Oct 12-(Mon-day 67) US Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving
North Bend, Washington
Weather - low 36 high low 50s (+2 and 12C) overcast and windy



We weren’t quite acclimated to such high night temperatures ;-) Early in the evening we turned the heat off in Gus and rather than wishing we had more blankets on the bed, we enjoyed the temperature and had a really good sleep.



We were up early and joined my brother Harold and his wife Carol for a great breakfast, then we all piled into their car and headed over Snoqualmie Pass to check out the Ellensburg area. A section of I-90 was under construction for several miles and our able guide (brother Harold) routed us around the repairs. The “detour” took us through areas abundant with wildlife and sister-in-law Carol did a great job of getting us close to the game.



Everyone was having a blast spotting animals (we had sort of a competitive contest going) and then it was getting time to refuel and restore our energy. Lunch was an enjoyable stop at the Old Milwaukee Railroad Station in South Cle Elum and then we were off down the Yakima River Canyon in search of California Big Horn Sheep.



And sheep there were, we saw over a hundred…WOW!!! We filled our cameras with images of jumping, running and feeding sheep. It’s the breeding season (rut) for the sheep and we were hoping to see some battles between the rams over breeding rights. What we learned is that all the head butting is done during the pre-rut period, so we’d missed the more aggressive action.



After all the excitement with the sheep it was time for dinner and we headed for the Palace Restaurant in Ellensburg and had an enjoyable meal, along with some great conversation. When we returned home there was just enough time for the Carol and Carl team to beat the Harold and Racine team at Pinochle.



Hope all had a great day; ours was filled with a friendship, excitement and discovery. The adventure continues….



To see more of our Central Washington 2009 images click HERE



To read more about our travels click 'The Great Adventure 2009'