My H'Art: The last bash.

Yes, I must face the harsh truth: Summer is coming to an end. Sad, indeed.

But we have done so much this summer, so I cannot really complain. Samsonite goes back to school soon, so she and I took one last opportunity to get out and BOX! We headed to her old stompin' grounds on the 'dry side' of the state and enjoyed nearly 5 full days of digging in pine straw and trying to avoid slithery critters. Man, we had a blast!

Ellensburg, WA

I took my chances and decided to leave a day early - just like for our lengthy road trip. I certainly didn't want the same thing to happen again, so we were very careful where we stayed and were sure to secure our belongings appropriately. My anxieties about being the victim of theft were not realized, thankfully, and we got a jump on our boxing/planting.

the giants along I-90

I am in the process of planting a series called RD TRP, so we were checking out all the possible stops along I-90. It is so different on the east side of the Cascades - I just love the dry heat and that you can see for miles.

After leaving Ellensburg, we made our way to Cheney, then onto Spokane. We spent one day east of Spokane exploring and seeking boxes in Idaho along gorgeous Lake Coeur d'Alene. I am so very grateful for all the boxers who planted and maintain boxes for us to find! They took us to some really amazing and unexpected places.

We encountered birders in one of the cemeteries we visited where
they were photographing the elusive Nighthawk. I don't think this is
one of them, but it was kind enough to pose for a pic.

This amazing tree was beautiful in the Fitch Arboretum

I do enjoy the peacefulness of cemeteries.

This is Black Bay Park - what a lovely, hidden place
to put in for a day of kayaking.

As you can imagine, it was uber-hot - upper 90s. We were desperate to stay hydrated and to park in the highly valued shady parking spots. But hiking scenic trails and finding hidden gems was definitely worth the sweat and effort!

even my phone needed some shade!

this one is on Lake Coeur d'Alene

sweet, huh?

I like the sentiments of this posted sign -
"A cemetery exists because every life is worth
loving and remembering - always."

There are always cemeteries on the list when boxing these days - no, it wasn't always like that, just to be clear. But I am not complaining as sometimes you can learn something historically interesting, and there are usually not a lot of muggles around. My only niggle is that sometimes I feel a little disrespectful of the sacredness of the place when finding boxes, especially if they are not images that are associated with that particular cemetery or persons buried there. For example, at one point we were digging around the perimeter of a cemetery while a visitor was placing flowers and spending time contemplating her loved one - we were quite some distance away, but I still sort of felt like an intruder.

Not all boxes are at cemeteries, though. The ones I love take me to beautiful landscapes where I really enjoy snapping pics like the old days. The Japanese garden, Bowl & Pitcher at Riverside State Park, the vast farmland - eastern Washington has so much to photograph.

The Japanese Garden in Manito Park

Riverside State Park is over 9,000 acres along the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers. "Riverside has deep historical significance as a gathering place for Native American tribes, and a a thriving fur trade hub. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) build many of the park's structures during the Great Depression, which still stand today. The pedestrian suspension bridge at Bowl and Pitcher replaced a CCC bridge built in 1940." (WA State Parks)