Abraham Studios

Washington

Slight Return
24 x 30"
acrylic on canvas

Became a state in 1889	150,000 acres of land were devastated with the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.
Beginning in 2004, St. Helens became active again.	The entire side was blown of, followed by a pyroclastic flow consisting of rock fragments, hot steam and gases.
Mount Rainier is a good example of what Mount St. Helens used to look like. A cone is in tact, and the volcano displays a peaceful calm. However, beneath that snow and ice is a deadly force. It is not a matter of if it will erupt, but when.
Gas prices have put a huge dent in our budget, especially during the larger states where it is easy to go through a tank and a half per day!
	(left) Washington's state capital is Olympia. (above) Aberdeen is Kurt Cobain's home town. Although he is quoted to have recalled the town as "small-minded logging community," they have recently made an effort to claim him as their own.
However, the real shrine exists under the bridge where Cobain once called home. (right) Still aren't sure what the cages are all about, however these beasts adorn the downtown street corners
At Olympic National Park, we visited Queets on the coast. The fishermen stood where the waves crashed against the beach, filling their nets with small silver fish.


The Hoh Rain forest in the Olympic National Park is overgrown with greens and yellows. Light pours through the lacy moss and dances below on the soft bed of fern. Once again we find ourselves drawn closer to pull out the details of this exotic land.
Clovers are easily 3" in diameter.	Banana slugs are larger than a grown man's finger.
Nurse logs- When a tree falls and decomposes, seeds sprout from the fertile log. With time, roots grow around it. As the log rots into the earth, it leaves a tunnel through the new growth. Rows of trees are found throughout the rain forest. Natures playground.
(right) At La Push beach, kelp and various types of seaweed are strewn along the stone shore.



The shapes and textures were quite intriguing!	In hope of finding Sea Lions, we hiked out to the bluffs

We were only greeted with death.
But what a sunset! As the tide rose . . .	and our land bridge became narrower, we hiked back.
(right) A few days of rest in Port Angeles was rewarded by a spectacular fireworks performance on July 4th, along the Straight of Juan de Fucca (directly across from Canada).
	(left) Alfonso's parents flew into Seattle for a visit. A visit to the Space Needle, created for the 1962 World's Fair. From the top, the city, port, and even Mt. Rainier are visible.

Dinner was enjoyed at the Sky City Restaurant, where the ground turns on a 1 1/2 horsepower motor (the same as a sewing machine), but with the highest gear ratio in the world!	Also created for the World's Fair is the Lunar Orbiter. This desert includes cookie dough ice cream, sitting atop dry ice. When served, hot water is added to create fog which floods the table and floor.
The EMP was created to memorialize Jimmi Hendrix.	Also in Seattle Center is an amusement park, Science Fiction Museum, and more!

To visit the Makah Reservation and see Tatoosh Island (the farthest NW point in the contiguous U.S.), you need to purchase a $10 recreational permit. From there, hike through forest to reach a rocky pacific coast. The water swirls within caves below your feet, echoing and even trembling withing the ground.


Take the Ferry across the Puget Sound to taste the Island lifestyle (most residents own a boat vs. a car!).	Several old U.S. battleships sit, stripped, waiting to be sold.
(above) Like legos, crates are loaded and prepared for transport. (right) Fish Ladder at Commodore Park. Environmentalists have found a way to allow migrating Salmon to continue their journey, despite the dam.	The Salmon jump, from step to step.
A fish leaps over the brick wall, overcoming one of their many obstacles in their migration.
Seattle's Public Market, where one can find anything from flying fish to fine art. Even if you aren't shopping, it's worth a trip, just for the atmosphere!
	(above) The original Starbucks. Not one for chains? Just remember, it all began with a local Seattle coffee shop!
	(left) Alfonso fills up on a seafood feast at the Crab Pot while a seagull feeds some pigeons with a bag of popcorn (it pulled the bag down from the bench, opened it, and dumped out a trail!).
	(left) The Frye Museum. One of the only places in Seattle where parking is free! It is also free to visit the museum. (above) We worked on line at the Renton Library while waiting to meet with a gallery.
Kirsten Gallery, where Saturated is displayed.	Wayward Cafe.
Once you head east from Seattle, the landscape changes drastically.	It was evident that we would soon be reaching Montana!