May-June, 2023
What can you do when you’re in such gorgeous country and the weather is so perfect? What can you do but go out for another walk and just be amazed by everything? [click on photos to enlarge them … if you don’t have a large screen, most folks will have a local library nearby with computers with large screens you can use for free]
The three photos above were taken as I looked at the ice-cold water coming down towards me … down towards the bridge that I was standing on … down from the icy cold snow-covered Cascade Mountains. The start of Icicle Creek is way up there about 30 miles away, as the crow flies … and probably 50 miles away with all of the twists and turns of this mountain river/creek.
The photo below was looking the other direction from the bridge I was standing on, down-river, towards the east, as the water flowed downhill away from the bridge I was on. Look at that pile of tree trunks down there. The power of this ice-cold river is not to be trifled with!
After that walk across just this one bridge, the three of us jumped into one vehicle again and this time we headed into town … into the town of Cashmere (pronounced not like cash-meer, but pronounced just like the fabric made from wool, a soft sound … as in casual).
Our destination was the Cashmere Museum & Pioneer Village. The Cashmere Museum was mostly about native tribal history and it was fascinating, full of great info and exhibits. But it was so dark inside that I couldn’t get good photos. I asked at the front desk about the lighting and was told the lights are kept dark so as not to damage artifacts, original weavings and old wood items, but that indeed I was more than welcome to take photos.
At home, I edited the photo below to add much more light than was available when I took the photo. I sure understand their desire to preserve original artifacts. If you are ever in the vicinity of Cashmere, WA, and have the time, this museum would be a super place to visit.
But right outside that museum, the light was gorgeous … blue sky! This was the “Pioneer Village” part of the museum. The buildings here were disassembled at their original location, then brought here, and then reassembled here purposefully for the museum, in order to preserve the buildings. The log buildings/cabins are all authentic and original from the late 1800s, and all from the local area.
Almost all of the buildings were open such that you could walk inside at least a few feet and then see exhibits of tools or furniture or clothing or cooking gear or heating devices or medical/dental gear, etc, and see details of how these cabins were built. But again, they were dark inside, not well lighted. Plenty of light for viewing with your eyes, but not for photos.
With this last photo, I need help. The flower above was stunning. The white and purple … the small threads along the edges of three of the six petals. But what is it? When I got home, I looked online for hours and I can’t find it. Maybe it’s not native to the Pacific Northwest … maybe someone planted it here. But I’d love to know what it is. Do any of you know? Help! 🙂