Rattlesnake Ledge and a cross-section of Washington demographics

So Rattlesnake ledge is pretty awesome. A great hike for anyone who lives remotely close to Seattle. It only takes a morning and the view at the top or the bottom is very rewarding. Having been prematurely warned that Seattle is going to have another really bad winter, we are trying to take advantage of every last sunny day. And this one was gorgeous! This is rattlesnake lake (I think). I did not see a single rattlesnake the whole time. So I have no idea where the name comes from.

Anna and I assumed the usual position-- she went into powersave mode and I became a happy backpacker.

Anna is unusually good pointing. In her recent 15 month check up the doctor asked if she communicates by pointing....

Is the sky blue

Am I a natural brunette

Do babies go through a lot of diapers

Are graham crackers the manna of the baby gods!

The answer is yes!

Will Richard and I EVER let Anna wander around on the top of the mountain without a harness, safety net, and parachute....probably not until she is 20! She is probably thinking "ooh, water, I want to touch it..."

The area around the lake was covered with rocks. Anna loves to look at, and pick up, rocks. So she wanted to look at each one...individually...and put it in her mouth...to make sure it was rock.

This is the face she makes when we don't let her look at each rock...individually...and put them in her mouth.

Richard and I are horrible at guessing ages. Most of the time when we see young people hiking we play the "high school or not in high school" game. But here is just an excerpt from some of the conversations we overheard at the top.

*proposed tax on soda in the upcoming Washington elections (which I happen to agree with) *social security taxes

*a friend definitely should not have worn a white dress to their homecoming dance. It was so fancy that it looked like a wedding dress

* avocados are gross if they are too ripe...

*avocados are also really gross if they are not ripe enough

*did you know avocados last longer if they are kept in the fridge

*grapes are also really gross if they are too ripe

So, lots of fun!