HUDSON PARK WALK

This morning dawned with river fog and mist spray; for a while it looked like the planned hike would have to be called off. But by the time we topped the Rainier hill, and parked in the graveled parking lot … the heavy river fog had begun to lift, and the heavy spray mist had stopped completely:

A little bit of turquoise sky showing through the parting clouds.

There was a lot of flowers (tiny wild roses, foxgloves, goats-beard, daisies, wild sweet-pea vines, pink velvety puff-ball type of flowers) and blackberry brambles along the path; but I got a phone call before I could capture most of the flowers – all I managed to capture before the call came and picture taking was waylaid, was this field of wild daisies …

Ed and Trudy are 13 and 15 years older than I am, but they still enjoy getting outdoors, and hiking – so they came with me. They are fun, and they are a wealth of hiking information. Bob and I did hiking on a small scale … these 2 have been all around the world, and have done B.I.G. hikes.

It doesn’t matter how old a person gets to be, there is always something older people can enrich your life with … because they have lived longer, and have information from experience they can share.

I am all about learning from experience.

So, I listen when they talk ;-)

The woodland path we walked: Trudy telling me about the type of hiking boots she wears … I'll have to make do with my sneakers until inslee's mask mandate fades away and stores get back to do rational business again.

My "back fence neighbors" and friends, Ed & Trudy: 78 and 76

I look pregnant with my fanny pack on under my blouse; but I didn’t want to have my backpack-purse along with me; and I needed to have my wallet, comb, rain poncho (just in case), chap-stick, Ibuprofen, Benadryl (for bee stings: I am severely allergic) – I needed the fanny pack … no matter how I looked with it on ;-)

Me wearing Bob's windbreaker; I like feeling like he is with me in some small way. This is a new solo lobo venture ... Bob & I never did this hike.

The phone call ended before we reached this mud patch – if it hadn’t … I would have had to end it, because I needed all my attention focused on getting safely across those slippery poles:

Trudy was the smart one … she wore boots.

Not happy to see this – this is why most trails are gated off.

Just a little bit further along, we came to a picnic area near the backside of the Hudson Park Elementary School playground; here, we cut across the school grounds to the blacktop and walked back to the car …

Trudy; she said the Hike Club donated a picnic table to this spot.

This was a steep incline: the heart and lungs really got worked – but that’s okay; that why I hike ;-)

(https://www.fridayhealthplans.com/hiking-is-so-good-for-you/#:~:text=Hiking%20boasts%20all%20of%20the,and%20helps%20control%20your%20weight.)

The Horizon in the distant gravel parking lot …

It was an enjoyable walk with fun companions.

And the rain held off for the entire 1½ miles – as soon as we reached the car, the raindrops started :-D

Because of the fickle weather, we didn’t walk through the Hudson Park trails as planned (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/06/dovetailing-details.html) – we shortened our “outside time” back, and just skirted the school grounds. I’ll come back and increase my mileage ... and do the Park when the weather is more stable.

DOVETAILING DETAILS

Bob would call dove-tailing, ‘splicing’ … and they are basically the same thing ;-)

A few days ago, I was rummaging around in the table desk in the bedroom when I came across some disks with Bob’s handwriting on them – so I swallowed past the lump in my throat and opened the baggie with shaky hands. Then I whooped with delight and started viewing them:

THANK YOU BABE!

I slipped a disk into the laptop player Wednesday evening after Supper and watched the pictures play out; I did not cry …

BLESSINGS. I did not know Bob had done this ... like kisses from Heaven!

The disks hold 8 years of pictures Bob had saved from my previous computers – all the way back to the first one! There were pictures of Bob, our granddaughter, Alyna; our Pomeranian, Tyson, and my wolf, Precious. There were daytrip & vacation pictures – there were home remodeling pictures from our 2 Longview homes before this one. There were pictures of my homesteading years with my nice big garden area … and the chickens I finally got to have :-D Pictures of the elk heard that crossed our back yard and stripped the plum tree of every single plum – we caught them in the act! There were pictures of the racoon family that sat in the sugar pine shadowing my Hen Pen and drooled over my chickens.

I never hoped to see these pictures again, but Bob was always thinking and planning ahead; I wondered when he burned these disks off.

And I smiled – a lot :-)

My heart is healing.

18 months/13 days/14 hrs. & 55 mins. without Bob: I miss him like mad, but the tears are not falling every hour anymore, and I can look at his handsome face and not feel like I am having a heart attack with the missingness of him. Elohim is faithful, and the peace Yeshua gives is a soothing balm. I am blessed; greatly loved, and highly favored.

Because the way the pictures were downloaded to disk, I was able to select and save the pictures I wanted. Finding these picture disks made my heart sing – I was able to save more pictures of Bob.

From Wednesday morning, until today’s morning; I have been dovetailing the past with the present, and smiling nonstop. Wednesday morning after finding and viewing the 1^st disk, I went to bed happy to have spent the entire day with Bob’s presence all around me – remembering the moments each picture captured. I woke up Thursday … and this morning … anticipating watching another disk and spending time with my husband: even if only in memory. Those were GREAT memories :-D

Yesterday I woke up excited to see what other memories would wrap love around me; but before I settled into Bob’s recliner to view the 2^nd disk, I went outside to water my garden before I lost track of time and the sun got too high in the sky. I have been saving coffee grounds all year for my garden; so, while watering yesterday, I put a ring of coffee grounds around all my cabbage family plants:

I noticed ripening tomatoes on my hanging-basket-tomato plant …

And I placed sunshades on my lettuce patches. It was nearly 90-degrees yesterday, the lettuce needed the sunshades:

Lettuce sunshade. Broken pin - cheap from $ store; I have more.

I ordered a pizza for pickup after I finished watering the garden area: Bob loved pizza, so pizza seemed like the perfect Supper fare to view the 2^nd disk: dovetailing happened on every level yesterday ;-)

This morning I viewed the 3^rd – and final – disk. And early afternoon, heart and thoughts full of Bob and missing the hikes we’d done together for decades; I got itchy feet; so, I crossed the river to Oregon and scoped out a Park there, because I want to walk the hiking trail. I was in for a surprise – the Park is not as small as it appears to be! I assumed from glancing at it in passing, that it was a Day-Use-Park where families could have picnic fun and walk a family-friendly trail – I was surprised to see tents and RV’s everywhere this afternoon.

I took a cross-over-backroad into Rainier from the park, and will not be doing that again! Bob had driven that road in the truck, but things are different in a car - even a car designed for off-road travel: the pot holes were deep enough to fall into, and the road was poorly maintained - I seriously worried about the car's chassis!

Back in WA, I decided to stop at Winco and grab a couple cases of water. When I saw the store had restocked their shelves with actual ‘worth going to the store’ items again (instead of the slap-dash and over-priced items that had previously greeted my eyes since inslee’s decrees), I was delighted … and I also bought food stuffs and TP, to restock at home – I’m not really running low; but since there seems no real end to inslee’s demoncrat party-line-mandates, I figured I’d better get what I can get while it’s available so I can eat healthy, and wipe my butt, if at some time in the future months stores are closed to the unmasked people like me. The obamanite puppets are determined to have a prolonged perpetual ‘shutdown mandate’ forever. I don’t think they ever plan to reopen the States until they can permanently reign with an iron fist, and control the pliant masses:

Restocking my pantry. I didn’t need anything specific, so I bought food stuffs that appealed to me and looked interesting. As you can see – I like color! Even with my food ;-)

While I was shopping, I got a text from the grandkids asking if there was anywhere to set off fireworks: they were hoping for Willow Grove beachfront – I said I’d check it out (no go). The 4^th of July celebration at Lake Sacajawea has been canceled due to the coronavirus, and places to set off fireworks is practically nonexistent in Longview – there would be no problem if I still lived in the country; but I don’t, so now there is a problem.

But, we’ll find somewhere …

New sign at Willow Grove.

Obviously 1 Park Rule concerning trail is are not being obeyed.

2 ships waiting to dock at Longview’s Port. I noticed when I crossed the Bridge that there were 2 or 3 anchored ships on the upper end of the river too.

Can’t read the name on this ship – and zooming the pic up at home wasn’t helpful either.

Hammock loungers look settled in for a cozy afternoon.

Tomorrow I will be hiking in Oregon.

Maybe the walk will help me think of someplace to set off fireworks to celebrate the birth of our Nation.

Dovetailing the past with the present ;-)

MASK MANDATE & TOPPLING JESUS

Another mask mandate from inslee ... and another refusal from me. The recent useless, politically motivated, and OVERT RACIST mandate, is not okay with me; and it should not be okay with anyone. The mandate is illegal and directly goes against our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

I resent strangers telling me that I am “elderly and need the government to keep me safe” – I’m 63 … I may be considered old, but I’m still pretty active and have all my faculties in working order: I am fully capable of taking care of myself on every level necessary to live a full and functionable life; I can take care of myself without inslee’s help – I’ve been taking care of myself all my life … and doing pretty well ;-)

I am not elderly in any sense of the word: and I really resent being labeled by talking head politicians that know absolutely nothing about me.

inslee didn’t say a word when protestors took the streets of Washington State by storm – 99% of the screamers WITHOUT MASKS; at CLOSE PROXIMITY to one another – and screaming in the faces of those they hate. He didn’t say anything when Seattle went up in flames: again, the arsonists were not wearing masks as they crazily danced around the flames with gleeful insanity. He didn’t say anything when anarchists seized 6 BLOCKS OF DOWNTOWN SEATTLE and set up their own kingdom – roaming the highways and byways with bats and guns … without masks in evidence. For months he didn’t say anything about people eschewing masks.

This new mandate is ridiculousness; it’s just more demoncrat muscle flexing that is meaningless.

inslee is crazy – and he’s a cowardly liar.

For him to say he’s “never heard of” chaz – or chop – or whatever the hell they are calling themselves this week … is crazy thinking and crazy talk: the whole world is aware of them – they’ve been covered by every media source available and broadcast to hell and back. It is clear that this new mandate is politically motivated. And it’s very racist. I am not going to be forced to do it.

I do not need the government babysitting me and telling me how to live my life. I refuse to wear a mask – I don’t care if I get arrested..

I.a.m.n.o.t.w.e.a.r.i.n.g..a.m.a.s.k. Period.

Only old white people are forced to wear the masks ... Violation of the statewide mask order is punishable by 90 days in jail and/$1,000 fine.

(https://people.com/health/washington-governor-makes-face-masks-mandatory/) 

New mandate is RACIST, POLITICAL, AND INSULTING. Either everyone has to wear a mask … or no one has to wear a mask. This new mandate is unlawful.

There is a LOT going on in America right now - Americans and American leadership should be paying attention to those issues instead of focusing on election season mask mandate ridiculousness.

Americans are being pranked by Election year political games being played by demoncrats across the board.

Caught in the web of covid-19 panic mode and political hysteria spoon-fed to them 24/7 by politically biased {news sources}, people are still not fully back to work; and businesses are not yet fully opened – and they won’t be if the demoncrats have their way. The demoncrats intend to keep America shut down and Americans under their thumbs until November 3^rd, 2020 … and for the foreseeable future if President Trump gets another 4 years in Office. The demoncrats don’t care if they destroy America, the American economy, or the Americans – they are drunk on hate, and like any petulant drunk … there is no reasoning with them. They are on a destructive tear and won’t stop until they destroy themselves and everyone around them.

The terrorist black panther/islamic domestic terrorist organization blm, is getting bolder and bolder in their criminal behavior and asinine demands. And the demoncrat House, rhino repubs, State governors & mayors are content to give them full rein to wreak havoc on communities, and terrorize anyone they set in their sights.

As an American, it offends me that blm is given so much freedom to destroy Historical American property that belongs to ALL Americans to learn from – the good and the bad; it’s ALL important as learning tools.

As a Christian, their childish and animalistic behavior doesn’t really affect me. They need spanked hard and soundly … but spanking has been outlawed in America – hence the rise of petulant brats that will never be satisfied.

The main goal of blm – spurred on by barak hussain obama and encouraged/applauded by the largely muslim infiltrated House is to destroy America and terrorize Christians.

These are dangerous games - the demoncrat aimless political mandates cost lives, they cost jobs ... they will cost Americans their country; and THAT is the real game being played. If Americans do not wake up, we will lose our Nation to the muslim sector – who, barak hussain obama claims “settled America”: these people are dangerously deranged, and drunk on the racist swill obama feeds them: obama is their kingpin and he just keeps the race-baiting hate flowing in their direction.

Both obamas are hateful people with ties to terrorist organizations, movements, and beliefs. Both obamas fully embrace - and carry out Anti-American sentiments and activities; applauding, encouraging, and participating in race-baiting; fanning the flames of racism into raging infernos across America.

MPO is that we are quickly moving towards the wrapping up of life on Earth – all signs point in that direction: escalating crime, with no remorse whatsoever (including murder of unborn babies); lack of love (plenty of twisted lust, but very little actual love; either agape or pathos); hatred of Almighty God – and the rise of 1-world-religion (church leaders are now joining with pagans and other religions to create a Godless religion that satisfies everyone – this has been foretold); lack of respect toward the aging and elderly sector of society; rebellious children hating/abusing their parents; breakdown of society in general; wars and rumors of wars; political talking-head-figures promising peace and bringing about chaos. Hate seems to be what fuels 99% of the population today: love seems to have been smothered nearly out of existence by the weedier and seedier side of a twisted culture in society. Civilization appears to be disappearing before our very eyes.

Are we now in “The End of Days” time? We are possibly in the middle of that time-frame … the end game will be when the Israeli Temple is rebuilt and daily sacrifices are established.

For the first time in our History, pastors claiming to be Christians, are joining with other religious leaders – including pagan practitioners – to form a religion that tickles the ears and panders to fleshly lusts, in order to satisfy everyone under the umbrella of {inclusion}: the vineyard {ministries} is spearheading this hellish inclusiveness. Unfortunately, those people are still not saved … and are happily on the road to Hell, all too willing to be lied to and led astray because they refuse to acknowledge sin as sin.

Those people will come to face to face with the Hell they refuse to acknowledge as a realty (the wages of sin, is death – death leads to Hell); and those unscrupulous and scurrilous religious leaders will have to answer to the One True God: the God they have openly mocked and led people away from: those lost people’s blood is on their dirty hands.

The dismissing of Almighty God from America and from the lives of Americans, is what has led us to where we now are in this once great Nation.

The hand of Elohim on America is why our Nation prospered – kicking Him to the curb was our downfall.

Watching America come apart at the seams is not fun for me. It is sad to watch America in freefall. I am connected to America both as a native American (I carry Blackfoot blood in my veins); and I have family ties to George Washington, the revolutionary who freed the colonies from Britain and who later became the first President of America: my mother’s maiden name was Ball, and we can trace our lineage directly to George Washington. My roots to this great Nation run deep.

It hurts my heart to see what the disastrous legacy of the racist obama years is doing to America. It hurts my heart that Americans are not finding their voices and saying, “we will not allow this to happen to our country.”

The obamas, obamanites, and islam – everything in America is seriously unbalanced right now in this insane – and inflammatory – racist environment: obama and his obamanites need to be shut down. ASAP

Honest-to-God, real Christians, understand what is happening – they know that this 1-world-religion is not Holy. And we know that is has to come before Yeshua comes for His Bride. We have waited our whole life for this moment.

Death does not frighten us – our earthen vessels will die, but our spirits will be set free. Our eyes are on Yeshua, our Bridegroom … and we yearn for our heavenly Home, where peace will reign forevermore.

We only live on Earth for the time being – and I had a wonderful life on Earth with the husband Elohim blessed me with for 44 years; but Earth is not my forever Home.

My forever Home is beyond the clouds, where Bob now dwells: and where Yeshua will soon take me.

What is happening on Earth, in the moment is sad for me to watch because I know that all those people thinking they will be granted special favors are going to be treated badly by their handlers … and thrown aside like the evening’s trash. But they refuse to listen to reason because their minds have been given over to the darkness they willingly embrace. Reality will be a shock to them.

Christians, on the other hand, understand that we may – at some point – be murdered for our Christian Faith. With the rise of islam in America; and the rabid insane hatred for Christianity getting a firm foothold in America … that day is getting closer and closer.

I’ve been ready for that moment all my life: I don’t dwell on it, but I am aware that I could be murdered for my Faith at any given moment, and I have prepared myself for that eventuality. I had always hoped that my children would not be the ones that would cause my death, but given the lifestyle and politics they embrace, that hope is slowly dwindling; I fear now (not in an anxious fear, but in a calm knowing type of understanding) that American Christians – me included – will see a 1-world-religion rise to power, such as happened in Nazi Germany … only Scripture tells us that it will be worse, much worse (like nothing ever experienced before) in the time-frame we are seeing played out now.

Our children do not share our Faith – they see no value whatsoever in the salvation of Yeshua, and they think I am “stupid to believe in a 2000 year old dead religion”. They openly mock me, ridicule me … and they have on occasion, shunned me – and treated me very badly out of fear for their own welfare during times of political whirlwinds. Like now. But so far, they have not yet reported me to the government authorities (basically because we are not yet at that point in time). We’re getting to that point in America, but we haven’t got here yet.

America is at the point where barak hussain obama labeled – and passed into Law, during his 8 year coup – that “Christians are domestic terrorists” … and demoncrat governors, using the covid-19 hype as cover, issued mandates that Christians were forbidden to gather together to worship or fellowship – and if they did so, law enforcement would take down their car license numbers and report them as lawbreakers. IN AMERICA! Where muslim obamanites, and socialist/communist anarchists, can burn cities down, burn churches down, mock the President for holding a Bible in front of a church, and terrorize ‘white Christian’ neighborhoods. Christianity in America is forbidden to be acknowledged, practiced, or spoken about (I am a righteous rebel – I refuse to be silent); while islam is praised and allowed to be practiced. I just pray now that when that day does arrive, I don’t witness any member of my immediate family singling me out for prosecution/death; and that my physical beheading death comes to a swift and painless end: Scripture tells us that we will be “beheaded for The Faith”.

islam is the only religion on the face of the Earth that beheads those who refuse to bow to it.

But, if I do have to see my betrayal, and my accusers; I trust Elohim to give me peace of acceptance and forgiveness for them because they will not understand what they are doing – they will believe they are doing what is right and best for their county (also foretold in Scripture). Just like the people of Nazi Germany believed they were doing what was right and best for their country when they sent millions of Jews and Christian parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends to death camps to be “exterminated like vermin”.

Bob & I talked about that possibility. And Bob even commented a month or so before he ended up in ER in 2018, facing his physical death, that he was thinking we may be in the ‘wrapping up stage’ of life on Earth. We had hoped to leave earth together, but Bob ended up going Home before me, in mid-December of 2018.

No matter what happens during this hellish and chaotic time in America – I intend to live my life to the fullest for as long as I have my life to live. I’m not going to let the fear-mongers steal my joy and make me quake in my shoes. I am going to embrace life, and live in the moment; trusting Elohim to bathe my life with the peace that passes all understanding – every second of every day for as long as He grants me life to live.

I’m not shocked at what is unfolding before my eyes.

I’m not freaked out – I’ve been expecting this all my life. I was saved at 8 years of age, and I knew then that this day would eventually come; in my lifetime.

I refuse to live in fear.

I have asthma, I refuse to have my breathing hampered with a mask.

I refuse to let the racist dregs of society force me into hiding.

I refuse to allow wickedness and evilness to color my world a depressing blackness of hopelessness.

I refuse to let the enemy win. I’m ready to step off this earth and be with Bob and Yeshua beyond the clouds – whenever that takes place.

And I find it ironically comical – in a sad sense – that the demoncrats are insisting that their brainless candidate, biden, chose “a woman” VP – obama did away with gender, and insisted on 150+ terms to eradicate male and female identities! He effectively erased “male” and “female” from the American language. So, for the obamaites to insist on a female VP is laughable since referring to anyone as a “female” is now considered ‘hate speech’.

The genderless women the demoncrats are demanding be considered, are ALL decidedly Anti-American in thought, action, and deed; and that’s who will be running this county is biden is placed in the White House.

biden is not capable of running this country.

he can’t even put 2 words together: he’s lost his mind. biden is in the grip of the onset of dementia. It’s sad to watch as they parade him out there before the cameras – and they all should be ashamed of themselves. biden can’t talk – he can’t think straight: he looks like walking death. he’s a frail old man, whose mind is gone. he doesn’t look healthy at all; he doesn’t sound heathy – he doesn’t act healthy: he should really be in a nursing home getting the care he needs … and that may be why he’s been holed up in his basement for months.

It’s sad to watch. But, of course, the demoncrats are determined to get a woman seated as prez … and a woman of color, at that. They will settle for nothing less. Even at the shameless public disintegration of their current political tool

With everything the demoncrats have done for the past 2 decades, I honestly do not recognize anything about America anymore. People used to be compassionate and have empathy – that’s gone now: obama and his minions have stomped that into a bloody pulp. People are behaving like animals. That’s sad; that’s sad to see.

Getting back to the masks … I am not going to wear one. People can come around me – or not; I really don’t care. But with everything that has transpired these past weeks – everything that inslee has allowed to happen, it’s glaringly obvious that masks were never important during the hell weeks. And they aren’t truly important now, except as political talking points. I don’t know anyone who is going to be wearing a mask – people are fed up with the election year gaming at their expense. The demoncrats have overplayed their weak hand, and stayed too long at a losing game.

For lunch I am eating the last of Bob's stash of Roast Beef ramen.

Bob love ramen, and would buy it in cases. About this time last year, I opened the cupboard and came face to face with the case of ramen noodles Bob had bought just weeks before he ended up in ER ... it was almost my undoing. I had a good cry - missed Bob desperately - then dried my eyes and determined to eat every last one of those things ... even though they nauseate me (I like the chicken noodles, just not the beef); so today I am eating the last one.

Bob always added veggies to his noodles - he got that from me ;-) Today I added carrots, red onion, and snow peas.

I found this disk in the car's zipped leather disk holder - why Bob put it there, I can't imagine. Maybe he was given it at some point and the safest place to keep it from getting scratched - at that particular point in time - was the disk holder.

I'm curious ... so I'm going to slip it into the laptop player and see what's on it: I know Bob will be on it because this is no doubt a remembrance disk of a family gathering.

I can't wait to see his handsome face again!

And I am sure, I will be crying for a while ...

A picture moment of that family gathering. Bob and his middle sister, Bonnie w-great nephew, Christopher. Bob was always laughing - he was a happy man.

I love you, Babe.

Always ~ OX

SUNDAY~FUNDAY #12 – FATHER’S DAY DAYTRIP/WILLIPA RIVER TRAIL

The morning was sunny and warm, and it was a holiday – so I dressed accordingly; I wore a nice turquoise outfit (Bob isn’t here, but he still sees me), and sandals. I didn’t get fancy with my hair because I knew my hair would be blown all over the place: an open moon-roof was in the plans ;-)

I started this year’s Father’s Day off with a visit to Eden Valley before making my daytrip drive (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-man-in-my-life.html).

I got a little rain on the windshield around Stella area, but by the time I made Bunker Hill, the sun was back in play – and hung around all day long :-D

Other than having a tearful one-sided-heart-to-heart chat at the cemetery; the day – and my adventures as the day unfurled – progressed pleasantly.

Backroad out of Naselle that starts the planned loop roadtrip - the blue sky was making promises and luring me forward.

Every time I drive this stretch of road, memories of my stepfather asking us what we’d like to hear him slip into the 8-track player runs through my thoughts and I smile. “Cream” & “Spooky Tooth” were the choices :-D

CREAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ0IIk1NTAk&list=PLzEG2f9QAl8Mwj8gHT7Chn1ZcCDjZGYve&index=2

SPOOKY TOOTH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD5DbKdx0AE&list=PL94gOvpr5yt1o3fQx66cqoPd8VD1b15ZP&index=2

Raymond turnoff: the road that starts my loop roadtrip :-D

Restaurant was open; Bush Pioneer Park was closed - I'll come back when the Park is opened to walk the trail there.

Oyster Bed Markers - no ducks to be seen this time :-(

Driving this stretch of road, you just pray you don’t meet traffic coming at you.

The little patch of highway at Bone River (and crossing the Astoria Megler Bridge) are scenic … but, they are deadly views because the headwinds and crosswinds are brutally strong – they physically move vehicles when they blow in and butt up against vehicles. Both scenic routes are treacherous travel points.

Nice outfit for a holiday outing, but it was unsuited for adventuring!

Walking the Willapa River Trail.

A DEER!

I’ve walked through an elk herd 24 years ago – I was walking the dogs one cold winter night with my infant granddaughter bundled warm and snug under my heavy coat, strapped to my chest in one of those Johnny-Jumper thingees: it was foggy and I did not realize I was in the midst of the herd until the fog thinned and I saw I was surrounded on all sides with about 30 elk! Once I realized the fix I was in, I told the dogs they better be as good as gold and not make a sound (I was scared: elk are as large as a horse, and I had my precious baby with me!) … one bark from either of the dogs could cause a panic in the herd and a stampede would not turn out well; the dogs were good, and we passed safely; but, I’ve never walked with deer: I've never even be close to a deer - they usually bound away quickly.

I was curious about how long the deer would let me trail it.

It was a pretty cool adventure :-D

FUN!

Indecisive deer …

I followed the deer about 4 minutes before it decided to get shuck of me. I'm glad it didn't spook easy - a skittish animal can be a dicey situation.

Deer, deer … everywhere, is deer.

People lay on their horns trying to make the meandering deer give them passage, but that’s stupid because the horns blaring could scare the deer and end up with a deer through the windshield – best thing to do is stop and let the deer pass. Safer for people: safer for the deer.

Coming into the river area of the walk, the muddy smell of the wetlands was strong – not offensive, but unmistakable.

A scenic perch ...

South Bend Highway crosses over Skidmore Slough … the slough empties into the Willapa River, which the trail runs along.

An abandoned boat.

Kinda sad to see the hill being denuded to make space for houses; but people have to have somewhere to live. Towns and cities are filling up fast.

Use your imagination :-D

Wild roses, blackberry brambles, and Devil’s Club shrub. The Devil’s Club is native to the Pacific Northwest, and thrives in the rainforest environments of Washington State – by the ocean, as well as in the mountains: Devil's Club gets HUGE in Box Canyon in Mt. Rainier National Park.

Washington State receives so much rainfall, and has such a high percentage of humidity, that it qualifies as a “rainforest ecosystem”. Everything in our rainforest environment grows tall and large … including the men and women; I am dwarfed by everything; and everyone. But I grew a flexible attitude in this rainforest environment that is tall, useful, and noticeable ;-)

Marsh flowers – I researched them when I got home, but never could track down what they actually are …

Horseshoe shaped inlet.

Tansy Ragwort & White Morning Glory wildflowers.

Interesting bark on this tree.

Enjoyable walk; peaceful and laid-back.

Holey piling.

Eagle in Flight sight ;-)

Wild sweet-pea vine & scotch broom wildflowers.

Vetter’s Vet Clinic - I can still picture the room where Tyson was restitched, and the humor on Bob's face at the Dr's fear of our little furry beast; who could become a terror - and that why he got snipped ;-)(https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/04/sundayfunday-9-7-12-hr-loop-daytrip.html)

I think this is a hogweed. Google really is not very helpful.

Erosion - I tried not to dwell on the "what if's".

Briny water.

Purple Vetch vine.

This swimming duck caught my eye, but I couldn’t figure out why its back end was so elongated: AND THEN …

I saw, as it got closer ... that it was a Mama duck with 7 trailing babies bobbling on the waves; closely behind her!

Willow, blackberries, wild roses, and cattails: ALL medicinal & food source wild plants.

I’ve never seen cattails look like these ones; they are very strange looking.

They look like they’ve been covered with a hard-setting foam substance.

There was nothing at all soft and delicate about them! They appeared to be very hard – not brittle, but coated with a hard-set substance. Very strange.

Wild cucumber vine & fruit; these fruits are not edible – they just contain 4 large seeds inside that drop to the ground to start new plants when the fruit bursts.

Orange hawkweed.

Horrible stench!

1½ mile point.

I was coughing and sneezing – and my eyes were burning!

EVERY OLFACTORY SENSE WAS TRIGGERED, but I did not need to use my inhaler - ((((thank YOU, Yeshua))))!

SCION Biochemical Inc., is supposedly a ‘medical laboratory’ … but the stench is aggressively oppressive >:-p

Little wild Bellis daisies. I love wild daisies :-D

Buttercups & White Clover.

A speeding boat broke the tranquility, but it was Father’s Day …

Scotch Broom.

An interesting pink flower in the berry bramble; I did a google search when I got home, but couldn’t find out what it was.

Thistle.

Purple Clover & Scotch Broom.

Salmon Berry - tart; good to eat.

Foot blister.

Spiraea.

Common weed; don’t know the name of it. Google was not helpful.

Google is only a good search engine IF you already KNOW WHAT you know … it is worthless in actually helping you learn anything.

Patch of white Foxgloves. Pure, White foxgloves are rare.

At first glance, it looked like there were 2 Hippos in the field … but when they separated, they appeared to be 2 fat Shetland-Donkey breeds. A zoomed view at home shows that they are basically just 2 fat little donkeys ;-)

Deer were everywhere – all the time. Most are fearless.

Spotted Touch-Me-Not flowers; they are like little orchids on a vine.

Restrooms were open at Thriftway - my jostled bladder was happy; Trailhead Restrooms are closed.

I walked 3 miles of the Willapa River Trail, which is also part of the Willapa Hills Trail, as the Willapa Hills Trailhead starts at the restroom end of the Willapa River Trail; for a while, I wasn’t sure which trail I was walking – leave it to Raymond, WA to complicate things.

The Willapa River Trail starts in South Bend, and ends at the Raymond Thriftway store. This is a true Solo Lobo Adventure - Bob and I never did this together; we had driven through here together ... but we never walked this trail at this point. There was a LOT to see packed into the short 3 miles I walked. Next time I walk it, I will wear my hiking sneakers ;-)

The Willapa Trail starts in South Bend and ends up in Chehalis – 56 miles of backcountry hiking through South Bend, Raymond, Menlo, Lebam, Pe Ell, Rainbow Falls State Park, Adna, and Chehalis (Bob and I walked a few miles of the trail from the Chehalis end).

I came home from Pe Ell via Boisfort  - and I learned something new looking at this Map: I can try a new route next time by breezing straight thru Pe Ell to Adna, and home via Napavine ... it'll be longer, but I'll be able to nip into Frosty's (if they're open) and grab some yummy garlic fries :-D

Happy bladder, brushed hair; open moonroof, blaring stereo … laidback drive home ;-)

Menlo was the first place I could safely pull over to the side of the road to open the car’s moonroof and slip a music disc in the disc player – I chose Los Lonely Boys: no particular reason, I just hadn’t played it for a while and was in the mood …

It was a 6 hour day: it was an adventurous fun day – and a long round trip drive back home – but I got out of the house, honored my husband, and I treated myself with a much-needed backroads daytrip outing faaar away from crazed virus hysteria and hateful media political hype.

Thank you, Yeshua, for the fun adventure of walking with the deer; it made my solo adventuring a fun experience – and thank you for keeping my lungs safe (no asthma attack), no allergy complications; and thank You, getting me home safely after my stupidity of walking 3 miles in sandals not crafted for hiking comfort ;-)

**SUNDAY~FUNDAY POSTS (2020) –

#11- https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/06/sundayfunday-11-kalama-waterfront-walk.html

#10 - https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020/05/sundayfunday-10.html

#9 – https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2020_04_27_archive.html (plus 1st thru 8th SUNDAY~FUNDAY links)**