My blog hit 100,000 hits and I didn’t even notice! I looked at my sidebar just now and saw that it’s at 101,762 hits! Thanks to everyone who actually reads it and comments!

I promise I will find the time to post more regularly.

Folklife Festival 2011

Seattle Center

I went to Folklife this year with my 19 year old daughter.  The weather was perfect and we had a really great time enjoying the music and the people. People watching is one of my favorite activities and there were all kinds at Folklife this year. Some very talented ones, and some in need of a good bath.

My favorite part of the day was definitely the Rhythm Tent. All different types of people were participating in a drum circle, and what started with a few charismatic people jumping around in the middle turned into a dancing love fest of about 25 people thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Video footage of the drum circle below. The climactic finish is at the end of the video.

Even though the drummers were just random people who simply grabbed a drum or rhythm instrument and joined the circle, they all sounded really good together. 

“Legalize marijuana”

Along with all of the entertainment and great food, there was definitely a theme. Legalize marijuana signs were everywhere and so were the people smoking it.

This man was standing right by us, and to the left of him were 2 police officers. They didn’t seem notice what he was smoking, and if they did they certainly didn’t do anything about it.

There they are.

This guy was speed sketching. Looked like scribble to me, but I’m sure someone appreciated it.

LOTS of washboard musicians.

Even the kids were working the crowds.

To my surprise, the largest group gathered at Folklife was the square dancers in the Fisher Pavilion. There were hundreds of people square dancing and having the time of their lives.

I never knew square dancing was this popular!

Just a small snippet of the square dancers.

A tarot reader on his laptop. Made me laugh. My sister joked and said “he’s probably on learn tarot.com“

The food was amazing, as always.

There were lots of juggling troupes. This one was my favorite. “The Juggling Jollies”.

All kidding aside,  I think what I love most about Folklife is that free feeling you have as you walk around,  combined with the idea that anything goes. My life as a Mom of 4 kids, a wife, and a member of the community has its limitations. My life is scheduled, polite and politically correct, most of the time.  Folklife gives you the opportunity to accept anything and think with a more open mind. I think it gives me a chance to release my ”inner hippie”. J  Can’t wait ’till next year!

Spring 2011 

Slow exposure photography taken from the Jose Rizal Bridge in south Seattle near I9o.

 I have wanted to try this for a long time after reading up on this particular bridge

 which is well known for slow exposure Seattle shots. When I arrived there were

3 other photographers alreadyset up with their tripods and cameras.

I had to find a spot where I wouldn’t be in someoneelse’s shot. When they

had all left I was able to get this shot of the rail which I felt added depth to the photo.

In this photo you can see I5, the Columbia building and downtown Seattle. I love how blue the sky

was and  how it contrasts with the lights from the buildings.

This is one of my favorites.You can see Safeco Field, the glowing red light of Qwest Field and I90

drivers zipping by. In the upper left corner you can see a slow exposure shot of an airplane.

 I really like the sunbursts that were created from the lights.

This was a lot of fun even though the bridge shook everytime a bus went by. The traffic on the

 bridge makes it tough to get a perfect shot. The slightest vibration will cause your lines to blur.

 To get these shots you must have a sturdy tripod, and a shutter cable release is helpful.

You can use your camera timer if you dont have one, but if you try to press the shutter

button on your camera your shot will probably end up blurry.

Below is a google map for the Dr Jose Rizal Bridge. 

View Larger Map

THIS IS MY FAVORITE STORE!!

This was taken from my car window as I drove by.

Seattle from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill. It was a bright, sunny day and you

can barely see Mt Rainier.  Next time I will try for sunset or sunrise.

What an awesome location for the perfect Seattle scene.

Below is a google map for Kerry Park. 

View Larger Map
 

My son loved looking through the telescope.

Another “out of the window shot” as my husband drove quickly by. This of course is the Columbia Building.

This is just a random building but the colors drew my attention. Hundreds of people probably drive

by everyday not noticing this colorful facade.

This was a perfect day for visiting Seattle. I love where I live!

Mt Shuksan/Mt Baker.

Mt Baker Snoqulamie National Forest

I visited Picture Lake a while back with a friend and was hoping to get a perfect shot of Mount Shuksan reflecting in the lake. Picture Lake is rightfully titled since it is positioned in front of the mountain offering a perfect reflection if the day and moment is just right.   Even a slight breeze would ruin the perfect reflection shot I was after. I also wanted to go when the fall colors were out, so in October I ventured back and tried again. Unfortunately the fall colors weren’t as rich as I had hoped, but the day was perfect otherwise. We stayed until the sun went down and I’ve heard that the evening is the best time for the wind to be calm. The moon was coming up over the mountain too which was an added bonus. The photo above was the result of a perfect, windless evening at Picture Lake.

 If you are looking for information about Picture Lake or Heather Meadows you should go to my other blog post. I have included many photos of the area as well. Picture Lake Path/Heather Meadows

The photo above was taken on my first trip to Picture Lake. It was earlier in the day, there was a breeze, and it was mid summer so the foliage was more lush. A cloud wandered in front of the mountain but that didn’t bother me.

A friend went with me and snapped this photo of me high on a rock on one of the Heather Meadows trails. I kinda like it.:)

I must also add that I really enjoyed talking to the other photographers that were gathered at Picture Lake that day. They were all so friendly and offered each other great tips and encouragement. I really appreciate the comaraderie most photographers have with each other.

Time lapse video of Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse on December 21, 2010

Unfortunately, since we live in the Pacific Northwest we were only given a 20% chance of being able to see the eclipse. I am an optimist by nature, so I remained hopeful. When the clouds parted last night and it looked like we were going to get our chance, I was delighted and almost giddy. This was the first time in 500 years that a lunar eclipse would accompany the Winter Solstice. (Winter Solstice is when the North Pole and the Northern Hemisphere are tilted farthest from the sun).  This day also officially marks the beginning of winter and thus has the longest night of the year.

So I gathered my stuff and ran outside to set up. Within a few minutes I had my camera perfectly angled on the tripod and my remote in hand. As I was setting my settings I looked up and those pesky clouds started moving in on my moon! My eternal optmism kept me from packing up as I stood there almost shivering. I waited…and waited…and waited. It wasn’t until a few light sprinkles forced me to give up and retreat inside the house. Facebook called out to me and I announced my defeat. I then found myself chatting and texting with friends as we all kept checking to see if the clouds were clearing. A friend in Reno Nevada had clear skies and described what she saw. I was jealous. We won’t be seeing another Lunar Eclipse untl April 15, 2014.

I love the Pacific Northwest, really I do.

Lake Stevens Wa.

Snohomish County

  (If anyone knows who the fisherman may be in this photo let me know so I can offer him a free print)

Lake Cassidy is a little lake just north of Lake Stevens near Hwy 9 in Snohomish County. It isn’t well known most likely because Lake Stevens is much larger (Lake Cassidy covers 125 acres  and Lake Stevens covers 1040 acres).  I only live a few miles from Lake Cassidy and drove by it for years before I even knew it was there, which is a good thing I think.The photos I am adding were actually taken a while back, but I recently realized that I hadn’t posted them on my blog. The photo at the top “Fisherman Sunrise” was published in the Seattle Times and was chosen to be in the Washington State Photographers Exhibition Competition. It didn’t win but to be included in such a competetive show is good enough for me!

 One morning I was driving my daughter to school and saw an awesome sunrise. I took a detour and was searching for a spot to see it better and came upon Lake Cassidy. There’s a convenient parking area (with a porta-potty) on the west side and right across the street is a small beach and a public boat launch.   The Centennial Trail runs along the eastern shoreline. Boats are allowed and the lake is stocked with largemouth bass, yellow perch, crappie, bullhead catfish, and rainbow trout. I always see fisherman there at sunrise. This spot has a perfect view of Mt. Pilchuck and the Cascades too. The sunrise is spectacular here. I love the mist that hangs above the water. It makes the scene so much more mystical.

This is one of my all time favorite photos. As soon as I saw it I instantly thought of Three Little Birds by Bob Marley. The photo above is a photoshop creation.

You can see Mt. Pilchuck’s reflection above the goose. I love how the sunrise glow is hitting the goose’s chest. 

The geese were actually very cooperative. They didn’t scatter and swim away like I thought they would. I had a few good moments to spend with my camera freezing this beautiful moment.

I was actually suprised to see that I had caught the flying bird’s reflection at the bottom of the image.

If you are lucky you may even see “George” or “Martha”, Lake Stevens’ resident eagles.

Directions to Lake Cassidy

Take Hwy 9 north, just past Lake Stevens, turn right on 60th st NE. Follow until it bends right and turns into 99th ave NE or South Lake Cassidy Rd. The parking lot and gravel boat launch will be immediately after the bend.

Mountain Loop Hwy/Verlot

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

July 18, 2010

I wasn’t going to write a blog on this particular day spent at the ice caves, but decided I should as a reminder and a warning about the dangers of entering or getting too close to the ice caves.

I’ve been to Big Four Ice Caves a number of times and even blogged about our first hike to the caves back in 2007. Never in the past had we ever been inside or even close to the caves even though my children begged me. However, in July of 2010 we went with some friends and their kids for a picnic lunch and a fun day at the caves, and I did something very stupid and reckless.

On this particular day the caves were quite large, the largest I had ever seen. It was crowded and there were people inside the caves walking in from one side and out another through a tunnel. I have to admit that seeing them inside the caves created instant jealousy. I wanted to take my camera in there and photograph what I had never seen before.

                                                Vapors from the cold air

Unfortunately, I made a terrible judgment call and went along with everyone else. I went against all of my better sense and broke an extremely important rule. I kept telling myself “what are the odds that something would happen this time since there hadn’t been any incidents since 1998?”

While inside I was thoroughly enjoying the experience since I had always wondered what it would look like from the inside. The only thing that worried me was my camera getting wet from the melting water dripping down. The melting ice should have made me realize just how unstable the ice caves really are. Fortunately for us nothing terrible happened that day and we were able to return to the Big Four picnic area safely.

On August 2^nd, just 9 days later, a tragedy occurred at the Big Four Ice Caves. An 11 year old little girl was killed just by being near the caves, and her mother was injured as well. It wasn’t her parent’s negligence or anyone’s reckless decisions that caused this tragic event, just being at the wrong place at the wrong time ended her young life.

** I am posting the photos for everyone to see so they can relinquish their curiosities and won’t be tempted to ever go inside the caves.

Smaller cave in front of larger cave

When I heard about this I was mortified. Just that morning I was talking with a friend about the caves since they were planning a hike for that very afternoon.  I admitted that I had gone inside and how cool it was. That evening when the news broke, my fear was that my friend was somehow involved. She had a young daughter and they were supposed to be at the caves at the very time this accident happened. For a half hour I was anxiously trying to call her and text her. In the forefront of my mind was my worst fear – that she had wanted to experience what I had been talking about that morning and was involved.

  Fortunately they were turned away while on their hike to the caves. They closed the trail after the accident happened, so thankfully they didn’t get near the caves that day.  I felt so incredibly stupid after hearing what had happened. I vowed that I would never again do something as reckless as that ever again on any trail, beach, mountain, etc.  We often underestimate the awesome and destructive power of nature.

Interesting Facts:

Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park   July 11 2010

Hole in the Wall Hike

Northwest Washington Coast                                                          

Day 1

One of 2 parts

This is a hike I have been dreaming of doing for 3 years. I visited Rialto Beach back in September of 2007 in hopes of seeing the low tide and to find the “Starfish Rock” (a large boulder covered in starfish) that I had seen on another website. We tried to get there early enough but didn’t quite make it. Even though we missed it I was fascinated by this beach and vowed to come back for an overnight hike on a day when there was an extreme low tide. There are only about 3 really low tides of the year, so 3 years later (yes it took 3 years! I was pregnant during one of those years so cut me some slack. : ) I finally had the chance to make this journey I have been dreaming about.  If you want to read my previous blog entry on Rialto Beach here is the link.   Rialto Beach Hike.

Rialto Beach is on the Northwest Coast of Washington near La Push and Forks, and is in Olympic National Park. It is known for its hiking trails, tide pools and sunsets. If you don’t live on the peninsula you must take a ferry or drive the southern route on I5 to the 101. We took the Edmonds/Kingston ferry and drove about 3 more hours to get to the coast. See the map at the bottom of the page. 

We first stopped at the Olympic National Park, Wilderness Information Center in Port Angeles to purchase a permit to hike overnight and to pick up a bear canister. These are required to keep raccoons and other critters out of your food and scented items. You store your food and your garbage in it and place it away from your tent. I think it’s a $3 donation to rent the canister.

When we arrived at Rialto Beach the weather wasn’t as forecasted. I was expecting warm and sunny and it was drizzly and cool. We didn’t expect rain, so we didn’t have any rain gear. Probably the dumbest hiking mistake people make and of course I made it. So we got a little wet.

I must stress one rule if you are considering this hike, always have a tide table with you. The tides can get very high and some places are impassable at high tide. You cannot go through Hole in the Wall when the tide is too high, so if you are on the other side you will have to wait until the tide lowers to return to your car. If you do not have one I believe the times are posted at the trailhead.  I use this tide table website.  The people in the above photo were either overnight hiking on the north side of Hole in the Wall, or they were stuck there waiting for the tide to lower so they could return to the parking lot.

My hiking companions were my sister and our mutual friend, both had never been on an overnight hike, so it was very exciting for them. The hike is only about a mile and a half, but on sand it seems longer. There are many campsites along the beach but you have to get past Ellen Creek before you can set up camp. We were getting pretty wet so we found a perfect campsite a little ways past the creek. There is a sign posted in case the creek is too low to notice. The sites are in the trees past the high tide line and have a smooth spot for your tent and usually a fire pit. Ours was so large it could have been a group campsite. There were 3-4 tent spots and 2 fire pits. A giant log was positioned perfectly to use as a long table to place our packs and prepare food, and there was a square log with flat sides where we placed our stove, water and other food items. 

I was pretty disappointed that it was cloudy as I had always heard that Rialto Beach was known for its amazing sunsets. Fortunately the drizzle had subsided and we were able to set up camp and start dinner. Since the hike was so short we decided to have a (sort of) gourmet dinner. We brought prepared pot roast (frozen), potatoes and asparagus. We also brought a grate to use over the fire. We baked the potatoes, steamed the asparagus and heated up the pot roast pieces, and had an incredible campfire dinner as we listened to the waves pound the surf. I could not have been happier.

When hiking shorter trails it is possible to prepare better meals since you aren’t carrying your heavier pack for very long.         

After dinner we headed up to the sea stacks and Hole in the Wall. Hole in the Wall is a sea arch that is literally a hole for you to pass through (only during a low tide) to continue on to the trail. The trail to Hole in the Wall from the Rialto Beach parking lot is about a mile and a half. Backpackers continue north to the Chilean Shipwreck Memorial which is 4 miles from Hole in the Wall, then they can continue on to the Norwegian memorial 6.5 miles up the coast. 

The campsites are in the trees so it could be difficult to return to your site after hiking up the beach. I thought it might be a good idea to mark my campsite so we could find it with no difficulty later. I made an arrow.

I was really excited to leave camp and explore the beach. The sea stacks were beautiful and I knew we would be seeing some starfish and sea creatures. As we walked north I realized that the sun was trying to break through the clouds. I was thrilled. I had my camera and was enjoying every bit of the scenery, especially the pounding waves. My companions wanted to stop and rest a bit on the beach but I wanted to continue past the sea stacks to see how close I could get to Hole in the Wall. There weren’t many people on the beach so the solitude made my experience even better. When I had gone as far as I could go I found a spot near a big driftwood log and sat down to watch the sunset. The light from the sun was peering through the arch in Hole in Wall so I just sat and enjoyed every bit of the show.

It was a spectacular sunset, especially since I had expected only a cloudy evening. The time I spent at that spot was something I’ll never forget. It was a tranquil and memorable time for me and being a mom of 4 children those moments do not come along all that often. I do wish that next time I am here my family can be with me. Kids need to experience the wonders of nature so they can appreciate this amazing place we live in.

When we returned to camp it was getting pretty dark so we stoked the fire, roasted marshmallows and of course I had to have my Jiffy Pop popcorn. I always bring Jiffy Pop, it’s light and for some reason it tastes incredible over the campfire.

That night the wind blew the tent pretty ferociously so we didn’t get much sleep. I needed to be up early for the low tide too, so I knew it would be a pretty sleepless night. The wind diminished around dawn and I was so worried that I would miss my wake up alarm.  I decided to get  up and walked to the beach to watch the tide begin to go out.  Again, it was another incredible experience for me.   

End of Day 1

Continue to Blog 2 – Second Day

Hole in the Wall Hike

Northwest Washington Coast                                          Day 2

 As soon as it was light I  got up and walked to the beach to watch the tide begin to go out.  I skipped breakfast since I was so eager to get to Hole in the Wall and again, it was another incredible experience for me. I saw a couple of early morning hikers and I watched the surf  gradually lowering to reveal tons of rocks that weren’t there the day before. My hiking companions decided to sleep in since we didn’t get much rest during the night. So once again I was on my own to explore this amazing place at such an incredible low tide. The sun was coming up creating beautiful colors and the beach had a touch of early morning fog. It was going to be a perfect day!

As I started my walk I could see tons of multicolored Ochre Sea Stars clinging to the rocks. They were deep shades of orange, purple and brown and are commonly found on rocky beaches from California to Alaska. The vibrant colors make for beautiful photographs.

As I approached Hole in the Wall I noticed a couple of people exploring the tide pools. I knew there would be tons of people arriving soon so this was the best time to do my own exploring and take my photographs without people getting in the way. I also felt a little disapointed that my friend and my sister weren’t there to share in the  experience. I had also planned on someone taking my photo while standing in the arch. I guess it will have to be next time.

It was a pretty good feeling as I walked through Hole in the Wall. It was more than I expected and being there for such a low tide was amazing. I stood there in the arch imagining how many years it took for the water to carve such a large, perfect hole.

 I walked up the beach to do more tide pooling still looking for my “starfish rock” which, unfortunately I never found. The tide was out extremely far at this point so I walked carefully on the slippery rocks as far out as I could go. There were many people tide pooling and climbing the rocks by this time and as I looked around it struck me as to why I love low tides, hiking and adventuring. I find it to be very accomplishing and exciting to be somewhere incredible and having the amazing experiences that many people will never get the chance to have. I’m sure lots of people have seen low tide at Rialto Beach but extreme low tides only happen a few times a year.

I use an online tide table, Saltwater Tides. It’s pretty easy to use and it lists all the regions of Washington State. The lowest days I have seen for 2011 are:

 May 2011

18 Low   8:04 AM    -2.3

19      Low   8:50 AM    -2.2

June 2011 

15      Low   7:05 AM    -2.2

16      Low   7:50 AM    -2.3

17      Low   8:33 AM    -2.1

Of course you should check for yourself before making any plans. I chose James Island as the “sub-region”, you can also use La Push, Quillayute River.

So if you are at Rialto Beach on any of those days I mentioned look for me. I’ll be the one with the camera.