Weekly Update...July 7-14

I missed Sunday Salon yesterday because I was visiting the beautiful Mt. Rainier National Park with my daughters.  But I have a lot that I want to share so here is a weekly update.

Sunset over the Puget Sound from Jack Hyde Park on Ruston Way. 

Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound...
Friday evening we took a picnic dinner to Jack Hyde Park on the Puget Sound. The weather was perfect for it. We sat on our blanket munching down on our a sub sandwich, fruit, and chips. Everything seemed idyllic until the automatic sprinklers turned on and we had to dash for it to avoid getting wet. We set everything up on a picnic table but that appeared to be threatened  by the sprinkler, too. Eventually we ended sitting on a log on the beach and read aloud to each other from The Horse and His Boy from the Chronicles of Narnia series. It really was quite humorous. We are so blessed to live near enough to the Puget Sound that we can jump in the car on a whim for a last-minute picnic.

Our picnic spot before the sprinklers

Reading The Horse and His Boy together.

The next morning my daughters and I drove up to Mt. Rainier National Park as early as we could. It was an absolutely lovely day. We hiked as far as we could. The trail we were on became covered with snow and none of us had on boots so we turned around. While viewing Myrtle Falls we encountered a Blue Grouse who was attempting to attract a mate. As he drew closer and closer to us we were able to see all his finery very clearly. The wildflowers are just beginning to bloom. They should be in full glory in about two weeks. On our way home we stopped by Northwest Trek to view more animals and nature. It was a tiring but wonder-filled day.

Daughters and Mt. Rainier

A blue grouse strutting his stuff.

Avalanche lilies were the most common wild flower we saw on Mt. Rainier

The scarlet paintbrush are just getting ready to bloom everywhere but we found these already open.

Carved onto the stairway leading to a hiking trail is a message from John Muir about the beauty of Mt. Rainier and it's wildflowers.

Around the house...
There are lots of things to do in the yard this time of year. I even picked up a few more annuals to place in the yard and in pots. In the kitchen we made roasted cauliflower with parmesan and balsamic vinaigrette.

Vacation ahead...
Don and I leave for a week long vacation to Banff, Alberta. I am so excited.  I've never been to the Canadian Rockies and I understand that it is LOVELY.

Books...
     Completed this week:

• A Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis- the sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series
• Diego Rivera: An Artist for the People by Susan Rubin-a junior book that looks at the life and works of this famous Mexican muralist.
• Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner-a dystopian YA novel set in the 1950 surrounding a moon walk. this book won the Carnegie Medal this year in the U.K.
• Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan- Ten short stories by this award-winning author.
• Emancipation Proclamation by Tonya Bolden-a treasure trove of primary documents leading up to the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln during the Civil War.

     Currently reading:

• A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty- two worlds and a scrap of white between.
• The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd- this is my audiobook selection right now and I'm just a good creepy part. This is a continuation of HG Well's book, The Island of Doctor Moreau.
• The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis. Carly and I are reading aloud the series this summer. 

July is my blogoversary month...
Sign up for the giveaway below.  Be sure to follow this blog and answer the question on the comment section below, too. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway