She'll Be Coming Around The Bend...

So, Cora and I thought it would be fun to go to the outlet stores at North Bend and do a little necessary shopping. We went around the house getting ready. This seems to be something the dogs recognize as a change from normal, because Gypsy walked out the front door and jumped in the car.

She does not normally do this willingly. In fact, she often plays dumb when I want her to get in a vehicle. She walks around the vehicle asking me with her eyes, "What are you trying to say to me? I hear words, but they are unclear. Do you want me to stand UNDER the tail gate and wag my tail? Perhaps you would like me to walk all the way around the vehicle? No? Hmmm, let me lay here and consider what you have said with your words and your waving hands. Seriously, you should stop waving your hands at the truck. Why are you pulling your hair out? Are you cursing at me?"

So, when she willingly got into the car, we both chuckled and thought it was funny. Cora went to coax her out of the passenger seat, so she moved to the driver's seat. Here you can see her, plainly ignoring us and ready to begin the drive.

We finally got her out of the car and got on the road. It was sunny, as you can see from the photo above. When we got on the pass, however, the clouds moved in and the rain came. It was with seriously impaired vision that we rocketed down the other side of the pass. And yet, the camera seemed to see more clearly than we could!

We got to North Bend and the outlet stores. We did our shopping (a few Christmas gifts for a certain niece and some nephews, who shall remain nameless) and in general had a great time. I even got a couple pairs of jeans.

I think Cora mentioned it once, but most people don't know that I asked Cora to marry me at Snoqualmie Falls about 11 1/2 years ago. It was actully in front of this tree that I asked her. It was smaller then. And moments later, a hummingbird hovered inches from this branch. There was nothing there for a hummingbird...at least not to our knowledge. It hovered there for what may have been minutes, but was probably only 10 or 20 seconds. We took that as a good omen.

I don't usually hold omens in high reguard, but I have been wrong before. Our marriage has been going strong for almost 10 years. I have put on a few pounds and discovered how to grow facial hair, but, as far as I can tell, Cora has remained the same beautiful, intelligent, caring individual that I asked to marry me eleven years ago. Hummingbirds, though perhaps not capable of remembering the words, do hve good judgement.

Here is a picture of the waterfall.

Here is Cora getting into the car with a smile after I asked her to say "queso." (She likes cheese)

We drove through the torrential rains and made it home high and dry. Below, you can see the sun coming out from behind the clouds as we dropped down into Selah. We came home and it was all DRY!

So, there you have it, proof for those of you who think ALL of Washington is wet...it ain't...just that tiny, insignificant part of the state we all the "West Side." OK, maybe it isn't insignificant...most of the population seems of live there. Still, everyone seems to forget about us folk who live in the deserts of Washington.