Mt Rainier and Clouds - Sky Watch Friday

I know, Mt Rainier was my subject last week :-) However, it's been so much fun playing with the camera and I haven't had much opportunity to go further that walking distance from home and Mt Rainier has been visible!! :-) I live about 46 miles from Mt Rainier National Park, but the mountain is big enough to dominate a large part of our skyline...

When I first looked at this photo, on my computer, when I got home, I thought that perhaps I'd had a bit of dust on my lens as there was a spot above the right flank of the mountain. Then when I enlarged it, I realized it was a small plane .. you can just see the wheels, etc. Interesting what you can catch that you don't see when you are taking the photo. :-)

Clouds swirling around, heralding an incoming storm .. Happy New Year, All :-) Go to SKYWATCH for views of the sky from all over the world !

The Moon and The Mountain ..

This evening's partial moon. Taken with my Canon SX50 ... I was really surprised how well it turned out as it was a hand held shot at full zoom..

“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.” ― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

Mt Rainier, peeking over the trees at the end of my road, bathed in the rays of the setting sun. Mt Rainier is an active stratovolcano and is probably overdue for a major eruption. Standing at 14,410 ft, it is the 3rd tallest mountain in the US (from memory). It is a dangerous mountain to climb, but people see it as a challenge. 2014 has seen at least 8 deaths, if not more. The highest death toll was in 1946, when a plane carrying 32 US Marines, crashed into one of the glaciers. Mt Rainier became the last resting place for these men, as it was considered to dangerous to try and retrieve the bodies. A beautiful mountain, but deadly in many ways.

Shared with Skywatch Friday and Our World Tuesday
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Skywatch - Life in WA

Moved up to Washington State just over a year ago. Feels very much like I moved home to New Zealand. I love the green, the trees and YES, even the rain !! It's lovely to have four distinct seasons again. Sure we do have more than our share of rainy and cloudy days, however it gives you an appreciation of the sun, when it decides to appear. Despite what many will tell you, the sun does makes it's appearance quite frequently :-) I love this time of the year, early Autumn, when you wake up to a foggy landscape, however by midmorning it has burnt off to reveal blue skies and soft sunshine. I need to get my SLR sorted out, because there are pictures just aching to be taken!!!

A little church in the small town of Roy, just a couple of miles from where I live. Love the green and the blue skies..

The local bar and dancehall in Roy ... it's only open a certain times of the year, such as the Roy Rodeo..

Mt Rainier on a clear day with blue sky and a couple of tiny clouds :-) Rainier is a active stratovolcano and is overdue for an eruption. It is also considered one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes, being one of the 17 volcanoes that are on the Decades Volcano list. I live fairly close to the mountain, however, from looking at the maps of where the lahars will go when the mountain erupts again, it looks as though I should be safe. One has to think positively, correct? :-)

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