JULY 4th REMEMBRANCES

These July 4^th pictures were on the picture disks I had found while organizing a drawer, a few weeks ago.

I did not know that Bob had burned these disks off for me: they are pictures from my old computers that had crashed and died. I was excited to see Bob’s handwriting on the disks telling me that the disks held pictures I never hoped to see again!

My man was always so thoughtful ;-)

These pictures I am sharing today start with my wolf … and end with our daytrip to Mowich Lake.

My beautiful wolf, Precious was born on the 4^th of July, 2003. We brought her home with us when she was about 6 weeks old - she was the cutest thing! She was ½ Timber Wolf and ½ Gray Wolf; here eyes changed colors depending on the way the sunlight hit them. Sometimes, they were a yellowish brown … sometimes, they were a topaz yellow.

July-04-2004. My beautiful girl was 1 year old. Her markings were exactly what the wolves of the Sawtooth Pack carry.

She was beautiful to look at. She was beauty in action. She was beautiful inside also. She was precious … and I felt privileged to have her as a companion, and loved by my husband for letting me have her.

And that’s why her Name was Precious :-D

July-01-2007. Two precious girls to love.

Precious enjoyed a playful tussle match with our granddaughter, Alyna. Precious may have been a big wolf (6 feet long & 120 pounds), but she's was not bad & we were not afraid of her.

We were all a ‘family pack’.

Bob & Alyna had gone to a family shindig at his oldest sister Merry’s house for a July 4^th family get-together in 2008; I stayed home because I had a migraine. Alyna came home with a kitten.

July 2008. Precious was howling because Bean is holding Seaira.

July 2008. Siesta Time: Precious & Seaira – two furry sisters.

In the wild, Precious would have been the babysitter wolf that looked after all the young wolf pups.

Precious’ character was calm and peaceful. She doted on those she considered her ‘charges.’

Alyna and Seaira were her charges. So were the 5 newborn and toddling nieces and nephews born to Bob’s nieces, Michelle & Tiffany ;-)

2009-07-02. Precious and Seaira. There was never a worry with my wolf around critters or people.

Around July 4^th of 2010, my niece Sara, was coming to WA from NV to visit her mother – we had raised Sara for a while when she was younger; she is like a daughter to us, and her children like grandchildren. And we wanted to see them … so we went to Carla’s home, in Aberdeen.

2010-07-04. Bob (61) & Alexandrea (3 years old); Sara’s oldest daughter.

2010-07-04. Bob & Sophia; Sara’s youngest daughter; wearing the baby sweater I knitted for Alexandrea when she was a baby.

Around July 4^th in 2011, we took a daytrip to Cinnebar. On our way home, Bob pointed out an Osprey nest: I had never seen an Osprey before – it was pretty cool :-D

July 2011. An Osprey 

July 3^rd, 2016, we did a daytrip to Mowich Lake, on the backside of Mt. Rainier. It was a pretty primitive area … the gravel road that led to the lake really dusted out the Tundra getting there/leaving. There were many hiking trails – some were maintained; some were rough and brutal. The glacial lake was gorgeous, and the surrounding mountainous terrain was beautiful to see. The camping near the lake area was pack in-pack out: no restroom facilities. The camping there was very primitive.

At the start of the gravel road, there is also another camping area – a little more upgraded, but not much. We had planned to go back and camp, but life threw us a curve and that never got to happen.

But these pictures bring the memory of that daytrip back; very clear ;-)

3 hr/4 min (139.1 mi) via I-5 N

The 17 mile gravel road was very dusty: a doe and her fawn crossed in front of us.

Backside of Mount Rainier.

More deer along the long and winding road ... "Mowich" derives from the Chinook jargon word for deer. Deer were everywhere - we had to keep our eyes alert. 

Goal is getting closer; we had climbed 4,929 feet in elevation.

Mowich Lake, on the backside of Mount Rainer.

(https://visitrainier.com/mowich-lake-campground/)

Pretty, wild violets.

A pretty, wild lily.

Bob walking one of the lower elevation trails that skirted the Lake.

Tolmie Peak; this looked like fun. So, we walked in that direction ;-)

This trail was very hard to walk. But Bob was game to give it “a go.”

View of Tolmie Peak.

(https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/washington/tolmie-peak-trail--2)

We also tried another trail, called the Ipsut Pass.

VERY STEEP and challenging trail ... sides straight down into glacial water.

After about an hour, we called it quits for this trail here ... just too hard to climb for 2 old fat people – 1 with a bum leg. LOL

BEAUTIFUL glacial lake! A careless footstep here would land us in the Lake – the trail sides went straight down … the water was SO CLEAR, it was like looking through clean glass to the bottom of the Lake.

I love wild places like this - it reminds me of how truly small we are in the grand scheme of things. Kinda puts life into perspective ...

We backtracked, and took a break here; very pretty and peaceful site.

A thin, trickling waterfall.

A wild flowing waterfall.

One last backward glance as we drove away from the mountain I love … and where I would love to live all year round. I love everything about Mount Rainier.

Glacial water river at the end of the gravel roadway: there is a campsite here, and we had planned to come back. That never happened ….

I love you, Babe.

BOB 2016. The love of my life, and my greatest passion ~ OX.

Thanks for the loving memories.

~OX