And because I was so amazed… I forgot to take a picture of the silhouette of this piece of upward ground, before we started climbing it in the car… so sorry! Gosh I wish I had a picture of it… but so it goes.
So you’ll have to take my word for it, that it is quite a landmark, and imagine it in full-blown majesty, from the diagram below:
It is approximately 5400 feet high. It’s also been designated a National Natural Landmark, and the land was donated by the landowners many years ago. The road is paved all the way up, and take my word for it… it can be a bit scary! It’s QUITE steep in spots! Amazing.
You could actually look 360 degrees in any direction. It was quite a view…
I was struck by how many farms there are in such a small area… my husband commented that many folks can make a living on a thousand acres (he having grown up in this area of Washington). I was taken back by that. Compared to Montana… that is very difficult to do, generally. But these lush hills are rich soil in Washington. I am also struck by how every HILL is farmed! What? How can they do that? But they DO!
And the fires everywhere. Some where likely burns of fields,but some of these were the fires that are in Idaho, which border isn’t too far from here. They too, are in desperate need of rain…and then a plant I have no idea what it is called… but it makes for an odd silhouette, doesn’t it?
Amazing also were the cool, floaty clouds… and the group of trees in the center of this picture? The ones right above the bench in the distance? That is Thornton, the place where we buried my beloved Father-In-Law last November…
I had a bit of trouble with the glare on the sign below, so I missed part of it! (daggone it!). But this Butte once was home to a very grand hotel, “Cashups Grand Hotel” – built in the early 1800’s as I recall, as Brian’s Aunt showed me some sketches of it in a history she happened to have saved. There were country dances, a museum, and more in this hotel, which had water – although it was hauled up, laboriously every day! Wow. It had to have been quite an adventure… although it burned down year ago.
I was also struck by the apple trees EVERYWHERE! As you travel the road to this Butte, there is an area for picnics, and nice little park areas, and everywhere you look there are plum trees… and berry bushes. They also grow alot of garbanzo and split peas in their fields.
It was sweet to explore some of the territory my husband grew up in… we sure enjoyed our exploration together.
I am off traveling again ~ this time for work. I’m still trying to catch up at home… and get my bearings in my sewing and art studio. And my bearings with ‘new’ eyesight, which I will share more on later…
In the meantime, I’m looking forward to sharing some fun times with my watercolor sketchbook… which has been a ‘harbor in a storm’ for me! I hope to translate some of those vignettes into a few mixed media canvases, and some quilts, of course! When… T I M E allows. Until then~EnJOY your day… and your week!
Blessings~
Leslie
Comments 5
Wow that is just gorgeous!! I have never visited that part of the country. Love all the photos!!
What a landscape. I bet it looks most amazing from the sky, now that would be a quilt stitch pattern. xox
Another place to put on my bucket list – what great views and your photos are amazing!
Your photos are lovely. I often miss taking THE key photo for one reason or another, when it comes to scenery, I am often overcome by natural beauty of things. Look forward to seeing your sketchbook peeks.
A free day and we have been hustling through all of it. What an endless variety of scenery is available when we get out and look! Cold and dry here. I can't wait to see what you have seen with your sketch book!