Sunday, August 1, 2010

Visiting my other half

One things for certain, in the scenery department Washington doesn't disappoint.  As you drive from east to west you'll encounter first the coastal region (obviously) then temperate rain forests, followed by the island speckled area of Puget Sound, after that you don't have far to go to reach snow capped mountains covered in fir forests but the farther east you go those forests suddenly become a little more sparse and filled with Pine trees.  Suddenly the trees disappear and you wonder who threw a desert smack in the middle of Washington?  The deserty area soon gives way to the endlessly flat Colombia River Plateau and it's not until you near the Idaho border again.
  So why these sudden observations about Washington Topography? Well... in a 6 hour drive across the state there isn't much else to think about (except who named the town of George, Washington, I wish I was from George).
    A born a bred Western Washingtonian we didn't make many ventures into the much hotter and drier half of our state while I was growing up, so when my dad suggested going on a camping trip to a lake near Spokane I was all for exploring a new region.
    Waitts Lake was wonderful.  The water was clean and even more important the air was clean (after living in polluted Bangkok for two years I have come to value clean air).  The only thing I didn't like was the prevalence of dreaded millfoil in the water.  Lucky for us the campground we were staying at had rid their swimming area of the water weed so I didn't have to constantly worry about it brushing against me as I swim (yes, things touching me in the water is a phobia of mine).




She caught her first fish

    In all honesty a week at the lake was probably a bit much but I enjoyed it.  We went swimming everyday and I read...alot, 4 books in all.  A very productive week.  I also got a lot of thinking and writing done as I sat on the dock at twilight.  Wonderful.


One of the best parts of the lake were the sunsets, and especially the last day.  It was like the world was on fire. (these pictures are unedited)



This coming week I head down to Oregon State University in Corvallis for the CIY youth conference.  I haven't been since I was in highschool and I'm super excited to be going as a leader.  I have my fingers crossed for free Wifi.

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