A Walk in His Gardens--spring & summer style

Sorry, but it was bound to happen--I completely forgot, neglected to do and/or procrastinated on posting last week's 'Walks in His Garden'. Yep, it's true - I am actually admitting to imperfection and it doesn't feel too bad. Well maybe just a little bad--after all I've been a perfectionist for a long time. But I am working on changing that:)

However, I did walk, drive and take photos of my adventures in His Gardens last week-but you'll have to take my word on it for now. Why? Well for one thing I do try to be honest and for another the 'proof' is still on my camera awaiting transfer to my new external hard drive. The good news is that this GREAT transfer will (hopefully) happen soon. You see I have incentive because on that very same camera are amazing photos of one of my most wondrous grandchildren:) And I LOVE grandchildren photos!!

That being said, I am still working up my courage to do the BIG transfer because I have not worked with this type of hard drive before. I did make a big step today though; I actually unwrapped the plastic which encloses the box that the drive came in. Brave, huh?

So for this week, I'll try something different for the 'walk'. Something a little quirky but not too much so. Something done to honor all the groundhogs who voted for early spring and to protest Phil's forecast this year for 6 (well now less) more weeks of winter.

Now I know you're all saying--what is she talking about? You mean Phil of Groundhog Day (and Pennsylvania) fame is not the only one of his kind who has the ability to "forecast" the end of winter? Nope!

Surprised? Yep it's true--what we never hear is that there are more "Phil's" and that some of his kind actually disagreed with his gloomy forecast this year. So in honor of Queen Charlotte, General Beauregard Lee, French Creek Freddie, Malverne Mel, Staten Island Chuck, Dunkirk Dave; and just because these last few weeks I see some signs of spring too -- I present, for your viewing pleasure, spring & summer in God's gardens of the NW.

Each spring you see fields of colorful tulips and other bulbs in the NW. This photo was taken in the rural fields of Marion County, Oregon. To the east of this field stand the gorgeous Cascades; to the west the coast range.

Further to the south and much closer to those Cascade mountains are the towns of Sweet Home and Foster. They're located on one of the highways that cross the Cascades to Central Oregon. This is Foster Lake.

North of the Columbia River in NW Washington is the beautiful, wild and totally scenic Olympic Peninsula. There you will find rain forests, Hurricane Ridge and the Olympic Mountains, the Juan de Fuca-which separates the peninsula from Canada (Vancouver Island) and many, many other amazing sights. And there, even though you won't see it, is part of my heart. You see I have a habit of leaving a little bit of my heart in places like the Olympic Peninsula. But back to the photo--this was taken on the way to Port Angeles, probably in the Dungeness Bay 'area' of Sequim.

This is the Lady Washington, of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, in 2002. She was in the Wooden Boat shipyard of Pt Townsend. I have loved her ever since and I am not alone in my affection for the Lady. I know she isn't one of God's Gardens, but the men who made her are His handiwork, the wood that she is built from is of His making and from His Gardens, and the oceans she sails on are His creation too.

Long may you sail, my Lady!

Finally, back to God's gardens--the Blue Mountains of NE Oregon. I have loved this area since my teen years--I still do:) This area gets a lot of snow and very cold. To get here from the western part of the NW you also need to travel up the very famous Cabbage Hill--well known for its very interesting road grade. But the photos of that will have to wait for another day:)

" And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:12 KJV

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22 KJV

Blessings, Aimee
Photos: as described above:)