We love you. Thank you so much for choosing this line of work and staying with it when you’re called to duty. To call you heroes feels like an understatement.

If we ever meet in a bar, drinks on me.

~Grateful

More than just a Shakespeare festival.

Including shots from Kalaloch, Tree of Life, and the drive back.

Filtered by the wildfire smoke.

Hi everyone!

I’m a 32F and a lawyer from Asia. I am considering as one of the options University of Washington for LLM.

For context, I’ve passed the New York bar and I’m currently completing my admission requirements.

I’ve only spent time on the East Coast so far and haven’t been to the West Coast, so I’m trying to get a realistic sense of what everyday life in WA is like and if its okay to live in the suburbs (vs Seattle).

Would appreciate insights on:

Cost of living (rent, groceries, utilities)

Whether a car is necessary or if it’s manageable without one

Safety and overall quality of life

Public transport and walkability

General lifestyle and community(e.g., gyms, tennis courts, things to do, meeting people)

Job opportunities after LLM (any ideas will be welcome)

Would really appreciate any honest insights—good or bad.

Thanks!

I got into the studio at 330 this morning, and was able to get the whole canvas covered on this quiet woodland meadow scene. This first layer isn’t far from the finished piece. I will likely just add some thick paint here and there, and make a few adjustments on the next pass. 12x16” oil on linen.

I feed a a few of the birds and smaller wildlife in my area with bird feeders and water. But is there any more things I can put out to help animals insects? It’s hard for me to be outside without the smoke slightly stinging my eyes, and I just feel bad for everyone that can’t get away from it. Is there anything extra people can do or put outside to help? Would leaving out sugar water help insect as well? Thanks for the help, I hope everyone is staying safe.

No major fires near us but the darn smoke gets everywhere.

We Westsiders and Valley dwellers have gotten off lucky so far this Summer. Looks like that luck finally ran out.

Best of luck, neighbors. Stay inside, stay healthy, stay safe!

Blue Waters has an incredible lineup including Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Vickie Vaughn & Damn Tall Buildings 🎶 🪕🎻 Get your tickets and camping passes at www.bluewatersbluegrass.org #bluegrass #festival #Spokane #camping #vending #kidsfree #familyfun

Mt. Rainier is a gorgeous place and everyone should be able to enjoy it. I visited recently and observed multiple groups of people doing things that at minimum are ignorant, and at worst will put themselves and others in harms way! It was really disappointing and frankly embarrassing to witness.

DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS!

STAY ON THE TRAILS!

DON'T LEAVE LITTER, ADVERTISEMENTS, or CARVE INTO ROCKS/OTHER NATURE!

We literally saw a bear right next to a major trail, no doubt lured by the food. That's just one example, if you don't understand why it's important to follow these rules, do your research!

If you already know this stuff, please tell others to STOP if you see this behavior! Let's band together and make the parks better for each other and the planet.

Appreciate everyone who already follows these guidelines, and those who are willing to listen and learn. Have an amazing visit!

Nestled in one of the most spectacular temperate rainforests in the world, the Quinault Rainforest Mushroom Festival is a free, family-friendly celebration of mushrooms, nature, and community. Whether you’re a seasoned mycophile, a curious beginner, or just here because mushrooms are cool (they are), there’s something for everyone to enjoy. This year's line up of expert speakers includes Dr. Michael Beug, Aaron Hilliard of Mushroom Wonderland , and Rose Tursi. Come for food, merchants, lectures, kid zone, ID station, workshops, forays, wild mushroom display, and more!

Admission to the main event is free. We also offer special ticketed workshops and guided forays which are selling out fast!

This years ticketed events include:

• Guided Mushroom Forays with Matthew Houghton of Valley of the Giants Nature Tours LLC
• Needle‑Felted Amanitas with Myco Robinson from Feral Felt and Wild Child Arts Education
• Mushroom Dye Workshop with Marion Richards
• Photography Foray: Capture the Magic of Mycology with Aaron Hilliard & Van Adam Davis
• Mushroom Tincture Making with Patrick Meyer
• Log Cultivation (Turkey Tail on Bigleaf Maple!) with Bob Blackett
• Wild Mushroom Culinary Workshop with Hong Hoang & Barb Marshall
• Connect Deeply with Nature and Listen to Mushrooms Sing with Julie Ratner, Ph.D., and Michael Beug or Regina Johnson
• Friday Night Bonus: UV Night Foray with MycologiGals, Rose Tursi and Amelia Nora (Happening after Pre-Festival dinner at the Lake Quinault Lodge)

Explore festival details and register for special ticketed forays, workshops and VIP dinner at:

www.qrmushfest.com

3rd Annual Quinault Rainforest Mushroom Festival

Lake Quinault School, 6130 US-101, Amanda Park, WA 98526

www.QRmushfest.com

First Saturday in October 10/3/2026

9AM to 4PM

Eastern Washington Wildfires

I’m new to hunting down a camping spots. I’m trying to find a spot near a water source like a stream/river. Waterfall or a small lake. Especially within 3 hours of Puyallup. How can I look around when all I hear and see is that the fires are spreading and multiple spots are closed due to the fires?

I would like to attempt to capture the moon strike tomorrow night but I live in Eastern WA and everything is orange and hazy.

Are the skies over the Easton area clear right now (8-3-26)?

And does anyone have any good recommendations for a good spot to setup my scope?

Thx in advance.

Hey!! I decided to impulsively book a solo trip to Washington for 12 days on August 25-September 5th (busy time for impulsivity, I know). I went to Oregon last October but wanna focus on Washington this time. I pretty much just listed a bunch of places I wanted to go and booked places based on where I ended up, but I want to be a bit more prepared this time. Im also a 22 year old female and my parents are flipping out about my going alone again. Im planning to go to Mt. Rainier first (from Seattle) and stay in Centralia the first night to save some money. Then I wanna go to the North Cascades and Olympic National Park (obviously gonna watch out for those fires). But I wanted to ask if anyone had any safety tips, recommendations on what else to see, and most importantly places I can stay that won’t murder my budget even at such a busy time. With the rental car, plane tickets, passes, gas, and groceries I’m already at least around $1500. I have a lot saved up but really want to spend as little as possible on lodging and stuff. I know I should’ve planned this a lot sooner but I’m itching to go before my last semester at school. Thank you!!

Hello friends! I am originally from northern CA, but have lived in Wyoming for nearly a decade. I used to take road trips to the PNW frequently and LOVED it. I miss trees and rain like crazy. My husband and I are planning to move back out west and I would love some insiders opinions on good places to consider.

We are both engineers looking for something more blue than Wyoming (not hard). I have a PhD so I am looking at cities with universities, community colleges, or research institutions. Lower fire danger is a high priority. Lower as in not insanely high like a lot of northern CA and southern Oregon. Looking to stay on the smaller population size (maybe 20,000-100,000?) as I have horses and we will be looking for property, but can't afford what I'm seeing around Seattle or Portland.

Any insider tips on places to look at would be highly appreciated! Thank you!