The real (reconstructed) blockhouse at Ft. Simcoe

Traders at Ft. Simcoe

This mural depicts traders arriving at F.t Simcoe. Watch tomorrow to compare the blockhouse with the real thing.

Smoking Salmon

This mural depicts the traditional fishing and smoking of salmon by the Yakama people.

Advertising Mural

Most of the paintings in the mural city of Toppenish are historical scenes and personages. This is one of the exceptions. Though I imagine the costume is historically accurate for some period in the town's history, it makes me wonder the profession of the model.

Huckleberry

At the nearby Heritage Restaurant--part of the Yakama Nation Cultural Center in Toppenish--huckleberry tops the dessert menu. My choice was huckleberry pie, my daughter ordered a huckleberry sundae, and a couple of the boys had huckleberry floats made with huckleberry ice cream and huckleberry soda. The Heritage is the only place I have found huckleberry soda.

Ding! Ding!

Trolley rides leave from the Yakima Electric Railroad Museum on summer weekends.

teapot

Technical difficulties lately so here's a bit of deja vu from here. The Teapot in Zillah was built as a protest during the Teapot Dome Scandal in the late 20s. It served as a filling station for many years, was moved for a time to Naches, and later returned to near Zillah, where it was once again set up as a filling station. Out of business now, it awaits eventually to be moved into town as part of Zillah's heritage.

100 Year Portrait

Grandview is one hundred years old this year. This past Saturday the streets in the center of town were blocked off for the taking of a Community Portrait". Grandview Fire Department's Laddeer 18 engine was ready for the photographer, Teresa Kollmar, to climbe to the top to take the photo. According to last week's local paper, "Kollmar has already had a 'practice climb' last week near Grandview Middle School with instructions from Grandview firefighters so she won't fall off the ladder when reaching out to snap the shot."

It was a good thing they didn't ask me to take it.

Another interesting Sunnyside sculpture

...celebrating the dairy industry in the Valley. That is my assumption, as there is no plaque offering an explanation.

Other heritage scupltures in Sunnyside were featured in some of my first YVDP posts here and here.

I had never noticed...

We passed this corner in Sunnyside the other day, and I saw something I had never noticed as long as we have lived in the Valley and despite the fact that for eleven years I worked just half a block down the street.

Keep your eyes open--you never know what you might learn.

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.

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.

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.