Saturday, June 12, 2021

A June Country Drive


Hello, Dear Friends, now that our little corner of the world

 is beginning to return to normal, 

we feel more comfortable in venturing out for some relaxing

country drives. 

So come along with me as Ramblin' Man and I take to roads less traveled,

here along the foothills of the Cascade mountains in Washington State.  


Our spring and early summer have abundant rainfall and mild temperatures, 

turning everything lush and green. 



"Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all

come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature.

- Steve Maraboli -



Mt. Rainier supervises an early hay harvest. 

xx

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap

but by the seeds you plant."

- Robert Louis Stevenson -



We turn in to a picnic area for lunch, along the same creek 
that runs at the base of our little mountain a few miles upstream.

This is a salmon stream that originates in the Cascades near Mt. Rainier. 
On quiet evenings when the water is high after snowmelt or storms,
 the rushing water sounds eerily like 
phantom voices from some far-off crowd.

A conference of water and nature spirits telling their tales? 



 This vintage railway bridge is now part of the Rails to Trails Conservancy 
The goal, locally, is to have a trail that goes all the way from Puget Sound to Mt. Rainier. 
Years of dedication have brought it up this far. 


The old roadway bridge. 


It's lovely to sit and listen to the gentle gurgling, singing birds, 
and fresh, springtime breezes whispering through the trees. 

"The earth has music for those who listen."
- William Shakespeare -





I try to imagine what secrets these ancient trees hold. 


Purple dead-nettle - a wild mint. 


We had the grounds all to ourselves except for the occasional 
dog-walker. 
xx

"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is
more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug."

- Helen Keller -


How Green was my Valley. ( The title of one of my favorite books)


It's always a little disconcerting to come around 
the corner and meet up with one of these. 
We live in a logging community. 



Buttercup 
xx



"If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere."

- Laura Ingalls Wilder -


White Hawthorn grows wild here, spread by birds who love the red berries 
that form after flowering. 

Wetlands, still sporting dried grasses and reeds.

  Red-tinged leaf buds on tall black cottonwood. 

If you take a right-hand turn before the first hill and follow it up two miles, 
you will come to our mountain home. 

But we are not ready to go home quite yet, so let's continue on!

xx 

"Going to the mountains is like going home."

- John Muir -



We pass century-old cottages as we drive through town. 



Ancient Kwanzan cherry trees blanket the ground with petals. 




The historic school has been restored to serve as administration offices. 
My children attended this school district and now three of my grandchildren
will attend, also. 


We briefly take the two-lane mountain highway that runs through town
and are passed by at least 100 motorcycles! 
A scenic drive, but rain-showers obscure mountain views. 


This old farm has been abandoned for as long as I can remember. 
It has such wonderful patina. 


Mt. Rainier is hidden behind the clouds here. 


"I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery - air, mountains,
trees, people. I thought, 'This is what it is to be happy.'

- Sylvia Plath - 


We drive through a sudden squall. 
The weather is so fickle this time of year. 
One minute it is raining and gray, the next, the sun is shining. 


But with the rain, there are sometimes rainbows :)


The 'traffic' along the back roads. 


The 'locals'. 



And if you need a place to stay...
xx






Some lovely and well-maintained rural properties. 

If you could bottle peacefulness, this would be it. 


Several modes of transportation intersect right here. 


I think we've all felt like birds on a wire this year, holding on 
through stormy skies. 
xx

" Use what talents you possess: the woods would be 
very silent if no birds sang there except those 
that sang best."

- Henry van Dyke -


Clearing skies as the sun starts to set. 


The winds of change are always blowing. 



"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads."

- Henry David Thoreau - 


The end of a lovely day. 

I hope that you enjoyed coming along on our country drive, Dear Friends. 



Wishing you sweet dreams.

xoxo


" We don't inherit the earth from our ancestors, we 
borrow it from our children."

Native American Proverb









24 comments:

  1. Hello Karen,
    I enjoyed going on this ride with you, so many beautiful scenes and quotes. Love the views of Mt. Rainier. I always enjoy the countryside and farm land, it is peaceful looking out the car window and seeing the cows and horses out on the fields. The blossoming trees are gorgeous, pretty capture of the rainbow. Love the proverb about borrowing the earth from our children. Your post and photos are just lovely. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your weekend! PS, thank you for the comment and visit to my blog.

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  2. I loved riding with you too and find beauty in nature everywhere I look. I love that quote. It's nice to be able to get out more! Take care!

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  3. Awesome scenes from your trip, beautifully captured!

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  4. ...a drive in the country is one of my favorite things to do and you have a beautiful stretch of country to drive through. Thanks for taking my along for the drive.

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  5. love the photos, love a cow so buttercup is my fave. Then the bike crossing RR tracks has a lovely composition. So many of these would be good to paint, Karen. Nice nice work

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  6. Wonderful photos of beautiful country.. thanks for taking us along Love the quotes…I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend

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  7. Lots of beautiful scenes to enjoy. Great photos and I love the quotes under the photos. Thank you for sharing this beautiful ride through the country with us.

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  8. What a wonderful roadtrip! Love every picture!! Great scenes and beautiful nature...
    LOVE from Titti

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  9. so beautiful, green and fresh. It's interesting to see the differences in the buildings and vehicles from over here. Lovely photos especially those rainbows and sunsets. x

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  10. "If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere." i really enjoyed that quote!!

    sweet little cottages, great trees and skies that really warm the heart!! those landscapes sure do feel peaceful!!

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  11. Dearest Karen, your photographs have refreshed my soul. Such beauty! I can imagine how nurturing your drive and picnic was. Those cottages are adorable! Fluffy Bottom - such a funny name! xo

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  12. Karen, I just loved so much about your post, I don't know where to begin. Can you send us some of your rain? We haven't got hardly any this year, and it's much needed. So glad to hear you got an abundance. Your creek is nice, and the railway bridge looks so old, but sturdy. It reminded me of our creek that's nearby that I often visit, but yours is a little wider. I loved seeing the trees! Their roots looks so gnarly and old. The quote, 'a lush carpet of pine needles' really spoke to me, as my yard is filled with pine needles. My brother said he would put in lawn if I wanted, but the water intake would be way too much, as I'm on a big corner lot. And I'm starting to like the woodsy look. Seeing the logging trucks made me smile, as I see them all the time on this main mountain road. Now, as much as I love the woods, your photo of the ground covered in Pink blossoms at the cottage house was beautiful. I wish you would frame that. And the Laura Ingalls Wilder quote reminded me of YOU!... as you appreciate nature and seem to find beauty wherever you go. Thanks for taking me along, Karen. It was a wonderful drive.

    ~Sheri

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  13. Such a lovely post Karen, full of great photographs.
    I certainly did enjoy my country drive with you, thank you.

    All the best Jan

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  14. dear Karen oh my i still feel under spell of this natural beauty you passed through !

    thank you so much for the bottom of my heart and soul specially for taking along to this magical drive :)
    it was absolutely refreshing experience ,i always said you live in heavens but real heaven is inside you who lets you enjoy weather and views with such deep peacefulness and fullness :) this is rare and special gift for hearts who can keep their inner innocence safe from worldly pollution !
    each scene you captured reveals how lush and serene your place is :) simply breathtaking!!!!!!!!!!
    i want to thank for quotes that added more meaning and depth to this trip :)
    yes this is only us who have freedom to create our heaven or hell ,we take what we have inside and flourish or destroy our world with it so simple is formula for this .
    more blessings to you and loved ones!

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  15. Stunning landscapes,gorgeous houses and fabulous skies!Blessings.

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  16. I enjoyed coming along for a drive, such great views. I have a feeling that the music was good as well.
    Amalia
    xo

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  17. Thank you for this meander through a peaceful countryside. It has been one of our pastimes to putter along back roads and explore small villages. The only expense is the gas--and maybe a stop for ice cream.

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  18. Karen, I loved this …thanks for inviting us along …I enjoyed your descriptions which were as perfect as the well-chosen quotes …and your beautiful photos! You live in such a scenic area! It really is nice to be working our way back to normal isn’t it!

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  19. Hi Karen!
    You live in such an incredibly beautiful area! I love all you post here and that I can tell how much you treasure where you live. Gorgeous photos! It's so wonderful to have the world feel much more normal again, isn't it? I've been loving less mask wearing and just the feeling of things being better. Even a couple family reunions planned this summer. Thank God for vaccines. Blessings to you and your family 🙏 Happy summer! ☀️ ❤️

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  20. So nice that it is nice and green there and you are getting plenty of water, hearing such terrible stories of those without the rain. Love the cherry petals still on the ground :)
    Beautiful sunsets, a great start to summer :)

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  21. What a wonderful drive for sure. I use to visit Mt Rainier when visiting my kids and grandboys south of Portland
    My son said horrible hot 113 temperatures now which I know is very uncommon for north west coast.
    I live in Missouri ans we have had rain everyday for about 2 weeks now

    Janice

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  22. Wonderful pictures Karen.

    Hugs Diane

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  23. Karen, oh to drive through your beautiful countryside and your lovely town, and drink in the wonder of nature and the fabulous architecture...such bliss! Glorious photos of your little piece of heaven! Loved each magical quote, too. Xx

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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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