The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. Â Henry Beston
Regular readers know I like to start these WordPress photo challenges with a quote that leads to a small story related to a favorite photo and I build the post from there. Â It usually takes me a few days to find a quote that both catches my interest and matches a picture but 9 times out of 10 it all comes together.
Every once in a while though I start the process at the end deciding on a picture first and sometimes I don’t quite make it through the full circle of quote with challenge word, story and images. Â Today’s post is one of those exceptions where I hit 2 of the three marks but that elusive third is not quite complete. Â Oh well. Â I feel a connection to the quote, it works with my photos and it’s a good intro to this weeks story. Â The fact that the word prompt, textures, isn’t in the quote will just have to be ok because this primeval wood is full of texture.
I started nodding my head as I read this quote for the first time and when I called Ryan in to read it he looked over and said “Mom, you say those things all the time.” Â My words don’t quite match Henry Beston’s but these are indeed the three natural things I enjoy most about this part of our country. Â I pick remote hiking and camping locations just so I can hear the uninterrupted sound of wind through the trees and the mesmerizing rhythm of waves rolling onto an otherwise quiet beach is something I seek out often as possible. Â I even find ways to enjoy the sound of rain and find comfort in the pitter patter of wet drops on the roof while trying to fall asleep.
As luck would have it Ryan and I found all three of these elemental sound textures during our latest hiking trips through the islands and forests of Washington state. Â I’ve included a photo of a small waterfall to illustrate the rain because we’re in the middle of what may turn into the longest rain-free stretch in Seattle area history but take my word for it, a small trickling waterfall sounds a lot like rain.
Northwest Frame of Mind 
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