God's Country Part 2

 JEJ took the dogs for a hike to Lake Ellen today. The weather was perfect for catching the colors of autumn, reflecting sun on the water,

and some peace and quiet. JEJ said he was the only person there.

The dogs loved their quality time at the lake.

Yes, I think he found God's Country Part 2 today.

God's Country

I gave the Sibling Assignment this week: "What do you consider 'God's Country' and why? Raymond Pert's will be here and Silver Valley Girl's will be here.

God's Country

–noun

1.	an area or region supposed to be favored by God, esp. a naturally beautiful rural area.

2.	an isolated rural area.

3.	one's native region.

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 I would consider many parts of the Inland Empire of eastern Washington, northern Idaho and eastern Oregon God's Country. When I surveyed my photo files recently, Lake Chelan displayed its beauty in the early spring of the year in 2008 as an area I am sure is favored by God! It is also one's native region. JEJ grew up in the area.  We even took a rural road and found the land that he lived on as a child. The house was gone, but he remembered the location.

Annie loved Lake Chelan and it was her God's Country because it was a country full of squirrels for her to be obsessed over. The sunrise reflecting on the early morning lake was a beautiful sight in the early morning from the campground.

Lake Chelan in the early spring is quiet and untouched. When we were there snow was still melting and there were five of us at the campground. Two people on bicycles showed up later. We could walk the shoreline, sit by the fire,and  photograph sunrises and sunsets.It was a place I would consider God's Country. I look forward to returning again during the early spring or fall of the year.

Traveling Through Time With The Photo Box

My sister Silver Valley Girl is visiting this week-end. I asked her to bring up two photo boxes from Mom's house. They are photos I organzied a few summers ago. I wanted to begin a scan project so I would have them to use for a variety of purposes. The picture above was taken in Orofino when we spent Christmas there one year. We are posing with Grandma West.

When I posted a few photos on Facebook earlier today my cousin Cyndi commented, "It's amazing how photos can trigger so many senses. The pictures of Grandma's house and flower beds remind me of so many different things." These pictures reminded me of so many different things. I never remembered seeing the picture above until today. Mom still uses the clear chip and dip bowl set she is opening that was a Christmas gift one year.  My mother is famous for saving everything.

The coat I was wearing was very special and here I am wearing it as I stand in the doorway of the first house I really remember.  Seeing I have those fancy shoes on in winter, we must have been headed to church.

This is the front porch of the same house above, but I was too young to remember what was going on when the picture took place. Again, my Grandma West was at our house for a visit. I never remembered Raymond Pert wearing suspenders much. It must have been hot.

Beautiful October Sunrise

The day has begun on Lake Roosevelt with a beautiful sunrise.

Sister Week-End

SVG at Grandma West's house

Tomorrow Silver Valley Girl is arriving at our place. It  has been quite awhile since she has visited here without other family members. She will stop at the orchard down the road to pick up apples and pears and arrive in the afternoon with supplies to can and preserve food. I am looking forward to relaxing, visiting, drying fruit, and taking SVG to our favorite restaurant. I am also preparing a new elderberry syrup to help with the fight against colds and flu. JEJ will harvest elderberries and pick up local honey tomorrow as a base for the syrup.

My sister is a favorite person in the lives of my dogs so they will be smiling and wagging their tails when they see her drive up tomorrow.

Unharvested

Robert Frost reminds us that the simplest acts of nature are to be remembered.

Unharvested

A scent of ripeness from over a wall.
And come to leave the routine road.
And look for what had made me stall,
There sure enough was an apple tree
That had eased itself of its summer load,
And of all but its trivial foliage free,
Now breathed as light as a lady's fan.
For there had been an apple fall
As complete as the apple had given man.
The ground was one circle of solid red.

May something go always unharvested!
May much stay out of our stated plan,
Apples or something forgotten and left,
So smelling their sweetness would be no theft.

-Robert Frost