Remembering 9/11

 Earlier in the summer we visited the small town of Cashmere in Eastern Washington.  While we were there we stopped in to see the September 11 Spirit of America Memorial that was completed in 2015.  On this 20th anniversary of that fateful day it seemed appropriate to share these photos and remember the events of that terrible morning that rocked the world.

There were 2,977 people who perished that morning, including 343 firefighters and 72 police officers.  Every name is etched in stone.  

 

 

 

 

This piece of tangled metal came from one of the towers.  The limestone cornice was part of the Pentagon.  

 

 It took 99 days to completely extinguish the fires at the World Trade Center complex and another 120 days for the clean up and recovery operation to be completed.  In all, about 2 million tons of steel and rubble were removed.  

 

A pear tree has been planted on the site as a reminder of resilience and hope for the nation.  The original "Survivor Tree" was nursed back to health and then planted by the South Pool of the New York 9/11 Memorial where it is thriving.  Every year memorial seedlings are taken from the tree and given to three communities that have suffered from tragedy in recent years. 

 We found the memorial garden to be a thoughtful and peaceful place for reflection.  We remember how on that day the world mourned with us and later stood shoulder to shoulder with us as we fought against evil. To those of you around the nation and the world who sacrificed for us, I say  Thank you, God bless you. May we always remember the fragility of life and the gift of life, and to live our lives with gratitude, courage and integrity.

Adieu!

 

Summer flowers

 I really like hosta.  Unfortunately, so do the deer who wander through the neighborhood.  They obviously thought these two new hostas I planted were a tasty treat!

Not only did they enjoy the Hostaa, but this poor red Heuchera plant never even made it out of the pot. (sigh)

Fortunately, they don't seem interested in the Crocosmia or the dahlias.

This is the day the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it. Blessed Sunday!

 

Gissberg Twin Lakes

 Over the course of the past few months we have adopted a new favorite spot to take a walk.  Gissberg Twin Lakes is just a 20 minute drive from our home and offers a perfect place to stretch our legs and enjoy what feels like an outing in the country.  Unlike most of the natural lakes in our county, the twin lakes are man made from two large gravel pits that were dug in the mid 60's in order to provide rocks for the building of the I-5 freeway system.  Now, with a swimming and picnic area as well as a walking trail, they are a beautiful and very popular addition to the county park system.  These photos are a compilation of a number of walks taken over the spring and summer.

From Spring to Summer we have watched the cattails growing up,

and the baby ducklings turn into adults.

One day we spied this turtle sunning himself on a log.  Even though we know they are native to the area, it was the first time we have ever seen one in the wild in all the forty plus years we have lived here.  It was a delightful and unexpected surprise.

 Fishing is very popular along the shoreline. 

This gentleman reminded me a bit of my dad who loved few things more than spending a leisurely day with his fishing pole. Of course, he loved to catch something, but it never mattered when he didn't.  It think it was his place for solitude and meditation.

 

 

Perhaps Henry Thoreau had it right,

"Many a man goes fishing without ever knowing

that it is not fish that they are after." 

 

 

I think there will be more walks here before the summer is over and then on into the autumn to come.  All blessings to you who stop by.

Adieu!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deception Falls

 We don't do much hiking these days, but we still enjoy an occasional walk through the woods when the opportunity arises.   Last month we took the time to stop at Deception Falls on our way home from Leavenworth.   Generally, we visit the falls later in the season.  In fact, this photo was taken a number of years ago in the late autumn. 

 

This year we drove up in early June and with the late spring thaw we were greeted with a roaring explosion of water!

 

We took the trail that runs along the side of the river.

 

Up the steps that would take us back to where we had parked our car

We were so glad we able to see the falls when we did as just a couple of weeks later, the Northwest was engulfed in an extreme heat wave that broke all records.  Even though, that weather has broken we have not had any measurable rain in weeks, so all the rivers are running low.  

 

 ~~~

We have been sticking pretty close to home helping to watch our grandchildren as our daughter-in-law has injured her shoulder and has been needing an extra helping hand. 

  We did some entertaining on the 4th of July.

And helped with Vacation Bible School at our church.

 

It's been a quiet, easy going time.  We still have much more summer to look forward to.  How are you enjoying your summer days?