the changing wind

Wind is a daily allotment in Goldendale. Some days it's portioned out in a light westward breeze; other times it becomes a roaring storm front off the ocean. And if it ever comes from the east, there is a definite weather extreme in store . . . in the winter it usually means snow and in the summer it forecasts blazing heat.

The wind of the last week has been the stormy kind, coming in from the west and bringing with it alternations between roaring gusts to strip the trees, black downpours to swell the creeks, and moments of blazing sunlight to make the whole world shimmer. The Simcoe skyline was perpetually black--we didn't see Mt. Adams or even the tops of the Simcoes for days.

All the horses in the neighborhood were wet and frisky. I made an alteration to my walking route, so now I pass by a trio of high-spirited horses who act as though they've never seen a red jacket or a camera before. Maybe they haven't.

Then, yesterday, we awoke to a clear blue sky for the first time in days! Everything seemed so bright and fresh and clean, in spite of the leaves littered everywhere. And the black clouds finally lifted from the mountains. Look what they left behind--

A new blanket of snow!

Sadly, the sunny weather didn't last long--the sodden gray clouds returned during the night and it's been raining most of today. But I love rain, so I'm not complaining. :) Besides, I have plenty to do inside on rainy days. After homework, I love going through my photos and editing them, especially portraits. I did a few from my April photo shoot of Amanda:



And here are the fruits of a fantastic five-minute opportunity I had to take some baby pictures!

So cute!