August 19 ~ Purple Haze Lavender Garden

Coming into town I noticed a sand castle........ HAD to stop and get a few shots. ....

August 18 ~ Mount Saint Helens ... part 2

Johnston Ridge Observatory ....

As you look around Mount Saint Helen's ........ all around...... it's absolutely AMAZING ... leaves you in AWE ..  over how much damage still exists ... 23 years later.   I was 5 years old when I Mount St. Helen's erupted ... and I took my 5 year old to see the aftermath, along with my 17 year old, his 17 year old girlfriend, and my 11 year old.   Equally - it's amazing to see the new life - poking through, thriving in some areas ... and coming back.

I can't even BEGIN to describe the feeling it gives you looking around and the pictures don't even remotely begin to do it justice.

I believe most of the pictures in the collages were taken from the road..... the photos below were taken from the Observation area ....

Calahan and Alana

Noah, Alana, Calahan & Kaedyn (Nathan was at home with Dad, he didn't want to come and needed a break.  We had been running a lot.)

Me, the boys, and Alana

My Godmother ...... "Grandma Linda"

Noah

Tent Caterpillar Cocoons?  Maybe?

Alana and Calahan

At one end of the parking lot you walk over to where you can see Mt. St. Helen's....  when you walk the opposite way - you get a good look of the damage that still exists ...

Then we left and headed back home........