"Another Waterfall?"

Other than wild flowers, Nikki and I spent a lot of time taking pictures of waterfalls.  It was fun to play with the aperture and shutter speed to manipulate the way the water looks.  

 

Wild Flowers, Wild Flowers, and more Wild Flower

There were so many wild flowers at Mt. Rainer.  Part of the purpose of the trip was for Nikki and I to take lots of pictures with our DSLRs.  I probably took well over 100 pictures of flowers.

Okay, this one is not a wildflower but I love the colors

I took this picutre with my point and shoot. The coloring is not as natural.  The flowers in the back look like something from a Dr. Suess book.

Mt. Rainer...up close and personal!

The top of Mt. Rainer.  Mt. Rainer is an active Volcano

If you look really close at the snow that looks like it is a path leading up you can see people who are attempting to summit

In the morning the top of Mt. Rainer was very visible but as the day wore on the clouds moved in

This is the Nisqually Glacier.  We could hear snow cracking; it sounds like a tree cracking

Another picture of beautiful Mt. Rainer

I live about a 2.5 hour drive from Mt. Rainer.  From Maple Valley it looks like Mt. Rainer is floating in the clouds.  On my commute to work as I come up a hill there is Mt. Rainer in all her glory!

Mount Rainer with Nikki

The last weekend in July, my friend, Nikki, flew up from Utah and we went camping for 4 days to Mount Rainer.  The area we explored was Paradise and we were on the southwest side of Mt. Rainer.  This trip is going to be a series of blogs.  

Hiking near Paradise.  No, we did not coordinate our outfits.

As were walking along we came to a hole in the snow.  It looked like someone foot had gone through the snow.  Nikki  made a comment about walking along and then your foot going in the snow.  Immediately after, this is what happen, she made her own hole in the snow.

Standing on a log bridge over the Nisqually River

Nikki and Holly

I am not sure if Nikki is saying "Tada, here is Mt. Rainer" or she is just airing out her armpits

McChord Lewis Joint Base Airshow

Alexis' brother, Adrian, is a B1 Bomber navigator and flew in for the McChord Lewis Joint Base Airshow.  This was the first airshow I have been to an airshow and it was really cool.  We got to see Adrian fly in the B1 Bomber too.

I like this picture of the C 130 as it flies by the air tower

Adrian's B1 Bomber 

The underside of the B1 Bomber

Me, Adrian, and Derek near the B1 Bomber

Stealth Bomber is not so stealth for my camera

Stealth Bomber

Airforce's Thunderbirds (B16)

Olympics

In early July I rented a car and drove over to the Olympic Peninsula for 2 days.  I camped at Elawa and spent the time hiking and taking pictures.  I also went into Port Angeles, the town nearby, and took pictures of Canada and the waterfront.  

The Olympics from Hurricane Ridge

I am taking this picture facing South

Mt. Baker in the Distance

Hiking near the Elwha River

CANADA in the distance. I could just barely make out Victoria  but not with my camera

I bought a pan at Walmart for $10 and thought I would make pancakes with my little propane cooker.  It is did not turn out as I had hoped...Propane tasting pancakes anyone?

Prefontaine Classic

In June, Derek, Alexis, Dave (Alexis' cousin) and I went to the Prefontaine Classic.  This track meet is held every year in Eugene, Oregon at the University of Oregon.  Prefontaine was a track runner who died in an automobile at the age of 24.  He is very much revered at Oregon and was a great runner who died before his prime.

Olympic Gold Medalist, Allison Felix, wins the 200m

Olympic Gold Medalist, Mo Farah, wins and breaks 13-minute barrier in the 3000m  

Beautiful view of Oregon.  Men's 1500m in the distance