Getting Out and About

Sunset over College Place WA                                 © Diane B. Reed                         

First snowfall on the Lions Park pond          © Diane B. Reed

Winter has been flirting with the Walla Walla Valley, and we're playing tag with cabin fever. The cat is curling up in front of the fireplace, and so are we. It's been pretty cold for the last week, and we finally had a little snow. It made for a pretty scene, but it didn't last long.The sledding hill in Fort Walla Walla Park hasn't gotten enough snow yet.
     There seems to be plenty of snow higher up in the Blue Mountains, the ski areas are running, and the driving over the passes has been dicey.
     Resisting cabin fever, I decided it was time for a pilgrimage to the cathedral of Costco, an hour away in the Tri-Cities. Despite all the fantastic shopping here in Walla Walla, an occasional foray to Costco provides a few hard-to-find items.

Bald Eagles on the Columbia River, Wallula                         © Diane B. Reed

If you're mindful, there's lots to see on the way to the Tri-Cities. I'm always keeping an eye out for raptors -- today there were at least a dozen on the way.The McNary Wildlife Refuge ponds were teeming with migratory birds, and the grove of large trees by the Boise Paper Mill at Wallula was full of bald eagles, mature and immature. Almost home, a Great Blue Heron scouted out a filed near Mill Creek. Nature is all around us, and a shopping trip can be a nature trip!