Dry Falls and Sun Lakes

 "And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth."  Genesis 8:13.

In 2018 I went on an excursion with the Washington Native Society to Dry Falls and Sun Lakes State Park in eastern Washington to see one of the native orchids of Washington, an orchid that is rare elsewhere but very abundant in the park.  We visited the area around Sun Lakes and then went on to Lake Lenore and explored the old Indian caves there.  The wildflowers were at their peak and we also looked for an found the orchid and a beautiful Mariposa Lily that grows in the drier eastern areas of Washington.

Dry Falls Overlook

Wildflowers

Stream Orchid

Bullock's Oriole

Damselfly

More Wildflowers

Umatilla Rock

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily

More Wildflowers

Umatilla Rock and Area

Scorpion

Lake Lenore

Lake Lenore Caves

Newman Lake on Snowshoes

"He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth."

In late February and early March we made two snowshoeing excursions to Newman Lake, east of Spokane.  Each time we took one of our grandsons and introduced them to snowshoeing.  As an introduction to snowshoeing, the trail to Newman Lake is relatively easy and ends on the shore of the lake near Turtle Rock.  There is a shelter there where we had our lunch each time before heading back to civilization and warmth.  The first time we went the sun was shining, the second time it was cloudy and gray and snowing, but both excursions were worthwhile.

February 21

 Turtle Rock

March 2

Turtle Rock