Thursday, August 18, 2011

A Mirage, A Memory

Olympic Mountain Range
  
Today as I spent many a moment reflecting on my day while driving,
I found myself at the peak of a path toward home.
There I saw a majestic sight which always takes my breath away.
There, beyond the shoreline, across the Sound, 
       lay the mountains they call Olympics.
I saw the road which leads to the tree tops and points toward one
             of the prouds of the Pacific North West.
Mount Rainier playing peek-a-boo.
I scanned the horizon in hopes to catch a glimpse of the grandest
            of grand mountains.
Grand Rainier plays hide and seek today, as it is one of its favorite sports.
My eyes return to the breathtaking view ahead.
Olympic Mountain Range
The powder-blue sky embraces the white peaks which flow into the pale blue water.
The pale-blue pours over blending into the distant blue-grey shoreline.
Which is framed by the green tips of the pines. 
You could swear the tree tops had a drip of blue on them as though
           they had been the paintbrushes that shaded the horizon. 
As I descend down the asphalt way. 

The panorama of picturesque beauty dips below the skyline and soon 
           reappears as I soar anxiously toward the untouchable. 
This sight is but a vision, an illusion which makes my soul smile. 
It is the shades and shapes which make up the view I see. 
I have been to this place and I have captured its image like photographs in an album.
It appears in many forms and conjures many feelings. 
Today, I drove toward those mountains and reflected on my memories.  
Today I traveled far. 




Ok, not camping but close
enough. They were nasty.
Took Nyquil to sleep.
Now let me tell you about this piece. My sister lived in Seattle for many years and I would go and visit her. I love the Pacific Northwest (minus the rain and slugs) It is one of the most breathtaking places I've been. When Mount Rainier decides to show itself, it is almost spiritual. August is the best time to visit Seattle. I have been on Mount Rainier and I have camped on Mt. St. Helen. Eesh. I have climbed through the lava tubes and tree roots that the lava burned out. That is a must if you visit the West.

These are the lava tubes. They
are tree root systems burned out
by the lava. You can crawl all
the way through them. So cool.
With all of my trips out there, I have captured photos in my mind that I carry with me always. One day while i was driving home down a road I've driven thousands of times, I noticed something spectacular. My mind played tricks on me. As I reached the top of a hill on the road, I could see over the tree tops. There in front of me were cloud formations that miraged views of the Pacific Northwest. It was just as I described. The clouds formed mountain peaks and formed shorelines.  It was truly amazing. I could have sat there and imagined for hours that I was there. I came home and wrote about it.

I have always seen things slightly different than others. I see things within things. That is why I like photography. I have even photographed a book series for children that would even make you see things differently. I should actually make an e-book out of it. It would be great for that.

So the next time you are driving or walking or riding or whatever you are doing, take a closer look at what is around you. YOu might see something in a little different way...a new perspective.



I'd love your feedback or just let me know who has stopped by by leaving a hello comment or a response below. If you share it, let me know so I can send thanks.  :)

6 comments:

molly said...

love Seattle and Olympic National Park. Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos !

Unknown said...

I saw Mt. Rainier peeking through the clouds on a flight coming into Seattle once. Like you said, it is just amazing. I felt like I could reach out and touch it.

pacwp said...

The pictures of the mountain is breath taking; makes me wait to hope on a plane and go!!!!

Amber Housey said...

Courtney/Betina/Mommy Ladies, Isn't it amazing. I've flown from Seattle to San Fran when you could see all of the mountains (St. Helen, Rainier, Hood) one by one. Super cool. Really takes your breath away. Sometimes Rainier seems so far away until a clear day. WOW!
Patty and Molly, you are welcome. I can't wait to take my kids there. So much to do and see. :)

Katie Gillman said...

We spent our honeymoon in Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver last month. I couldn't agree more - Mt. Rainier was my favorite site!! We can't wait to visit again. I will post some pics to Facebook one of these days. Keep up the great work - love this entry!

Amber Housey said...

Oooh, what a great honeymoon place Katie.We spent our in the Canadian Rockies. Just as awesome or more. Emerald lake.