Yakima County - Weekend Drive

I remember those days when we were just the two of us, on a day off or weekends we would just take out our GPS and blindly point and start driving hoping to discover something amazing on our drive. Many a times we have been surprised, awed and have absolutely enjoyed those quirky drives and sometimes have not been in any luck. But the quality time that we got/get to spend was/is priceless. What can I say, we are  wanderers at heart :)

Washington has abundant of scenic route. View of snow capped mountains, coniferous trees, valleys, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, the coasts, beaches, cliffs, forests and more. But the experience, enjoyment and enthusiasm differs with each time (planned or unplanned).

Here are some shots driving through Yakima County.

Yakima river flowing by the highway/railway track.

Fishing on Yakima river

Relaxing

Boating

Apple Farms.

Apple farm on a primitive road.

Water reservoir.

On our way back home we just took a stop on the side of this road for some refreshments (from home stock). Is it not worth a place just enjoy some evening snacks?

We pulled over on the curb side, took out our picnic chair..

and enjoyed some home-made desi chai which mamacita had diligently packed in her thermas :)

We spent about 30-40 min with no traffic or any disturbance, enjoying the view, talking about life, future and some giggles and smiles. Now that's what I call quality time!

Thank you Naches (the town in Yakima County) for a lovely evening.

Windmills and Farms - Ellensburg

A few weeks ago for a change I was craving for the plains. I wanted to see the lush green meadows, farms, farm animals, miles and miles of just plain flat land. Flat lands are almost non existent in the state of Washington. The closest that resemble such landscape would be driving towards eastern side of Washington.

With no particular destination in mind, we decided to take stops based on what we see and like. We hardly do drives like these since after our son, but slowly we are re-introducing it now with our 7 yr old.

After driving for about 2 hrs through the mountains we decided to break for lunch at Ellensburg. I caught glimpse of some windmills on the way and decided to chase those after lunch. We took the internal roads via this small town called Ellensburg looking for those windmills.

My idea was to get an aerial shot with fairly close range, but that wasn't happening :(. We went up (pic below) here just to find out it's a private property and trespassing was a crime. I bet the view from this properties backyard would have been exactly what I was aiming for.

Nevertheless, we finally found a spot that had this wide angle.

We drove down the hill and saw these beautiful green to golden fields.

G for Glass

Through the looking glass.

The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don't have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it ~ Chris Pine

Linking to ABC Wednesday - Round fifteen.

F For Ferris Wheel

Ferris Wheel

Linking to ABC Wednesday - Round fifteen.

Changing Trends

From Ponytails ......

To Braided Tails.
We don't set trends. We just find out what they are and exploit them.

Happy Independence Day

Fun With Food and Salutation to Flag

E For Eiffel Tower

Everyone has a dream growing up and like most adolescent girls I had this magnificent dream that I would go to Paris for my honeymoon and I will kiss my husband at the top of Eiffel Tower. What can I say, I am pretty romantic at heart :)

In those days travelling abroad was itself a rarity and travelling for pleasure was almost unheard of.
Little did I know that I will find my prince charming who would actually make my dream come true.
Thanks honey for this unforgettable moment. Since then I believe that dreams do come true :)

We are not the kind of people who would kiss and tell, but we sure are the ones that would kiss and show - he he he :). Well, I definitely didn't think of having some random person click our pic while we kiss at the top of original Eiffel, I did have someone take a pic while we tried to repeat the scene in the replica built in Las Vegas Nevada.

Someone was not ready for paparazzi I guess :)

Linking to ABC Wednesday - Round fifteen.

Luminous

Jake's widowed mother always wanted him to join the army even though she lost her husband to one, but Jake always blamed the army for embittering his life growing up without a father figure.

Just like his father he is brave heart, he fought like a true warrior when in action and sprung in action without any hesitation protecting his country. 

Nonetheless he was never sure if the army was the right place for him and so was ready to get back home from his deputation and start afresh.

That night in his dreams he hears a voice, which he assumes to be his father's, that says – “There are only 2 important days in everyone’s life, the day they are born and the day they realize why they were born.

Sadly the moment of epiphany occurs as Jake's luminous soul departs his body while he dies a heroic death saving an innocent civilian's life.

In response to the Five Sentence Fiction Word Prompt – "Luminous"

Genre:                            Fiction

Word:                             Luminous

Line Count:                  5 sentences

Dragonfly

Dragonflies are among the most ancient of living creatures. They go back to Carboniferous times, meaning they were flying more than how many years ago ?

300 million. Dragonflies predate dinosaurs by over 100 million years and birds by some 150 million years. It would be tragic if, after surviving such an unimaginable number of years, it should be our generation that witnesses a serious decline of these fascinating and beautiful insects !
Took this picture during a evening walk with my son using my handy phone camera. What pretty color. I also saw an amazingly bright red colored Dragon fly today in my backyard flying hither and thither. Didn't  get a chance to capture a click. I have a picture in my mind though. Any mind readers? :)

Familiarity

PHOTO PROMPT – Copyright-Björn Rudberg

On our way to the honeymoon suite, we stopped at a viewpoint.

A strange sense of familiarity surged even though I have never been there before.

Brief flashes of déjà vu hits me as my eyes caught up with the old yet charming house that stood amidst the view.

My subconscious mind forced me to drive there where we hesitantly knocked at the door.

The old lady who opened the door said in an emotional voice “I knew you would come back one day”

Right there in the front,  I see an inundating portrait of myself dressed like a prince.

Contributing towards Friday Fictioneers

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Word Count: Approx 100 using the above photo prompt

Thanks, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, for hosting “Friday Fictioneers,” for the great photo-prompt.

An InLinkz Link-up

D For Draw Bridge

Location: Chicago, Illinois

That's a asphalt road drawbridge

Location: Ballard Locks, Washington

That's a railway track drawbridge

Linking to ABC Wednesday - Round fifteen.

Life And Death Decision

An excerpt from a true story.

"Whatever you decide, I'll accept your decision and support it" were her husbands words before he left on a 2 day work related trip. He owned a startup medical business and she was a stay at home mom with 2 kids.

It wasn't a peaceful night when she had put her 2 daughters (ages 5 and 4) to sleep. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer and her mind was racing with a million thoughts. She knew the business wasn't going well. The financial crunch was plaguing her thoughts.  With zilch savings left, the concern about future was a persistent part of their daily reality.  As a mom and as a women her main aim was to give good education for her daughters hoping that would help the kids to be self sufficient when they grow up. But they lacked the wherewithal to pay even for the basic needs.

Amidst all this she wasn't ready to foist another human into their already penniless world. They hadn't planned for this at all. She believed it would be doing injustice to the newborn having it brought into this world and not being able to provide. It is out of their means to financially welcome and support a baby at that time and impossible to create a better future with the already constrained finances.

The instability in not knowing where their next paycheck is going to come from fogged her cognitive way of thinking. She dishearteningly suggested the way to terminate her pregnancy. The couple deliberated over it. But her indecisive husband after all give her the liberty (read responsibility) to make the decision on both their behalf, when he said "Whatever you decide, I'll accept your decision and support it".

It wasn't making this process any easier for her.  Her conscience kept voicing the right and wrong. They came from a religious family where killing life even at it's inception is considered repugnant in the books of karma, and to attempt one knowingly is unforgivable. She was torn, on one hand she definitely didn't want this crisis to trickle down on her kids, on the other hand her ethics and morals were fighting to triumph over her wrong doings.

The following morning, with a heavy heart and swelled eyes she requested her neighbor to watch her kids while she dragged her foot to the clinic by herself. She half heartedly registers her name. She waited there to be called among all other women who have come for the same purpose but with different reasons. She was agitated and perturbed with her still unsettled thoughts. As the nurse shout out her name, her resentful mind disabled her to move forward. She then says it out loud - "I can't do this" and then barged out of the clinic with an outburst of tear and never looked back.

She survived all odds and today that child is a lovable sister, a wonderful friend to many,  a caring wife, and most of all  a darling daughter.

                                    ***************************************

I was once having a discussion with my fellow colleagues in our lunch room about kids. At that time, I was only a couple of years into my marriage. During the discussion I casually mentioned that we (I and my husband) would want to go for only one kid and our decision to have another will greatly depend upon a lot of factors existing at that time of life like age, mental willingness, physical ability and equally important financial stability. One of the lady was shocked to hear that why one would weigh in finance as a criteria. She showed her discontent for my way of thinking and analysing and reasoning. I know it's hard for some people especially if they are never in shortage of money supply.

I am not here to scrutinize and pass judgement on if I support or oppose the act of abortion. It is definitely subjective to rationality that goes behind the decision to terminate. As much as I insist on factoring on finances before planning a pregnancy, I surely won't negotiate my future with that, had I already conceived (accidentally).

What do you think?

*image courtesy - shutterstock.com

Saturday Photo Hunt - Cloudy

When you feel stuck, just look at the sky. The cloud remind us that everything changes.

Saint Louis Arch, Missouri

If life gives you cloudy days then make up your own sunshine.

Yellow Stone National Park, Montana

This post is an entry for the Saturday PhotoHunt. Theme Cloudy. Click here if you want to participate or check out posts from other talented participants.

An Abrupt Journey

PHOTO PROMPT - Copyright Rochell Wisoff-Fields

She sat by him on the plane with glee on her face.
They were heading to the paradise where they met for the 1st time 6 years back.
All she could think and talk was about tomorrow. She had so much to say and very little to listen. There was a complete absence of any sound from the other side in the conversation.

Suddenly there was a tremor and the plane rattled  - the voice on the other side finally spoke -
"I don't think I am ready Yet"......and then there was a dead silence.

A beginning of a journey brought an end to another one.

Contributing towards Friday Fictioneers

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Word Count: Approx 100

An InLinkz Link-up

Trapped

Trapped behind the captive doors, a struggle not knowing how to escape.

Right then, I heard footsteps, the wrath in me hoped it was death.

Two hands progressed that said in a firm voice "Come with me".

I have never experienced a touch that sheltered me.

Contributing towards Five Sentence Fiction – Secure

Genre:                            Fiction

Word:                             Secure

Line Count:                  5 sentences

Choosing To Live Childless

I remember the day very clearly when my days of motherhood became a reality holding that tiny person in my arms with happy tears rolling down my cheeks and my husband was so proud to be called as "Father". Our lives changed for ever. There were many (lucrative) reasons why we should not go for parenthood and there was only one best reason to go for one. We chose to experience parenthood for just that one reason that it would make both of us happy.

Of course that was an era where the next steps of marriage has to be all about raising a family. A time when  I have only known ladies who were desperate  to have their own child (sooner or later). A society that strongly believed and made everyone believe that a womanhood is never complete without procreating.  The choice was never Do you want to have kids? It was mandated and so answer was always presumed. The choice was only  about - How many kids? 

What was once an increasingly common decision in western culture has now influenced us (Indians) too. I am seeing this new trend where women seem to emancipate themselves from this so called ultimate purpose of her life. I commonly see that mainly women are no longer tempted to have a child of their own.

While some females seem to have known early in their age that they don't really have anything to do with maternal feelings, some don't know yet which way they want to go. Whichever place you are in, the important thing is when time comes confront your own reticent.  Before you reach the point of no return ensure as best as you can that you are clear on your reasoning and sanguine about its drawbacks as well as its advantages. Understand the potential ramifications. A male partner has the luxury of changing his mind; but a women can't because once your cache of eggs runs out your procreating days are over.

We all have adapted/adopted changes in our life breaking the socially accepted norms only because that benefited  you and your (nuclear) family at some point of time. You had your own reasons at that time which likely seemed unacceptable to many. But still you did it. 

There are always going to be opinionated friends and family. Some who may be just a little jealous about all the freedom, the  less responsibility, more sleep, more free time, more disposable income that you will enjoy. And some genuine ones that will help you in decision making weeding out any irrationality behind it. 

Choosing to be childless is a burning decision. It is further complicated by people, who surround to instigate this debate. As friends and family we shouldn't be really advocating on what's right or wrong. Instead if you can help such couples focus on finding the right reasons for their choice/decision.

If you can't speak against your beliefs at least let's not complicate it for them.

It is not unnatural to choose to pass on parenthood but it is unusual yet. The good thing is that you get to make your own choice. A choice that needs to be amicably picked by the very 2 people who vowed to continue this journey of togetherness "until death do us apart". A choice that will keep the couple happy before and after the decision. The more you will learn to love your decisions the less you will feel the need for others to love it for you.

I would recommend reading this post by one of my fellow blogger  aligning on the same subject  - Is Motherhood a Choice?. I conjured my thoughts after reading her post. Thanks Ananya.

*All images courtesy Google.