Rattlesnake Ridge

One of the things I love best about the Northwest is the weather.

Yes, you read correctly.  I love the weather here.  I love that we got snow on the ground for a couple of hours and got a snow day out of it.  I love that in the middle of december you can have a 50 degree day or go for whole  years without any snow at all.  I love how everything is green.  While so much of the country gets predictably colder and colder and covered with snow in the winter, our weather is entirely unpredictable.  i kind of love it.  You have to be ready for anything.  We decided to go on a hike last Saturday to Rattlesnake Ridge, possibly one of the best viewpoints in the world.   It is both dog and kid friendly and only 4 miles round trip.  It was raining pretty steadily most of the drive there and Richard was questioning the intelligence of our day trip, but I knew that weather here can change from neighborhood to neighborhood, and sure enough we came through the clouds to find patches of sunlight around this particular mountain.

 There were a lot of smiles from Benjamin and myself.  Like dogs, I need to be walked everyday.  If I had a tail, it would be wagging too!  Benjamin just loves trees!

 WE kept Anna occupied by counting the number of dogs on the trail.  We counted around 25 before we finished the hike.  She was really a trooper.  She climbed the entire way up on her own, and rode daddy's shoulders almost the entire two miles back :)

 At the top we were rewarded with encompassing fog.  It was really cool.  Especially since we had done this hike before on a clear day and knew exactly what was hiding behind the thick clouds.

 We were one happy family.  By the way, Pringles are the official chip of the Rose family, and PBJs are our official food.

 I happened to catch this amazing photo just before we started to head down. The clouds would part every few minutes or so to give you a glimpse of the mountain ranges around you.  And I don't even know how to photoshop.  This moment just happened.

Halfway down Benjamin just passed out.  An acceptable casualty, I think!  I am happiest when I am outdoors enjoying time with my family, and I think our kids will remember the experiences we have together and the sandwiches and chips eaten in the coolest of places!