Blue Moon Setting Over Oak Harbor

The second full moon of the month about six am this morning, setting over Oak Harbor. 

Where's the Snow?

I took the top photo July 29. Compare the snow pack to the photo below, taken one year ago, July 29.

I knew the snow pack was lacking, but comparing the photos really made it evident. Both of these photos were taken from the Sno-Isle Library parking lot, on the east side of Oak Harbor.

Blue Angels

The Blue Angels were in the sky over Oak Harbor July 29. They are in the area for the Seattle Seafair.

Palouse Falls

Palouse Falls State Park is in the midst of the southeastern scab lands of Washington State. This lower fall is about 200 feet tall. Palouse Falls is the official state waterfall.

The Palouse River Canyon continues on to the west with a water flow that is quite low this time of the year. 

Do you see the human, a fellow in a white t-shirt and black shorts, standing pretty close to the rock spires at the upper left of the photo?

Oregon: Grande Ronde River

When one looks on a state highway road map, topography is not given. I had no idea that, as we were driving north on Oregon Highway 3 and then Washington Highway 129, we would encounter switchbacks with a great elevation drop and gain. Above is the bridge over the Grande Ronde River, just north of the Oregon-Washington border.

This was the view later, looking back down to that valley. The river is at the right edge of the photo.

Now that I look at the map more closely, I guess I should have noticed that the intensely squiggly line meant lots of curves and elevation change. I noticed that on motorcycle adventure web sites this road gets a high rating. 

Oregon: Joseph Canyon

We stopped at the Joseph Canyon Overlook on Highway 3 before we came to the Washington state border.

This canyon was the winter home of the Joseph Band of the Nez Perce.

Oregon: Wallowa Mountains from the North

We had our last glimpse of the Wallowa Mountains from the north as we headed toward the Washington border.