Huckleberry Bliss

I'm behind on my project of walking all the streets of Tacoma; other priorities have filled my schedule. However, my friend Rob and I did find a day to drive up to our favorite huckleberry patch in the Cascade mountains. At 4,100 feet elevation, just at the tree line and just east of Snoqualmie pass, it was quiet enough to hear the rustle of feathers as birds flew by. Mostly alone for the day with our thoughts and the endless berry bushes, we came home at nightfall with the fruit of our labors.

Puget Park

I walked up the Puget Park trail in N. Tacoma this morning with one daughter and five of the seven grandchildren. The naturally watered park has a peaceful atmosphere under the green canopy of foliage.

The trail ends at the lovely little play area at N. 31st and Proctor where the children enjoyed the fine big toys.

Fluttering Glass

I had lunch with my friend Wes today at the Freight House Square food court, then took the light rail train to the museum of glass to take some photos on this blue-sky day. Here's one shot of the fluttering glass in the reflecting pool.

Wes tells me that he and others have been inspired to prayer-walk in Tacoma. I am so encouraged by that, because just beneath the veneer of our beautiful city is profound spiritual and social need. You see the need when you diverge from the main arterials and walk our side streets. Prayer makes a difference, though, both because it brings God's help, and because it spurs us to care and take action ourselves under His leading.

Ice Storm Of January 2012

With our environment so altered in this January's ice storm, I took a still life photo on our upper deck to remember it by. But it was the sheet of ice over the snow in our front yard that was eerily memorable.

The evening of the ice storm, poplar branches began to break with loud cracking noises. All through the night I hear the loud snap of a branch followed by the rushing sound of snow and ice falling to the ground. Miraculously, and unlike most of our friends, we never lost our electrical power.

The day before, Rachel and I had fun walking about in the 12 inches of snow that had fallen in our neighborhood. After the ice, it was much harder to walk outside, but great exercise!