7-21-10

SO LONG, VICTORIA

CASCADE MOUNTAINS

BROADLEAF LUPINES

WESTERN WALLFLOWER

BAD FOG OF LONELINESS

I LOVE SUNSHINE THIS MUCH

GARLIC'S GOT NUTHIN ON ME

SITTIN' HERE RESTING MY BONES

PROPER FOOTWEAR: CHECK

SKI PATROL

AVALANCHE LILY

You know that feeling you get when you have to wake up really early but you get worried that for some reason your alarm won't go off and so you'll miss whatever you're supposed to wake up early for? If you are familiar with this sensation, you know you sleep fitfully checking the clock every half hour praying you haven't overslept. When this happens, you almost don't even need the alarm, because you're already awake before it sounds. At 4:25am, we were rolling around in bed, waiting for 4:30 to arrive. We had to be on a 6:10 ferry departing Vancouver Island for Port Angeles, WA, which meant arriving at the port no later than 5:20. Final packing necessitated a few minutes and with the drive to the ferry taking 25 minutes, we slept horribly.

As east coasters, we are used to watching the sun rise over the Atlantic, and since we got to the west coast, it has been a treat to watch it set over the Pacific. It was a strange sensation watching the sun rise over water while riding back at the crack of dawn on the ferry back to our country tis of thee. Back on dry ground, we headed straight for Hurricane Ridge.

Said ridge in the Cascades was rumored to have wildflowers aplenty this time of year, and we thought we'd give it a gander. Some famous Washington government official was instrumental in spearheading an initiative to knock down thousands of trees, install a paved road to the top of the ridge, and make a flat asphalt path assuring that any old fat lazy American could experience the thrill of standing at the mountain's apex in order to revel in its high altitude vista. In addition to gorgeous wildflowers up here, like the broadleaf lupines, western wallflowers, avalanche lilies, scarlet paintbrushes, and the common yarrow, we also saw a winter wren flutter it wings, and witnessed a varying snowshoe hare, olympic chipmunk, and blacktail deer all scamper into the brush. We weren't quite prepared for the 20 foot high snowdrifts, but we managed even in beach shoes.

**In reference to a recent comment about feeling fit or flabby, due to work versus food, Aaron is slowly getting in the best shape of his life. Prime fitness level was during collegiate ultimate frisbee days for cardiovascular shape, but now, Aaron is probably the strongest he's ever been. The food hasn't increased his weight. Jen feels she is getting back to where she was with strength, but was at her prime in NY when doing yoga every day. In Alabama specifically, Jen felt she was eating too much starchy foods and not enough fresh produce, and that combined with not working hard because it was winter made her feel more flabby than fit. But she is now getting back to her desired strength because our summer diet is different and the workload is harder and more physically tolling.**