It was dusk at the Columbia River Gorge campground (Oregon) and I wanted to get a better view of the upcoming sunset. I grabbed Ron and we started to walk to a good spot when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a snake. I just knew it was a rattler. Of course I did the only respectable thing --screamed, and practically broke Ron's arm dragging us away. We watched the snake slither away but all the while I was shaking. Ron calmly assured me that it was no rattler but that didn't matter, I went back inside and let the sun set by itself. In fact I vowed that I would not venture out at night even if our house was on fire. The next day at church, we were talking to some folks and they asked where we were staying. Ron told him and the man responded with, "Oh, up there with all the rattlesnakes." I'll never believe Ron again.

Washington State has some interesting names of towns and cities. How would you pronounce Snoqualmie? How about Puyallup? Leave out the "l" in Snoqualmie and you'll say it right (snow-qua-me). Pew-all-up is the other one, and once you have a good teacher it is easy. Thanks Carol Anne.

Do you remember the article about my reunion with my best friend from my Air Force days (Feb-91)? I didn't mention it at the time, but Glenda is being treated for lung cancer in Houston and is struggling. Can I ask any of you who will to include her in your prayers? Although she has traveled the world, she has missed seeing the United States in depth, and I want her to be able to do that soon. Thanks

I goofed in the last Newsletters and had a typo in the quiz. The tallest tree in the world is 367 feet not 376. That is roughly as tall as a 37-story building and is in Redwood National Park.

I am really lucky that one of my kids travels as much as he does. Robert has visited us at more campgrounds than any of our kids. He gets a big kick out of finding us "at home" wherever he goes. I am not going to Alaska in the winter though. No thank you.

I can't tell you how much I love the West, and if I had my whole life to live over that is where I would live. Every time I think I have found heaven on earth I go a little further down the road and find “another heaven.” Gosh, this country is beautiful especially the mountainous west. Part of the secret is traveling the little back roads. I started writing the Volcanos, Ghosts, Glaciers, and Geysers article by describing all the little state and U.S. routes we took, but it made the article too long and I had to cut it all out. 

Here is a quote from Mary Walker's journal which was written in the 1840's. She was one of those rugged western pioneers: “Rose about five. Had breakfast. Got my housework done about nine. Baked six loaves of bread.Made a kettle of mush and now a suet pudding and beef boiling. I have managed to put my clothes away and set my house in order. May the merciful be with me through the unexpected scene ...Nine o'clock p.m. was delivered of another son.”    I'll remember this anytime I think I have had a bad day.

I have picked up a couple of books about women who toured the West in the late 1800's and early 1900's. These are wealthy women who could afford the trip, but they didn't sit in some automobile to tour. Can you imagine climbing to Half Dome, or Mt. Rainier in long skirts, etc.? They did!! I really wanted to hike to a glacier at Rainier, but I had an excuse. I had broken my little toe the day before we left Bend. If those ladies could do it in long skirts and slippery shoes, I should have gone on with my broken toe.