This has been a God-awful week, and we are definitely in need of quiet moments, which are often found outdoors in nature. This week, I visited a park by the Snohomish River just north of my town. It was a very pleasant afternoon, sunny and warm, and I arrived late in the day. Much to my surprise and delight, on the channel I found what turned out to be a rowing lesson, with three 8-person sculls, and two motorboats of coaches/teachers.

Here, they were resting between sets.

Tranquil river on a sunny day

On the side of the path, there were many of these Rugosa rose bushes, still in colorful flower.

It’s late summer, but there are still unopened flowers on these bushes.

On a quiet early morning on my way to work, I stopped at Silver Lake to capture the mist rising from the water. No one else was there so early, and it was very quiet.

Nothing says “quiet” better than a sleeping kitty. I’m on my bed in my happy place, made happier by The Lady Kikyo, snoozing next to me while I read my book. She is 15 years old now, and spends much of her time sleeping.

This leaf-strewn sidewalk is in the office park where I used to work. It was early in the morning, and there were few people about. The leaves muffled even the sound of passing cars.

This is one of my very favorite quiet places, and it’s not far from home. The Narbeck Wetland Trail is also right across a busy street from a huge aircraft manufacturing plant. Just a few hundred yards away, you can hear the water lapping in the ponds, and the wind sighing through the trees.

This quiet moment on the beach was in October of 2012. Hubby walking down the beach. No other people around, the only sound was the waves, and the cries of sea birds. The Atlantic Ocean gave no indication of the massive storm that hit 5 days later.

This quiet beach is at Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge, on the opposite coast. The fog very effectively muffled the sound of the waves on the gravel beach. Lots of available driftwood logs made great places to sit and watch the water.

Here’s the Link to this week’s Original Post. And Tina’s too.