August 14, 2012...

We're still in Port Angeles today and headed out this morning to Olympia National Forest's Ho Rain Forest.  It was foggy and overcast when we left leaving, hubs hoped it would stay that way.  Pictures in the rain forest are so much greener when it's cloudy out.

You can see the clouds here and Carl joked that by the time we got there, 70 miles away, the sun would be out and wouldn't you know it, he was right.

The drive, road construction not withstanding, is beautiful.  The wildflowers are at their prime.

Carl found this little cutie in the woods and led me back to it so I could take a picture.  You can see the problem photographers face with sun/shade.  They would rather have all sun or all shade.  The hot spots draw your attention away from the subject.  I was delighted to get this close and we think it was a barred owl.

It's hard to imagine the size of these trees without a human to give them perspective.  This rain forest is magical.  You expect to see fairies around every turn in the path.  I think if you place your hand on a tree, you will hear the heartbeat of the forest.  The moss dripping from the trees takes different shapes and sometimes you can see faces in it.  Remember Tree Beard from Lord of the Rings?  I believe he lives here....somewhere.

I plan to place a Make it Crafty fairy on this log.  I've been taking pictures of objects that I thought digitals would sit on well.  Something I plan to work on when I get home.  I don't know what the plan is for tomorrow but we're going to be here six nights.  Update on the hotel:  beds were sloppily made today, towels were not straightened up, toilet paper and shampoo were not replaced, the garbage wasn't emptied.  I'm downgrading to C+.  We weren't pleased with the hotel restaurant menu last night and settled for burgers.  We'll be out looking for a new restaurant tonight.