Dreary would be an apt description of the day. It felt like winter approaching. I decided early on that Tom is just having way too much fun clicking from the right seat! With the intention of pulling off the road, if I could, to get a shot in once in a while . . . this was the first site I selected! Hahahaha! This drive thru had two drive thru lanes and an outhouse to meet your most minimum bathroon needs. The barista was a young lady of 18 years named Kayla and she served up one very good hot chai tea! Perfect stop to counter the dreary, cloudy blahs!
A bit further down the road I spotted another reason to pull over.
As I got climbed up an embankment to get close enough to capture the wagon I saw something else.
We though a side trip down a gravel road would be interesting. It was.
The reason we drove through 'The Palouse' as this valley is called was to photograph an area that has received a great deal of attention of photographers. The best times to visit the Palouse area is in the late spring and summer. Harvest time in August or early September is not too bad. At this time of the year the landscape is not nearly so interesting. We knew that would be the case but wanted to scope it out anyway as we headed to the Columbia Gorge area. The lack of good light has made the photography more challenging. You might do some searching for photos from this area to better understand the attraction the area has for photographers.
The photos below were taken as we drove into Colfax or later in the afternoon when it had started raining.
Not all is brown or straw/gold. Every once in a while we still saw green.
Steptoe Butte is reputedly a photographer's favorite spot as it allows 360 degree views from the top. We drove up to the top in rain and drove back down in more rain. Definitely sets a different tone to the colors!
How about a lonely tree standing in the rain?
Tis all for yesterday. We went out early this morning, hoping the sun would peek through while still low on the horizon. No such luck! Looks like it might rain this afternoon as the clouds are building up. Regardless of what we get now, we will be back next year in late May or June. This is just a gorgeous place to be.
Hope your Monday is shaping up just perfectly. If it is not, take a break and go photograph flowers or fountains. It will cheer you up.