Spokane...

.....Washington, pronounced Spo-can.  This is a large and diversified city,
although as it's nickname, Lilac City, states, it can be mighty pretty;
people work here in many industries, bankin, mining and natural resources,
agriculture plays an important part too, and of course race horses.

We are just passing through, but for a city it is nice,
we wouldn't want to live in a city, not at any price;
some people seem to love it, they have been born that way,
and other are sure to stick around, for the right pay.

Top: Looking over the city
Middle: The Spokane River runs through
Bottom:  Goodnight Spokane (kind of pretty)

Last stop in Washington - tomorrow: Idaho

Davenport...

.....Washington, do you like homemade bread,
if so, right now we're in the right place, see this spread;
wheat is king in these parts, and the farms are big,
they raise enough for all of us, to eat like a pig.

Hardworking families put in the effort here,
you know, an American farmer, has no peer,
work from early until late, helps to feed the world,
their life is busy, they are in their life wirled.

Top:  Road to the farms.
Bottom (1): Plant the crop.
Bottom (2): Watch it grow, plus care for the crop.
Bottom (3): Almost bedtime for a farmer-after the paperwork is done.

Coulee City...

....Washington, a small city in the west,
lots of lakes around here, fishing flies on my vest,
there are Trout and Steelheads, among the very best;
Coulee City is a treasure, of the old west.

The biggest attraction is called Dry Falls, it's a treasure too.
it looks like a canyon with water sinking through.
And, indeed, they were falls, some long time ago,
when the Coulee River had a greater flow.

Top:  Coulee City in 1907.
Bottom: Dry Falls.

Moses Lake......

.....Washington, a little water in a pretty dry place,
has made a difference to many of our human race;
first the Sinkius tribe with a Chief named Moses,
gave population to the City that grows roses.

Then when the dams were built and the Air Force came,
the lakes from the dam earned their name,
the airport still serves in an important role,
testing is done here by Boeing, keeps the town on a roll.

Then came the computer giants to build,
data storage buildings, on land once tilled;
cheap power and land have made this boom,
there's still a lot here.  Looking for room?

Top:  Diamond Point, and part of the city.
Middle:  Nearby land without irrigation.
Bottom:  Sunset in Moses Lake.

Wenatchee....

.....Washington, go ahead, take a bite of an Apple or Cherry,
and it's also the "buckle" on the Northwest Power Belt, ahhh, be merry;
on the Columbia River, and a mighty pretty place,
where you can slow down, and get out of the race.

It's the soil in the river valley that makes the fruit sweet,
and some of the friendlier people that you'll ever meet;
we enjoyed some quiet time down by the river;
if it's rest you need, Wenatchee can deliver.

Top:  A promotional sign
Middle: All laid out
Bottom: The Wenatchee River (the city has both)

Skykomish....

....Washington, you have to love that name,
after all it's a river and town, they should remain the same,
if you're looking for white water, you have met your match,
why not go up and practice, see if your plans will hatch.

Lumber was king here in King County, some time ago,
now it's the same as other towns that see industry go;
but, they still have the river and nature runs galore,
get on the raft and ride it, or just watch from shore.

Top:  Ride in a raft!
Middle: The town of Skykomish
Bottom: Sunset, lake behind the dam.

Everett....

Yesterday the Boeing 787 flew on its first flight,
they worked in this building day and night,
from lumber in the nineteen hundreds,
to aerospace today, there are many common threads.

This is another place with things to see and do,
at every turn, it seems, there is another view;
from the Cascades view at the farmers market,
to the nearby lakes and rivers there is nothing like it.

Top:  The BIG Boeing building
Middle:  The lumber mill of the 1900's
Bottom:  Cascades from the Farmers Market
Fact:  The dates of the events were not planned.

Sedro-Woolley.....

.....Washington, on the Skagit River and the gateway to,
..the North Cascade mountains, with fine cars too.
A local business restores these nice automobiles,
I wonder if there's some way to make a couple of deals.

First lumber was the thing, then they mined for coal,
but now it's robotics that do what they are told.
It's another of natures beauties, this area is great;
Washington could become, someones favorite state.

Top:  Products of Restoration
Bottom: The Skagit River at Sedro-Woolley

Oak Harbor....

......Washington, a ferry ride from Port Townsend,
in Oak Harbor we can see Ol' Larrys friend;
he's known Gene and Dot for fifty years of so,
and while we're on the island, we'll stop and say hello.

There's a Naval Air Station here on Whidbey Island,
and Ol' Larry flew in here a lot, one night cold and...
...while adding oil, no pre-heat so four gallons took...
...40 minutes or more to get a load of that cold gook.

Top:  A Washington State Ferry

Bottom: Sunset at Deception Pass

Port Townsend....

....Washington, a victorian seaport and jumping off place,
from here the ferry will take us to enter the race,
of the coming and going that these folks do every day;
of course for us it's a much different way.

The ships and ferries go slowly by,
do you think the lighthouses catch their eye?
These lights have shone on the waters for years,
but the fog horns go off, and you cover your ears.

Top: Port Townsend Light
Middle: Fort Wilson Light
Bottom: Goodnight in Port Townsend

Port Angeles....

....Washington, where the Straits of Juan de Fuca grew,
and the Olympia Mountains frame the view;
a self-named "rural city" plays host to a few,
it's old by time standards, but I swear it's new!

Ol' Larrys ship, the Hornet, came through the strait,
it was rough water he remembers, if he got it straight,
when ships go to Seattle or many other places,
this is the entrance and it sees a lot of faces.

Top: Straits of Juan de Fuca
Middle: Hurrican Ridge seen from a city park.
Bottom: Port Angeles sunset.

Forks....

....Washington, home of "Twilight" about the vampire,
all I hopin' is - there ain't any fire!
Fishing is the big thing here, they deliver,
in two hundred miles along the river.

Close to the Hoh Rain Forest and the National Park,
we just stopped by here on a lark;
it's just as beautiful as what we've already seen,
this trip has turned into a real dream.

Top:  Twilight view
Middle: Forks used to be lumber capital
Bottom: Along the beach, don't jump!

Kalaloch.....

.....Washington, Olympic National Park, oh my

what a wonderful treat for any eye;

mountains, rain forest, mile of sea shore,

keep people wanting - to come back for more.

It's a huge treat to visit this place,

who'd ever have thunk it, in our human race,

the eye of this beholder see beauty,

nature here has sure done her duty.

Top:  Winter
Middle: Summer
Bottom: Spring

Ocean Shores....

....Washington, home of Bill Smith,
a friend of Ol' Larry who will tell a story now.

It was just about this time of year, maybe fifty years ago, or who knows when,
that Bill and I went to see Bing Crosbys' Holiday Inn;
then we went into a bar for some Christmas cheer,
how were we to know, we'd drink a lot of beer.

So we started singing the White Christmas song,
and I guess we intended to sing it all night long,
we sang so much the bartender didn't want to hear,
simply put, they threw us out, and wouldn't sell us beer.

Top:  Nice Owl, photo from Cities web site.
Middle: Look out to sea.
Bottom: Red Sunset (but, no sails)