Hats and more Hats!

Did Adam and Eve ever wear head coverings?  I have absolutely no idea.  However, I do know that hats have been recorded to have been around since at least 3200 BC.

 I have always like hats.  I still have pictures of me as a little girl wearing my Easter outfits with my little Easter hats and matching gloves.  I remember having a little rabbit fur lined bonnet that tied under my chin with a little matching fur muff too.  Unfortunately, mine was the last generation to consider the hat to be a fashion  necessity. It seems by the mid-60's that only public figures were ever seen wearing hats. So, by the time I was a teenager a hat was considered "Passe" at least with the general middle class.   I still  liked hats and would try them on in stores, but I didn't have the confidence to be seen wearing one in public. 

That changed as I grew older and I spend much less time worrying about what other people think of my fashion choices.  I have managed to collect a few hats over time.  I have worn them at different seasons of my life and put them away for others.  This past year I came across my box of hats while I was cleaning out a closet.  I decided I was more than ready to bring them out and start wearing them again.  I have been having a lot of fun with them all summer and fall.  I wanted to share some of my favorites with you.  

This was one of my first "grown-up" hats.  I bought it in my late twenties which makes it about 40 years old. I would wear it to church on Sundays. I have not worn it in a very long time, and I am looking for the right outfit so I can start wearing it to church again.  It's still one of my favorites.

 

These two hats came along in my late thirties when I was battling breast cancer.  I really disliked wearing wigs and I would tie up my head with a scarf and wear a hat over it.  It made me feel feminine, beautiful  and fashionable.  The scarf tied around the green hat was the one I would wear under it all those years ago.  I am a survivor and these two hats remind me of that. They still make me feel beautiful and fashionable and I have been enjoying wearing them again all through the fall.

After my recovery I put my cancer hats away for a while and mainly focused on sun hats for a few years.

You have seen this hat before on my post for the color red.  Of course, it's perfect for the Fourth of July.

 

A simple black straw hat for a sunny afternoon.

I found this peach sunhat in South Carolina on a family vacation about 15 years ago.  It goes perfectly with this new summer dress.

And this navy blue is a lovely addition to this summer outfit.  I must admit, I bought it new this year.

 

This is my "wear everywhere, goes with anything" favorite hat, (And my two lovely granddaughters!)  I picked it up on a whim in Leavenworth a few summers ago. Ever since, it has been my "go to" hat whenever the sun peeks out.  Everyone should have one of those.

 

My oldest and newest hats sit perched on my dresser. This is my first time trying this mid 20th century cloche style.  I think I like it.

 

There are those who say that the kind of a hat you wear expresses who you are.  I don't do cowboy hats or baseball caps because I don't feel good in them.  Wearing the right hat gives me a certain vibe that makes me feel more confident.  I don't do ruffles but I do like things to feel feminine.  I guess I am a romantic at heart.  I think a hat can really give a finished look to any outfit and that most anyone can wear one.  You just have to find the the right style that suits your face and personality. So, how about you?  Do you like hats?  Do you wear them?  Do you have a favorite?  And if not hats, what is your favorite fashion accessory?  I would love to hear.

May the Lord bless you with joy this day and always.

Adieu!

 

 

 

A Northwest Adventure Part 2

 It was close to dark when we arrived in Walla Walla, WA for the night so we waited until morning before taking a look around.  I have always loved the way the town's name just rolls off the tongue. Walla Walla is a Native American name that means "Place of Many Waters.  There was a large amount of road construction going on in the downtown area and so we weren't able to explore like we had hoped.  The town looked cute and perhaps one day we can return and take a second look.  We did find lovely Pioneer Park though, and took the time for a nice walk before heading out of town.

 

While there were signs of early fall along the gorge it still felt like full summer here.  

 

Those trees would be a climbing paradise for an adventurous kid!  

At first I thought we were looking at maple trees, and some were.  However, as we got closer I noticed the bark and the shape of the leaves were a little different.  After some research I discovered they were sycamore trees. It immediately brought to mind that old song "Dream a Little Dream of Me."

Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"

Birds singing in the sycamore tree

Dream a little dream of me

~~~

 

About fifty miles north of Walla Walla is Palouse Falls State Park.  Apparently, Palouse Falls are Washington State's "official falls".  Needless to say, I convinced The Inspector that since these were the state's official falls and we were so close, that we needed to stop in for a look.  Thus began our trek along a two lane highway that took us through miles of empty wheat and hay fields.

Eventually, we came to a small turnoff that took us down a long and empty gravel road.  By now, we were wondering what we had gotten ourselves into.

A few miles in we finally found ourselves in a small parking area and campground.  We found the falls a short walk down the hill from the parking lot.

 Compared to the lush green beauty of the day before this area was pretty isolated and desolate, but the rock formations and canyon area were very interesting. The whole region was carved out during the Ice Age. The Palouse River flows over the cliff 200 feet into the bowl below and then continues on through the canyon gorge until it reaches the Snake River.  Once again, there was a hiking trail that could take you to different views of the falls but because of my limitations we elected to admire it from across the canyon. 

The day was advancing so it was time to drive on through more wheat fields to our destination of the day, Grand Coulee Dam. 

Upon arrival in the late afternoon, we found ourselves staying at a cute little local hotel right across street from the dam and visitor center.

 

We did not find Grand Coulee to be as attractive as the Bonneville Dam.  However, at just under a mile long and 550 feet tall it's considered  to be one of the engineering marvels of the world.  According to the National Park Service, it's more massive than the Grand Pyramid of Giza and contains enough concrete to build a highway from  Seattle clear across the country to Miami.  That's pretty big.

 

We walked up to the visitor center and explored the history of the construction of Coulee.  We learned it was built and completed during the Great Depression and supplied most of the power to the northwest ship builders and to Boeing for the construction of planes and ships during WWII.  Once the war was over it began to supply the water needed to irrigate the more than 600,000 acres of arid land that has been converted into the wheat fields we just passed through earlier in the day. Because of Grand Coulee this area is a "bread basket" instead of a desert. Today,in addition to irrigation, it's the largest producer of hydro power in the United States and still one of the largest in the world.

On a lighter note, we walked back over later in the evening to enjoy the laser light show "One River Many Voices" projected across the the face of the dam.  It was a big foggy and my pictures didn't turn as well as I had hoped but it was a cute little show and fun to see the dam in a different light. (no pun intended, lol!)

 

 

On the morning of Day 4 we took a short walk in the park at the base of the dam before heading to Winthrop.

By the time we reached Winthrop a pretty big storm had blown in and it was raining heavily, so no pictures.  We decided to stop for lunch, see a few shops and then head for home.  Here are a few photos from a previous time we were here a few years ago. It was a much sunnier day as you can see.

 

 

As we traveled west over the North Cascade Highway we happened past  one last unnamed waterfall flowing down the side of the mountain as we made our way home in the rain.

 

While it's always fun to take a road trip it's nice to get home as well.  I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the diversity of our northwest landscape.  Til next time, all blessings to you and yours.

Adieu!

 

 

A Northwest Adventure

 Generally speaking, we have a tendency to pass through the eastern side of our state as quickly as possible on our way to somewhere else.  Of course, we do travel  along the foothills on the east side of the mountains and you have seen our photos of Leavenworth and Winthrop.  However, for us to really spend any dedicated time on the far east side is rare, and even after living in the Northwest for more than forty years there are still many places we have never visited.    We decided to change that a little bit by taking a short four day road trip around the region.

Our first day we drove down to Vancouver which is located along the north side of the Columbia River near Portland, OR.  We spent a pleasant afternoon exploring The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, home of the Northwest operations of the Hudson Bay Trading Company from 1824-1869. We wandered through the interior of the fort as well as taking a walk along what is known as Officer's Row outside the fort area.  It was fun learning about the history of the fort and Hudson Bay.  I was even presented with a small souvenir made by the on- site blacksmith.

Day 2 found us touring the Columbia River Scenic Highway where we spent a delightful morning stopping to see the numerous waterfalls and overlooks along the drive. Our first stop was at Vista House which overlooks the Columbia River.  The Rotunda was closed that day but it didn't stop us from enjoying the panoramic views of the gorge.

 

 

Once past Vista House, there are five waterfalls along the drive that are close enough to the road for us to easily walk up to.  We stopped to see four of them, Latourell, Wahkeena,Multnomah and Horsetail Falls.  The water flow this time of year is lower than it would be in Spring.  However, they were still very pretty, and we could see early signs of autumn along the trails. 

The Latourell Falls has a 224 ft drop from the cliff, and the stone walls are covered in a golden green lichen which is very striking in person.  Because of my physical limitations we stayed at the base of the falls.  However, for those who are more adventurous, there is a 2.4 mile loop that takes you up 620 feet to the upper falls.

 Wahkeena Falls is 242 feet tall and cascades down the side of the hill rather than falling directly from the cliff. The view was partially obscured by all the trees, but the sound of the water flowing down the hill was lovely, and there is a trail that can take you farther up and closer if you choose to hike it.  Wahkeena is the Yakima Native American word for "most beautiful".  

Just around the corner we found ourselves at lovely Multnomah Falls, the most visited site in the entire Northwest.  Millions of people visit every year and even on this quiet post summer day it was pretty crowded. There were hundreds of people milling around the restaurant and gift shop area. You even needed a reservation to limit the number of people by the falls at one time.  Multnomah is a double fall that cascades down 611 feet.  It is truly a magnificent sight. There is a trail that can take you up to a bridge that overlooks the the upper falls. Lovely as it was though, it was way too crowded to be able to truly enjoy it's natural scenic aspects as much as we would have liked.

 

 Our fourth and last stop was called Horsetail Falls.  I liked that we could actually walk down to the pool at the base of the falls. It cascades down about 176 feet.  However, there is a hiking trail that takes you up behind it to another waterfall called Ponytail.  This was one of our favorite spots and much quieter than Multnomah.

 

 

I could have spent all day sitting at the base of this waterfall but it was time to move on.  We continued on to see the Bonneville Power Dam and Locks.  As it turned out the locks were closed, but we were able to have a late picnic beside the dam. We toured the visitor center, watched a film on the history of the Dam and visited the fish ladder.

Bonneville was built during the Great Depression and is still considered one of the largest hydroelectric systems in the world.  It supplies about 80% of the power in our region.

 Once again there was so much to see, but the day was advancing and we still had several hours of travel ahead to make it to our lodging so we had to move on.  If we return to this area again we will need to allow more time to truly see everything. Meanwhile, this is where I will leave you for now and will share more of our adventures next time.  If you have ever visited this area of the northwest I would love to hear of your adventures as well.  Blessings to each one who stops by here.

Adieu!