We spent 10 days on the road– more or less. I got so buy at Fiber Fusion that I totally forgot to take any pictures while at the festival, but it was fun, interesting and even slightly profitable. I had three very nice  ladies in my class and they all caught onto and seemed to enjoy the weaving and went away with at least one finished wash cloth.  We did a 2nd one using the kitchen cotton and a type of scrubby. I had acrylic, cotton and a fuzzy sparkly one to choose from.

After the show we left, avoiding the freeways, and wandered though the forests of Washington in vaguely the direction we thought we wanted to go. Randy says that while he might not always know where he is, he is never lost, and sure enough, we eventually came out just where he wanted to be!

That was into the Cascade Mountain Nat’l Park. The Cascades are the youngest mountains in the US and are high rugged craggy peaks. Very scenic and steep, prone to rock slides, the signs warn. There are large lakes and rivers, of course. Washington state builds lots of dams for power generation. One of the major exports, it appears, but in at least one occasion, they had totally stopped the river from flowing past the dam, a practice I, and I am sure others, disapprove.

But it is very scenic. We spent a cold night in the parking lot of a closed Nat’l park with 3 other rv’s and a half dozen tent campers. There were Lot so rv’s from pick-up’s to giant pushers & the tenters, so I really don’t know why the park system thinks tourist season is over on labor day! Anyway, I was glad I had my heavy wool quilt with me! If you were at the last two events we were at you saw that one on the table.

But we really enjoyed the trip through the park tho he would have liked to have gotten off the ‘beaten track’. It appears that there is no ‘off’ there unless you go hiking which he’d love to do but we did not have time for that and it’s not a great time of the year for hiking there, anyway, with the weather looking iffy. But here are some pictures. Well, the pictures are at scattered but you’ll find them here somewhere! I don’t seem to be able to get along with this “new” editor but am not going to try to ‘fix’ it now as I’ll just make it worse I’m sure! But I’ll try to add some here.

After we left the park we went into Apply Valley. Apples of several types, lots of cherries, these were covered with nets as they ripen to keep away birds. There were also grape vineyards, they seem to be the purple kinds and further down the valley they grow hops. This is a rocky canyon and the orchards and vineyards were tucked into all sorts of spots where there was enough dirt to grow them. Beautiful colors in the orchards and the wild trees. Dams along the Columbia river, too, with their power plants.

the red trees are cherries

A little maple at the power plant campground

Colors & orchards across the river.

A couple hang gliders leaped from the hills across the way

Stella watching the neighbors boxers.

This one is for Ron! As close as I got.

Vineyard tucked in to a cliff space.

Apple picking.

Not sure what they are growing but it’s very neatly organized.

There were acres and acres of hops rames, the hops have finsihed for this year, tho.

I wanted to add this one but missed it. It’s the netting that overs the cherries in their primes, all neatly rolled up waiting for the next crop.

So then we headed up  hill. Some 2000′ of elevation in 6 miles of curving road and we were on the Palouse, the top of the World up there. Mostly Geology and wheat fields here.

The Palouse

Home on the prairie

Dry Falls

Campground below Dry Falls

Storm! We got rained on.

The trees were lovely!

A wind farm.

When we see Shasta we know we are home again.