Looking down at the playground

More playground

This is not today

I haven't been back out to Dykstra Park since I took these on Saturday, but I think it is now all mud beneath the playground.

Bye, Snowy

Remember my snowman?

Sun's out--time for a run

Catching a chance for a run between storms on the pathway at Dykstra Park in Grandview.

So what do they do...

...with the snow that gets plowed up in your area?

Wishing you a neighborly Christmas

We met up with this gentleman walking down the street with a snow shovel as we made our way to church this morning. My guess: he had been out to shovel the walk of an elderly neighbor.

A Christmas Message

Unto us is born our savior, Christ the Lord.

A Blessed and Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

Do be careful

You don't want these flashing State Patrol lights to be flashing for you.

Enough snow now

Consider the following:

1. I grew up in Southern California and except for once when I was two years old there was no snow where I lived, so I have no background in snowman building.

2. THIS SNOW WOULD NOT PACK!!! It is so dry and fluffy it just falls apart.

Those are my reasons that my snowman is so pathetic, and I'm sticking to them.

This is just the start of something big.

Neon Cinema

Lots of new movies out this week and next.
In the summertime, when the AC is straining to deal with a week or so of 105º F. we see quite a few movies just to stay cool. That's obviously not a problem now.

Nightlit

Cross in front of Holy Family Catholic Church on Tieton Dr.

Another parade?

Apparently there was another parade somewhere in the Yakima area tonight as this decorated Coca Cola truck zipped by me on Yakima Avenue.

After the Parade

The Union Gap parade took place the evening we went to teh Arboretum.

and Yakima's Christmas Snowflakes

or are they stars?

Downtown Yakima on a starting to snow evening

Luminaria

We went to the Yakima Arboretum for the Luminaria Walk last night. Unfortunately, the wind and snow apparently extinguished most of the luminarias. I had hoped for awesome photos. We did get to hear the St. Paul's Fifth Grade choir sing. I hadn't seen the kids since I retired.

Millennium Arts Plaza - 3

This Yakama berry basket is among the artifacts represented in the Millennium Plaza. (The city is Yakima, the Indian Nation is Yakama.)
This is one of the placques offered in explanation--though a good story, it does not seem to relate to the artifact. I guess the berry basket would be full when the horse's head is up.

Millennium Arts Plaza - 2

Perhaps this view gives a better angle of the overall design of the plaza than yesterday's post.

Millennium Arts Plaza - 1

Dedicated in 2003, the Millennium Arts Plaza presents Yakima area history with artifacts representing many phases of Valley life. You can see the corner of the Capital Theater and the same Christams apple decoration across the street. this one will enlarge if you click.

Another View

The Yakima Community Christmas tree sits across the street from the Capital Theater in Millennium Plaza. I'm sure the tree looks more impressive in the dark when the lights are lit. You can see Monday's Christmas Apple at the far left of the picture. More Millennium Plaza in the next few days.

Yakima's Capital Theater

The Capital Theater is the center of culture for central Washington. With more than 150 events a year, it serves up programs including plays for school children, civic events, lectures, Broadway musicals, the Yakima Symphony and the Yakima Youth Symphany.

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Upocoming programe include Seeney Todd, The Lord of the Dance, The Veleveteen Rabbit, and a Yakima Youth Symphany concert.

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The next time we attend a show there, I will take my camera, as the interior is spectacular.

Christmas Apples

Yakima's Christmas Apple decorations throw and apple shadow on the nearby business.

Parade entry

We weren't able to go to Sunnyside's annual "lighted farm implement parade" last night, but earlier in the day we did see this new pickup being readied for the event. A lot of cities have lighted parades during the Christmas season, but so far as I know, Sunnyside is the only one where the emphasis is on all sorts of tractors, harvesters, sprayers--anything to do with agriculture. Yes, there are a few floats from local organizations and nearby communities, a fire engine or two, and maybe a Model T--but most of the entries are usually found in the field.

Breakfast

I popped through my old breakfast stomping grounds this morning. Before I retired, I drove through here for a Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich two or three days a week. At my early commute time it was not as busy as this. Sometimes I miss my morning sandwich and the friendly folks who serve them up at the window.

PhotoHunt is doing the theme of Breakfast today. I usually do PhotoHunt posts at Katney's Kaboodle, but this seemed to fit today. To see more PhotoHunters, stop by at TnChick's blog.

Lunch

Have you tried Mongolian Grill? Pile your bowl high with your choices of ingredients, pass it to one of the cooks who will put it on the grill.

A tasty bowlful.

Shall I? Maybe not.

Playgrounds are so colorful these days!

Hoping

We are still away from the Valley, and hoping as I post this well ahead of time... ...that this photo taken one year and three days ago will not be the status until after we return tomorrow.

Theme Day for December: Circles

This is a circle not just because of the wheels on this irrigation system...
...but because of its result. Similar systems seen from the air...

...illustrate why it is called "Circle Irrigation."

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Railroad train without any cars

In the early 80s, the trains had long since quit coming through one line in Grandview, and the lovely old station was destined to be removed. An orthopedist purchased it and moved it to Sunnyside for his office. You can just barely notice a mock train track in the sidewalk around the building. *
The tracks of that particular line have been removed and part of the right of way is now a section of the Lower Valley Pathway.

One last view of the cattle chute

I was going to use this one for Skywatch, but the helicopters just called out to me.

Black Helicopters

My husband came in and said, "get your camera, there are black helicopters flying over the house." So I did.
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Sometimes--even after 41 years--I wonder about that man.
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Here the helicopters look like black spots in the sky. If you want to see them look a little more like helicopters, click on the photo and it will enlarge.
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You can find other Skywatch photos if you click to find the Skywatch site.

Another view of the old cattle chute

Cattle Chute

On our way back from Fort Simcoe, we found this old abandoned cattle loading chute. Cattle are still a big industry in the Valley, but apparently not on this spot.

Fort Simcoe #9

Looking back at Officer's Row on our way back to our car.

Fort Simcoe #8

The Commandant even had a rose garden. You can click this one to get a better look at the drawings of the landscape plan. (And a bigger glimpse of the blogger.)

Fort Simcoe #7

Things were a bit more elegant in the Officers' Row residences.

Fort Simcoe #6

Looking back to Officers' Row from the barracks.

Fort Simcoe #5--Canon looking up

Looking up into the sky from the canon wheel at Fort Simcoe.

Other Skywatch photos can be found by checking the links here.

Fort Simcoe #4

Up to 70 soldiers would sleep in bunks stacked two to three high int he barracks. The last of the original barraks burned in 1949. This replica was constructed by the Job Corps.

Fort Simcoe #3

This view across to the enlisted men's barracks was taken from the porch of one of the officers quarters.

Ft. Simcoe #2

The Blockhouse. Blockhouses were built at strategic spots for defense of the fort. This one is a reconstruction.

Fort Simcoe #1

We decided on an excursion to Fort Simcoe one day last month. Fort Simcoe was established in 1856 as a presence to keep control of the Indians in the area. Things had been tense since the treaty in 1855. A history can be found here.
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A suggestion: If you travel some 40 miles to visit a place, check ahead to make sure it is open. We visited about a week after the Fr. Simcoe State Park went into off-season hours. The gate was locked, but no one challenged us as we parked at the gate, ate our picnic lunch, and wandered the grounds on foot. There is a small visitor center with information which would have been open on the weekend.
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Ah, well. It just leaves reason to go again in the spring or summer.

headed Away from the Valley

We are heading out today with our tiny teardrop trailer for an adventure on our way to Arizona to spend Thanksgiving with our kids there.
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While we are gone, I have scheduled a series of pictures from our visit last month to Fort Simcoe to start tomorrow. I was going to post them earlier when the computer crashed. Fortunately, the hard drive was not compromised, but the pictures were unavailable until the other issues were dealt with.

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If I get any chances to get online during our adventure, you will find the travel posts at Katney's Kaboodle in coming days. If not, they will be there on our return. If you would like to see a bit more of our tiny trailer--look here where we were stopped at a rest area this summer, or here for a tour of the Little Guy.

Autumn Patchwork

Just over two months ago I posted the Valley's summer patchwork here.
Now you can have a glimpse of the fall (autumn) patchwork of fields near me.