July 18, 2016 – Drive from Ellensburg to Olympia, Washington

Our first stop was to get gas.  While I was filling the tank, Debbie noticed a trio of workmen trying to eliminate a large puddle of water … with a shovel and leaf blower … not too successfully.

As we drove out of the gas station, she alluded to the fact that only men could dream up such a silly scheme and that perhaps with a woman in charge success might be possible!

Leaving Ellensburg, we continued through farm country

and ranches where horses roamed the open ranges.

While we spotted just one sign for Hillary, her opponent’s signs were seemingly everywhere.

While I missed them, Debbie attain spotted a small group of deer,

A seat belt warning sign … I guess they’re trying to fix “stupid”,

Continuing west, we caught our first glimpses of some of the higher, snow-speckled Cascades.

With Mt. Stuart’s 9,415’ peak shrouded by low hanging clouds.

Meanwhile we passed a young (non-inmate) crew cleaning the I-90 roadside of litter.

In the spirit of creating new titles to make people feel better, the State of Washington invented a description for these volunteers.

Fortunately, the I-90 corridor through the Cascades does not have any great elevations to surmount and routed us through Snoqualmie Pass where the height of land is at just 3,015 feet and where, in the winter, snows can really pile up!

(obviously an Internet photo)

Fortunately, it’s mid-July with temperatures in the high 60s was gentle, although we found ourselves again flirting with the bases of the clouds. 

After cresting the pass, we began a 25 mile downgrade where we dropped just shy of ½ mile before exiting I-90 onto WA-80 and then on to I-5 just north of Tacoma … where we caught sight of the magnificent spire of Holy Rosary Church which opened its doors in 1891.

Arriving in Olympia, Debbie spied the State Capitol’s dome (we plan to visit there on Thursday).

Our campground is amazing.  We are presently parked

amid giant Douglas Firs which soar upwards to 100 feet.

Our 12 ½ foot high motor home seems dwarfed among these giants.

A couple of hundred yards away, but still on the property are also two American Barbados Black-bellied Sheep

The Barbados Blackbelly is a breed of domestic sheep from the Caribbean island of Barbados. Although it is likely the Barbados Blackbelly has African ancestry, there seems to be clear evidence that the breed, as seen today, was developed by the people on the island from sheep brought by ships fairly early in the period after Europeans first arrived.  This breed is raised primarily for meat.  They are able to tolerate heat and exhibit more stamina than most breeds of sheep. They are fleet of foot and in many ways resemble deer. They are "hair sheep," which means they do not grow wool but have coarse hair instead. If raised in cooler climates, they often develop a wool undercoat that they shed in the spring.

a brown and white breasted hybrid with grey beak duck

a hen with fifteen week old chicks (who remained out-of-sight in a shelter) and a handsome black copper marans rooster which actually woke Debbie during a quick afternoon nap.

Tomorrow we have tickets for a tour of the Boeing manufacturing plant just outside Everett, Washington.