The little things, part 2

Before we left to come back to the States, I made a list of little things about life in Thailand/Laos that I'd miss while I was here. So it only seems fitting that I make a list of some of the little things I'll miss about life here in Washington. Again, this isn't counting the hugely important people I'll miss: my family, my local friends, my church. These are just the small things that make this home - or I should say, one of my homes.

Some sounds that I missed while I was in Thailand, that I'll miss when we get back:

-Airplanes flying overhead multiple times a day, from Boeing or from Seatac Airport
-Robins, sparrows, chickadees, red-winged blackbirds, bald eagles, and other native Pacific Northwestern birds
-Soft, steady drizzle of rain that can go on for hours (not a tropical deluge)
-The distant sound of a train whistle
-The furnace coming on at intervals throughout the day
-English-language songs on the radio, and playing in the background in stores
-The specific sound our front door makes when it opens or closes
-The sound of driving over that one stretch of I-5 in Seattle that has all the expansion joints in it - preferably at the rhythm you get when you're going about 65 mph in the HOV lane
-The tide coming in or out, at the various Puget Sound beaches I love

Some scents that I'll miss:
-Evergreen conifers
-Cherry blossom trees

-The ocean (mostly the Puget Sound)
-Burning dust when the heater comes on after having been off for a while
-Laundry fresh out of the dryer
-Freshly-mowed grass - it smells different in Thailand
-Fallen leaves

Some sights I'll miss:
-Mount Rainier, on clear and partly cloudy days
-The Cascades and the Olympics
-The Seattle skyline (there's none I love better)
-Autumn leaves, and bare trees after the leaves have fallen
-Tree-lined streets and hiking paths
-Frost-covered branches, and falling snow (not that we got all that much of that this winter ... and yes, I know that much of the US got too much!)
-Spring flowers

Other sensations:
-Long sleeves, jackets, sweatshirts, sweaters, coats, socks, closed-in shoes, jeans almost every day, high-heeled boots, scarves, fleece pajamas, flannel sheets ... all those clothes, etc. that go with colder weather
-Coming into the warm house from a cold day
-The comfort of holding a hot beverage in cold hands
-Less time spent sweating
-Sitting in front of a fireplace or warm stove
-Dishes fresh out of the dishwasher

That's just a small sampling; I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting at the moment. But at the same time, I'm getting more and more excited to go back to my other home!

"When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur..."

And now, for a blog post about something completely different!

My family went up to Mount Rainier National Park on Labor Day. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and we had a wonderful time hiking Sunrise Nature Trail and absorbing the incredible natural beauty. (We got there early enough that it wasn't terribly crowded, too - always a bonus, especially on a holiday.)

Here's a small sampling of the 60+ photos I took:










I love my home state, so very much. It's a joy to be so close to such beauty. I couldn't help but be reminded of several hymns and praise songs while I was there, too.