Wake up to the mostly-overcast skies of Walla Walla,
but it could be worse: not much fog or rain, and -- while cold -- no freezing temperatures or snow.
So off again to Starbucks
then
the pull west,
along 12,
again through Lowden and
Touchet,
touching
down
to
Wallula Junction,
but then Cascade-ward,
over the Columbia,
lonely
Benton
County,
yet
once
more
against
the Horse Heaven Anticline (Cow Hell Syncline?),
fog
frost
anon
upon
each
limb,
sky
clearing
and
Canyons
rising
up
Yakima
River
Valley,
up
the
Ellensburg
Divide,
contouring
above
a
major
declivity
to
the
northeast,
over
Manastash
Ridge
(2672),
towards
the
Bar 14
Ranch
House.
back
on
90,
ascending
past
Cle Elum,
spectacular ridges
and
ominous clouds looming,
along the shores of the
Lake Keechelus
Snowshed,
compromised visibility at Snoqualmie Pass,
ice,
misty
mounts
downslope
into
ruburban
Seattle,
across
watery
Washington,
north
on
5
to
another branch of the
coffee empire,
meeting up with Nathan and
Claire,
who guide us
to our
overnight
accomodations...
a
palatial
houseboat,
a
floating
mansion
on
the
east
bank
of
Union,
with
panoramic
views
within
and
without.
From here,
it's
off
to
the
Center with Harriet and grandchild,
through the Armory,
beneath
dancing,
for
ice
skating,
where
our
young charge
proves a natural;
then
International Fountain viewing in the chill night air,
hot drinks at yet a third familiar-and-continued-amazingly-overcrowded situation,
towards a climax of quirky Space Needle fireworks ... Happy New Year!... continuing at markalburger-2014.blogspot.com.
