July 27, 2009

Washington, DC

6:30 am Monday morning sleep walking...

July 26, 2009

Columbia Gorge, Washington

Shot from the deck of our good friends, Elaine and Chris.

This is one of the few nights I've been up late enough to catch the stars... as I've mentioned... the days are loooong up here in the NW!

Btw, I caught them smooching when I came up to retrieve my shoes.. I'm glad such a fine deck is being put to good use!!

July 25, 2009

Mount St. Helens, Washington

Big drama befitting of the earth changing eruption on the morning of May 18, 1980. Prior to the eruption the mountain was 9,677 ft. It lost 1,314 ft. that day resulting in the largest landslide in recorded history sweeping down the mountain at speeds of 70 - 150 mph. Some areas were covered by debris 600 ft. deep!

We hiked on the Johnson Ridge Trail where we could see evidence of that day (30 years ago!) laid out before us. It looked like a nuclear explosion had occurred... Trees, like matchsticks littered the mountains for miles around.

July 24, 2009

Portland, Oregon

© cynthia hobgood

The Anti-Polka!

Movie!!!

July 23, 2009

Portland, Oregon

Danielle

"At the heart of our emptiness, we can actually discover nourishment in the secret landscape of imagination and spirit."

John O'Donohue

July 22, 2009

Portland, Oregon

Ruby Red Slippers

The projected images magically responded to the gestures and movements of these little girls.

(A camera mounted over head tracks their movements, feeds info to a computer and the computer adjusts the image making it appear to react to them.)

Once again, the line between magic and technology is perceptual.. Get it?

July 21, 2009

Portland, Oregon

This has been a record breaking summer for the NW Coast with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees. I didn't see any adults run screaming thru the fountain... though it seems like a good idea.

July 20, 2009

Portland, Oregon

This is Boo.. right after he blew me a kiss...

July 19, 2009

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument

The geology on this trip was spectacular. Millions of years ago this area was covered by an interior seaway that connected the Gulf of Mexico with the Arctic Ocean cutting North America in half. Thousands of feet of sand, silt, clay and lime were deposited on the bottom of the seaway by rivers which drained to the sea. Eventually the layers of sediment hardened into the layered rocks of today. About 70 million years ago, central Montana was uplifted and the sea retreated.

Around 55 million years ago, hot magma welled up from great depths and pushed its way into cracks in the sedimentary rocks. Some of it reached the surface and produced volcanos, but great quantities of the magma cooled underground in the network of cracks, and formed veins of igneous rocks.

Thru the years the Upper Missouri River has cut down through the entire rock package exposing the 300 foot high white sandstone cliffs laced with the thick veins of dark brown igneous rock.

July 18, 2009

White Butte on the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument

Off in the distance are the famous White Cliffs, unchanged from when they were visited by Lewis and Clark in May 1805.

Yesterday, we paddled/floated kayaks and canoes down 21 miles of the Upper Missouri River. It was a spectacular day of scenery and camaraderie as we floated lazily thru this enchanted prairie canyon. Happily, we're not even half way thru our trip.

At day's end, we camped at The Wall where I nearly stepped on a VERY LARGE RATTLESNAKE. Well... actually.... I didn't see it but I HEARD it just fine. It was DUSK... and I was 10' down the path heading for the tent. On each side of the trail was high grass... I heard the rattle, screamed like the girl I am, somehow did an about face and high stepped it out of there. It was all terribly exciting! I had a vision of a rattlesnake earlier in the day, a built in early warning system of sorts...

Anyway, The Wall was a particularly great place to stay with a prairie dog village behind us and the river in front of us. I like happy endings...

July 17, 2009

Virgelle, Montana

Sunrise on the Prairie

Virgelle Merchantile B&B - a fantastically authentic old ghost town in the middle of a wide open river valley. The general store in the background was built in 1912 and the smaller buildings are genuine homestead cabins.

Last night we sat on our porch, deeply satisfied with our starry night. We had to stay up late to catch the dark... summer days are long here in the northern hemisphere.

July 16, 2009

Lincoln, Montana

Home of the Unabomber and a stuffed Grizzly.

On the road today, passing thru Lincoln, Great Falls (named from the series of waterfalls that the Lewis and Clark Expedition had to portage around) and on to Ft. Benton to have dinner at the Grand Union Hotel.

July 15, 2009

Missoula, Montana

Last morning walk along the Clark Fork River.

The serene setting belies the actual experience of this morning. As small boulders rolled down the mountain on my right, I heard a kerplunk on my left. I took a second to scan the tree line thinking there was a bear or cat up slope then looked towards the river in time to see a Jack Russell terrier being swept away by strong current.

Moments before, he'd been on the trail in front of me and acting very nervously. At the time, I suspected he had gotten separated from his human but quickly determined that he knew what animal had created the small avalanche. He was not happy about it.

I don't know if he went to the river to escape or get a drink.. I ran along the bank down river whistling and encouraging him but I never saw him again.

July 14, 2009

Missoula, Montana

"A Smart Monkey Never Monkeys with another Monkey's Monkey"...

I hadn't gotten my "shot of the day" and the day was getting away from me. I was crossing a bridge when I noticed this bit of graffiti. Normally, I'd keep walking looking for the "big" picture, the more obvious one.

I started to play with the graphic, noticing strong lines on either side, waited for bicycles and pedestrians to come into frame to make a more interesting composition. When I went to edit I noticed that the shadow of a man coming into frame resembled... a monkey!!

I learned a good lesson today.. Magic happens when I am open to it.

July 13, 2009

Missoula, Montana

"Sunrise" The Movie

© cynthia hobgood

The rewards are great when I get out the door for sunrise.

I return to this bridge during different times of the day and often

start with pink clouds and chirping birds. Returning later, I exchange greetings with buttstuck tube riders racing aimlessly down river. Shouting over wind I obsessively ask, do you know about the rapids around the beeeeeennnnddddd ????!!!

July 12, 2009

Missoula Marathon

Surprised with my reaction to the Marathon runners today... Hiding misty eyes behind my Maui Jims as I hung out at the finish line...

Certainly, I appreciate the disciplined physiques of the first Marathon runners to arrive but for me... the really interesting ones came in at hours 4, 5 and beyond. Personal triumph on this level has the power to connect humanity... Beautiful.

© cynthia hobgood

July 11, 2009

Glacier National Park

I came across this Disney looking character on the trail to Virginia Falls.

Just moments before, I had seen a Wolverine, running low and flat to the ground, across the path. To myself, I said out loud "what the hell was THAT?"

Until I got distracted by the water falls, I whistled, clapped and sang my way thru the forest... not wanting to surprise a Grizzly.

* "Montana, it's one of those states you can go walkin' and get eaten".

* A Carlism

July 10, 2009

Missoula, Montana

I predict that future generations will be born with very prominent thumbs which can be helpful in many ways, I'm sure.

July 9, 2009

Missoula, Montana

Carl is a good sleeper.... I'm not. This is just ONE of the ways I amuse myself when this happens.