Another Whitman Shot

Though I keep meaning to collect some photos from around the Whitman College campus, I haven't managed to get very many at a time yet. So I'll post them as I get them, and maybe someday I'll get over there to stock up. Summer is a great time to do it, because there are many fewer people wandering around looking at you funny for taking pictures. I love that on every lamppost on this campus there is a banner with the school's name on it. I think every college and university should do this. It just makes it look classy.

Skywatch Friday

This gorgeous sky greeted me as I headed into town on Saturday evening last weekend. The sun was a blazing ball of orange and gold as it sunk lower and lower. Though I wanted to get another photo of it as it transformed into an even larger glowing sphere of red and orange, I couldn't get to a good enough vantage point before it melted into the horizon altogether. At least I managed this shot. It was taken over the treetops and roofs of northern Milton-Freewater, just as you are getting onto Highway 11 headed north.

Caledonian Games

This past weekend was the Caledonian Games in Athena, Oregon. Athena is just across the border from Walla Walla, and about a 20-minute drive. Though it's a small town, it comes alive for this event every year. You can read about our experience last year on this post. Among other things, they have the sheep dog trials. This is probably one of my favourite events, though most of the weekend is a lot of fun. There is a trailer full of sheep that none of the participating dogs know. For each dog, four random sheep are let out of the trailer for the run, and the dog then follows orders from its trainer/owner to complete the required tasks. The owners use a series of whistles and calls to tell the dog what to do. The human doesn't move from his/her spot at the end of the field - they just watch their dog and whistle/call out commands.

There are three parts to these competitions. First, the dog must herd the sheep through a "gate" made with portable railings in the middle of the field. Then, he must guide them through a specified course (made up of a couple more portable railings), and finally, he must herd the four sheep into a portable pen on the field, while the owner comes behind to close the gate. This completed, the dog is finished. It is incredibly fascinating to watch, because these dogs are VERY good at what they do.

Summer Rain

Surprisingly, a place as hot and dry as the Walla Walla Valley occasionally gets rain in the summer. It happened on Monday, in fact. These two girls were walking high and dry across the Walla Walla U. campus under their umbrellas. The small shower we enjoyed cooled off the temperature noticeably. Which, especially since I'm 39 weeks pregnant, is always a good thing in the summer.

Blue Mountain Mall

This...is the Walla Walla Valley's only mall. When I arrived in 2001 it was a pathetic excuse for a mall. It has only gotten worse. Currently the sign is only half correct; Sears and ShopKo are still there, but the Food Court and Gottschalks are long gone. Granted, our "food court" consisted of a pretzel and lemonade place and a Chinese food shop that may or may not have been laundering money. (We joke about that because no one could figure out how they stayed in business otherwise, and they had a sign up that they only accepted cash.) What you can see in this picture is actually a building separate from what used to be the mall. (The actual mall is behind this building.) A rich individual from California (or so I've heard) bought the property and was all set to fix it up...but this is the second time this has happened in the last five years and both times work was started and then abruptly ended without being completed. This building was supposed to be (at least partially) a Ross Dress for Less, but the sign saying "Coming Soon!" has started to fade over the months.

While the mall used to contain a hair salon, several jewelry stores, a health food place, a cutlery store, a Payless Shoe Source, a Bath & Body Works, a toy store, and a couple of other small things outside of the anchor stores listed on the sign above, they slowly closed, one by one, until all that was left was a jewelry store, the two food places, Sears, and ShopKo. Now all that is left is Sears and ShopKo, and you can't walk between them inside because the mall itself is closed and - if you could get to it to see it - open to the air outside because they knocked out several walls.

One of these days we may have a useful shopping area. Perhaps by the time my unborn children are in high school?

A Friend in the Field

Today's is another photo from Whitman College. This isn't the best picture because I had to snap it fast. I was walking along the sidewalk when I noticed this man running his hand along the face and neck of this wooden horse. It looked so cute - almost as if he were soothing it or talking to it after a long day of work. Whitman College has quite a bit of interesting art on its campus...some of it I don't particularly care for, but this horse I think is beautiful. It looks to be made of driftwood and stands on their quad - the biggest open expanse of grass on the campus.

A Mid-Morning Break

Most of you have probably seen the inside of one of these: Starbucks. We only have two real Starbucks cafes in the WWV - I say "real" because there are two inside of grocery stores, which I don't really count as real Starbucks. This one is located on Main Street in downtown Walla Walla. The other is along Highway 11 on the southeastern side of town. On this sunny morning, several people were in this ambient cafe sipping their favourite drinks and taking a break from the real world for a while.