Has Photos | John & Anne Wiley

2011/08/27

Pass

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,Smiley Adventure — John @ 06:43

Imagine yourself in a boat on a river. After fun with family in Grants Pass we flew over the area and saw a boat on the river that summed up some of what people love about living there.

5633 River Boaters

The people who live along the shore enjoy it too, building shaded areas to sit and watch the flow. We spotted the hillside home where we slept out under the stars last night.

5634 Starry Night

In the clear skies I spotted five shooting stars and three satellites in an hour or two of gazing up into the quiet night. Flying out to the coast, we found the clouds thicker than yesterday so at Eureka we headed direct to San Jose. This river bluff is similar to, yet so different from the one we saw further North.

5661 River Bluff

Further along I admired the rocky crest of this hill, awash in a sea of trees.

5668 Rocky Crest

So now we sleep, to dream of flying adventures and wake to discover new vistas tomorrow.

Comments Off

2011/08/26

OR Coast

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Smiley Adventure — John @ 06:22

Today, after trying again for a good pic of a house in the trees above Lake Oswego (Portland), we flew out to the Oregon coast. It was such a welcome wash of cool air when we opened the windows and gazed upon the coastal marshes.

5203 Oceanic Welcome

Most of the coast was under low clouds, so we flew along the edge and watched for places where we could slip underneath for glimpses of beach. By flying very low offshore, we could observe safe limits and avoid disturbing people walking the beaches but still get telephoto shots like this waterfall and sea cave.

5266 OR Waterfall & Sea Cave

Now we’ve driven this coast a few times, and had no idea stuff like this is so close to the highway. Florence was another place we got a break in the clouds, though we were high enough for a long view.

5298 Florence, OR

Further along we slipped below clouds again with permission from the helpful ATC at North Bend, and flew very low over the deserted bay.

5346 N.Bend Tidal Marsh

My own brain tissue was stimulated by admiring this brain-like formation. I also enjoyed the remains of a wooden ship keeping company with driftwood.

5347 Lost Ship

As we turned inland at Gold Beach (we call it Hurricane Beach because the winds are often strong at their airport), the scene was idyllic.

5475 Gold Beach, OR

As we neared another night with loved ones, boaters along the many Rogue River rapids were settling into camps and landing on the many sandy beaches.

5550 Rogue River Beach

Did any of them notice our plane passing quietly high above, or were they all too excited from their own magnificent adventure of the day?

Comments Off

2011/08/25

Clouds & Mountains

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,Smiley Adventure — John @ 06:13

Today we have no net again, so this is from my phone & may contain traces of nuttiness. We saw some great clouds and mountains flying out of Olympia.

Time was frozen in layers of sandstone at a river bend.

It was fun to also spot boats & tubes on the river near Portland.

Comments Off

2011/08/24

Magic

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random,Relationships,Smiley Adventure — John @ 07:27

Tripp is our magic carpet. We huddle beneath her stout wings and she whisks us to imaginary lands. Today we bid goodbye to our Renton hosts, enjoyed deep conversation with one of our dearest friends, and then Tripp-ed out toward Snoqualmie. Near the small town of Carnation, a magic mirror pulled us effortlessly the remaining distance into another dimension.

4629 Magic Mirror

We saw the farmhouse where loved ones once lived in an enchanted past, opening doors into the soul and forming lifetime bonds in a shared exploration of nature.

4666 The Farmhouse

Now it’s up on blocks with the chimneys pulled out, ready for a move to some other landscape. Nearby we saw the famous Snoqualmie Falls as never before. The added dimension and context gained by flying over this wonder left us awestruck.

4687 Snoqualmie Falls

Close by, another home from the past slipped slowly past our shadow. The forest chalet where part of our marriage was formed as we fixed it up and built a meditation pond next to a small stream in the woods.

4717 Treehouse

Now this treehouse has new dreamers, and has been fixed up even more. We were pleased to see that the old circus wagon (top-left) is still there, working its charm on the new owners and their visitors. Then we turned back toward Seattle and flew out toward the Sound, snapping this on the way.

4863 Seattle Skyline

Where once we dined atop the Space Needle watching a small plane move slowly across the sky, today we were in that plane watching ourselves down in the remembered restaurant. Then on to Olympia where we picked up another lifetime friend for a wander out to Hoquiam. There in the wide bay we spotted an offshore islet sporting a punk haircut tuft of green.

4934 Fantasy Island

Turning back toward Olympia a sea cave in the colorful bluffs came into view glowing with sunset accents.

4937 Sunset Sea Cave

Once again our magic carpet has transported us to new dimensions for a short journey that feels like generations have passed gracefully before us.

Comments (1)

2011/08/21

Water, Stone & Smoke

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,Random,Smiley Adventure — John @ 06:46

After a quick dabble at the shore, we flew up Lake Chelan past all but one or two boats and enjoyed the cool blue water from above. To the third bend, where we could almost see the end. This pic shows it only to the first bend, and this is where most of the boats were. The dam at the bottom-left is where the main town we explored begins, and the airport is a few miles behind and to the right out of frame.

4354 Bottom of Chelan

Past the second bend there was one large waterfall still running, and the boats offshore had me wondering how much is visible from the water. The lower part by the beach was less spectacular, and I wondered if any people from those boats had gone ashore to climb up for a look at the upper falls.

4394 Lakeshore Waterfall

Skirting the fire West of Wenatchee we got a good look at the source of smoke that added varying amounts of haze to the magnificent views along our route.

4446 Wenatchee Fire

At a few places we got relatively clear glimpses of Mt. Baker and the remarkable Cascade crags in our foreground.

4493 Baker Brothers

Leaving the valley as we neared Seattle airspace, a high valley with finger lake stands to the right of the lower valley where the highway is. It was so tempting, we climbed a little for extra safety to fly through it for closer inspection of the trail left by a massive river of ice when the world was colder.

4517 High Passage

Passing through, we were looking and snapping out both sides. I got this view back at the peak toward the highway side, and it might have been interesting to see how it looks from there.

4527 Past Peak

As we began our approach to Renton I took a pass to the left where we got a distant hazy view of Mt. Ranier beyond sleepy farming valleys on our way to pass over Issaquah.

4556 Dim Giant

So many slumbering volcano giants along this coast, it reminds me how alive our rock is and how much it has changed over the eons. Sometimes flying can take us far beyond the few hundred miles and variety of scenes in a relatively short flight.

Comments Off

« Previous Page — Next Page »

John & Anne Wiley

2011/08/27

Pass