Beacon Rock, Baby!

Andrew's been itching to go hiking and he's had his eye on Beacon Rock for a while. This last Sunday offered us favorable weather so that we could finally make the trek.

Here are some of the sights we encountered, starting with a poor roadside shot of Beacon Rock:



 Here are some of the appearances we made:

Here's where we stopped on the way home:

Checked out Bonneville Dam on the Washington side.

Couldn't capture it, but a seal was fishing right in those waters.

Watched the salmon swim up the fish ladder.

Marveled at this mini alien-ish lamprey.

Now that we've got our first hike of the year under our belts, we are anxious to get out there again and tackle another hike. We really enjoyed the sights, the exercise, and the picnic lunch and snacks. It was great family time and it was great to watch our kids appreciate God's creation. I was reminded of the first part of Psalm 19, the psalm that speaks of God revealing Himself through His works first and then through His Word. Here's the first part:

 Psalm 19:1-6

 ¹The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
         And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
    ²Day to day pours forth speech,
         And night to night reveals knowledge.
    ³There is no speech, nor are there words;
         Their voice is not heard.
    ⁴Their line has gone out through all the earth,
         And their utterances to the end of the world
         In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
    ⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
         It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
    ⁶Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
         And its circuit to the other end of them;
         And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

My friend Kara shared with me the following quote that helps capture what I think the psalmist is saying:

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone,

but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”

~Martin Luther