the butterfly bush

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Today I was looking out my backdoor when I happened to notice a beautiful butterfly on the butterfly bush that is right outside. I looked at it for a few moments before I realized that it would make a great photo. I couldn't find my cellphone so (gasp) I reached for my Fuji S5200 and shot a few pics with it.

I'm learning how to shoot so the background is blurred out and I'm really quite pleased with how these photos turned out.

Remember, these are NOT shot with my cellphone camera! Oh, to have a cellphone camera that would shoot like that!

A walk to the edge of the world...

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Sister #5 and her BF were town this weekend so we made plans to go out to Neah Bay and hike to Cape Flattery.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Flattery_(Washington)

None of us had been in years so it was a nice trip down memory lane to drive out there and find that the road has been paved at some point in the recent past. In addition, instead of a big round dirt circle that cars just haphazardly were strewn about as it used to be, there were actually parking spots. And bathrooms. Wow.

There were quite a few people on the trail. It made me yearn for the old days when you rarely ran into anyone and it was a more arduous trek slogging through the ankle deep (in some spots) muck and carefully feeling your way across the rotted out wooden foot path. Ahh... to be a child again.

But though the conditions are improved and it's now a touristy stop, that doesn't change the breathtakingly amazing views once you reach the end. I remember being a small child and hiking out there and several of my uncles swinging their kids out over the open air at the edge of the cliffs. No wonder I'm terrified of heights now... good grief. There never used to be railings or any type of safety measures in place - one simply didn't go and fool around at the edge. Unless you wanted to fall and be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Or you were a family member and wanted to be just plain nutso crazy.

Now there are railings and look-outs where none used to be. And in the middle of the main viewing area at the end of the trail there is now a crow's nest type wooden structure where you can climb up approx 5 feet off the ground and get a better (and much safer!) view. I was more than content to stay up here until several of my sisters, my son, my BIL and others in our party decided to go back down and get right up next to the edge. At this point I left. Even writing this now I'm shaking at the thought of how someone could plummet right off the side. Ack.

On our way back, my husband, who will be severely punished at a date and time of my choosing, decided to be a smart alec and gave me a little shove as I was attempting to get a photo from one of the overlooks. I about died on the spot and it took me quite some time to catch my breath. You just don't go fake-shoving height-challenged people when they're at the edge and already freaking out. Sheesh!

Enjoy our day!



The trail to the cape. Much of the trail was lined with tree rings like these.


but parts were just dirt (and mud)




It was nice to get to the wooden trail, no more mud!


A good amount of the trail was laid down piece by piece. I'd guess that 1/8-1/4 mile is done like this.




Sister #5 in a motion shot..


Joe picking his way through the swampy ground


Your first view (off to your left) as you break from the trees and out into the sun.


Another left view - looking south








view of Tatoosh Island - looking straight west. Edge of the continental US.


Looking north, Canada on horizon




Utterly crazy family members standing at the VERY EDGE of this cliff. Big time drop off onto huge rocks and massive waves below. They're all mental. Every single one of them. It was at this point I had to go back into the trees for fear I'd have a heart attack watching them...


south view, looking down at the caves and inlets carved by thousands of years of wave action


Looking straight west from further back on the trail (where there are no open drop-offs to fall from).


One of the look-outs, looking south


trees on the cliff tops


example of the foliage that grows on the wind swept cliff


looking through the bushes to the ocean (southern view)