mt rainier: The Way Things Are In My Life - 08/16/13 07:35 AM
The Way Things Are In My Life
As part of the contest Debbie Reynolds has scheduled, here are some of the things that are going on in my life now:
My loving and supportive wife and I are approaching our 42nd anniversary this November, and I am planning to get her out of our trips to see the kids and grandkids routine, and spend some time in a warmer clime.
As an ordained minister in the LC-MS (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) I am called to serve a small parish on Anderson Island, in Puget Sound.  Fortunately they own the building and property, … (9 comments)

mt rainier: Tacoma Gets Another Parade! - 07/24/13 05:42 AM
Tacoma Gets Another Parade!
For many years Tacoma regularly held parades with a military emphasis.  Something to be expected with Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base (now Joint Base Lewis McChord) nearby.   For whatever reason, those parades have been on hiatis.
This year there is a renewal of this great tradition.  The Daffodil Festival group (who put on the annual Daffodil Festival Parades in the spring) are partnering with the City of Tacoma to present a "Celebration of Military Service Parade" this Saturday evening, August 24th in downtown Tacoma.
The parade's purpose is to honor and celebrate the large number … (8 comments)

mt rainier: Anderson Island Memorial Weekend Pancake Breakfast - 05/14/13 06:57 AM
Anderson Island Memorial Weekend Pancake Breakfast
As they have for many years now, the Anderson Island Fire Department will be putting on their Memorial Weekend Pancake Breakfast.  This year it will be on Sunday, May 26 from 8 am to noon.
This fund raiser for the Anderson Island Fire Department will also include the ever popular auction items.  There will also be music provided by some of the local artists.
For those who haven't made it out to Anderson Island yet, this is a great excuse to take the beautiful 20 minute ferry ride from Steilacoom, and enjoy the views of … (6 comments)

mt rainier: Dry but Wet In Tacoma - 01/03/13 06:06 AM
Dry but Wet In Tacoma, Washington.
Many of you may remember that in the early fall, we went for 48 days without any measurable precipitation.  And since we get so much precipitation around here (that's why everything is so green), that we want to be very accurate in measuring it, so have got it down to the hundredth of an inch.
That 48 day stretch of dry weather was the second longest time without rain that the records here show (though they only go back to about the 1890s - nowhere near as long as some in the east.
Imagine a … (12 comments)

mt rainier: How Dry I Am! NOT! - 11/02/12 04:56 PM
How Dry I Am!  NOT!
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about the fact that we had gone about 80 days with less than .04" of precipitation here in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington State.
Now here it is the first of November, and things have turned around completely. 
The dry spell lasted through the 11th of October. Since then it has been raining off and on nearly every day.  So much has fallen, that during the last 19 days of October, we ended up tied for the fifth wettest October on record.  October came in about .9" above … (0 comments)

mt rainier: Mt Rainier Views - 09/14/12 07:16 AM
Mt Rainier Views                                                                                                                   
Here are a few more shots of Mount Rainier, with its glaciers.  As the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states, it is the head of six different rivers.  Even though we had had over 40 days without any precipitation when these pictures were taken, there was still plenty of white on top of the mountain.    We were doing most of our walking at about 5600 foot elevation -- and it was very comfortable that day.  For those who missed one of my previous notes on Mt Rainier -- where we were had nearly 60 feet … (25 comments)

mt rainier: Mt Rainier Wildlife - 09/07/12 04:13 AM
Mt Rainier Wildlife.
As I mentioned the other day regarding our Labor Day (my wife and I) time walking some trails on Mt Rainier - there was also some wildlife to be seen.  In one of the previous pictures there was a bee on the flower.
As we were walking there were many crickets on the path.  Some were difficult to see, as they seemed to be the same brown as the path.  Others, though, were easier to pick out, as they had more colors, which made them very visible.
Then there were the Marmots.  Though there are lots of signs … (17 comments)

mt rainier: Mt Rainier in Labor Day Sun - 09/05/12 06:25 AM
Mt Rainier on a Sunny Labor Day!
On Labor Day, my wife and I took some time to go up and hike around on Mt Rainier.
The mountain was glorious, with just a few clouds around in the afternoon.  The wildflowers were out in abundance at Paradise.  I was surprised to see so many animals (more on that in another blog).  Though we took it easy - we covered something aroudn three miles on the trails, and had an enjoyable day with many other people who got to enjoy the sunny weather on the mountain as well.
I was able to … (9 comments)

mt rainier: Tacoma Community College - Tacoma, WA - 10/03/11 01:37 PM
Tacoma Community College started out at its present campus in Tacoma, Washington in 1965.  The campus complex covers nearly all the ground between 12th & 19th S and Mildred and Pearl Streets on the west and East respectively.  Though the highway wasn't designed when the campus was begun, it is now conveniently located about 1.5 miles west of State Route 16.
There are approximately 15,000 students who attend classes there in a normal year. They are normally hosting about 300 international students in that group. The classes are designed to get the students into their desired fields (nearly 86% achieve that) … (2 comments)