delivered by 16:00 o'clock but instead it came at 10:50 right before I needed to see my dermatologist. That's why I have no photo taken of it in the crate as I had to run for my 11:00 appointment for which I was late already. But Pieter worked with the crate and build handles by fastening it with screws. He did not want to lift the 176 lbs of glass out of fear by damaging it. This worked perfect with the help of two strong Mexicans. We gifted them the old desk, so it got a good purpose and they got paid well; all were happy!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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