Laid up on injured list

Joe the leader posted this shot today

Not much to say today, just slowly getting better after taking a hard fall on the ice last week. I am finally able to get up out of bed, but I still cannot do my usual morning exercises without serious pain, and I don't know what I would have done without my sweet support staff (you know, my hubby), who has been helping me out of bed each night to take a visit to the bathroom, and then covering me up again and tucking me back in bed afterwards. I fell on the ice last Wednesday morning, so it's almost been a week, and each day has seen some progress. I've weaned myself off the drugs of everything except an occasional Advil. The trip to the ER was my outing for the week.

Eight people went up today Lookout Mountain and captured this lovely picture of our snowy and extremely cold weather. Last night we were in the teens and even after a full day of sunshine (as you can see from Joe's picture), it has barely reached the freezing level. Hard to remember another time like this.

But I am getting better every day and hope to return to activity soon. I think if I had to, I could walk to the bus stop by now, but I am not tempted to go out in this extreme weather and possibly hurt myself again. I tell myself to take baby steps and most of the time, I listen.

:-)

No hike today

Hoypus Hill 2017

I've done the hike we were scheduled to do today many times. It's in the Anacortes area, and has many wonderful old growth trees and a good visit to a local spit of land that is a great place for lunch, if the weather is good. Today it would have been cold but sunny. However, getting to the Senior Center this morning was NOT a good idea. Yesterday, the Senior Center was closed, and today it opened two hours late. The temperature was 21°F with wind chill making it seem like 10 below! And since it snowed overnight, getting out on the road seemed rather treacherous. Both of our hikes were canceled, this one, and the one for a local walk-around town. They were both bitingly cold and looking to be less than fun.

I, however, bundled myself up in the dark and headed for the bus, a half-mile walk. At that time, I didn't know whether we would be hiking in the Anacortes area or not, but by the time I got the notice about the delayed opening, our leader had sent around an email canceling the hike. 

I thought perhaps if the hike was canceled, I might take a trip to Fairhaven on the Boulevard Park path, but by the time I reached the co-op, I realized I didn't want to try to walk any farther, as the streets were slippery, even for walking, so I turned around and went to catch the next bus home.

It was cold, but with long johns, bundled up like a teddy bear, I was comfortable. If the sidewalks had been slippery, it would have been very scary, but it was cold enough that the snow was packed and easy to navigate. But I won't make my usual Tuesday step quota. I'm learning to let go of these milestones as I age, being more concerned with staying accident free and ready to go on the next outing. 

One of the Thursday hikes has been modified to be an around-town jaunt, and I might decide to take off from my usual volunteer work and do that one. I am not sure whether I will or not, but I sure do miss seeing my old friends in the Thursday groups, so it might be a good thing to do. In any event, I will enjoy the day, and tomorrow I get a yoga class that I truly enjoy. Feeling pretty good right now!

:-)

Madrone Crest from Chuckanut

Huckleberry viewpoint

 I never know how to pronounce the name of this hike. Some people always go with "Madrona" rather than the way it's spelled, "Madrone." In any event, eight of us Senior Trailblazers started out at the North Chuckanut trailhead and went up the Hemlock trail until we got to the turnoff for Huckleberry Point. Although we had a bit of snow two days ago, the higher we climbed, the more snow we ran into, even today. It was still quite cool, but the skies were almost completely clear, meaning overnight it turned cold.

Persis and Kim on the trail

As usual, Persis was hiking in her skirt, with long woolies underneath to help keep her warm. We hiked the entire length of the Huckleberry trail, and then joined the Salal trail that would take us to Madrone Crest.

On our way, enjoying the white stuff

As we climbed, it got snowier and more slow going, but the main trail was pretty clear, as you can see here. We meandered upwards until we got to the Crest.

Our lunch spot

We were happy to sit for awhile and have a nice lunch, considering that there was no wind and plenty of places to sit and enjoy a break from hiking. We had a little sun now and then, but with all the snow it was never exactly warm.  In that container in John's hand, he had chocolate-covered blueberries and tasty cookies, which I availed myself of. Most of us tried the blueberries, which are incredibly addictive!

Sterling and rider

We ran into a horse and rider on our way back. I didn't notice if it's a girl or a boy, but the rider is definitely female. She showed us that Sterling was wearing what looked like leather boots, which she said gives the horse more grip and comfort than regular shoes. She even had spikes if needed to add to the leather "sandals." A beautiful horse and very friendly, too. Beth had made the comment earlier that she had never seen any horses on these trails, and just like magic, Sterling appeared.

Snow decorations

We do live in a beautiful part of the country, and we are so lucky to have places within a short distance to hike in during the winter months. We go up to the High Country during the summer, but there's something awfully nice about just getting in our cars and being a short drive away from home, rather than more than an hour's drive each way.

Beth at trail junctions

Our leader today, Beth, took us up the Huckleberry trail and back down via the Salal and Lower Salal to our parking lot. We covered somewhere around seven and eight miles in total, and around 1,700 feet up and down. Not an easy hike, but certainly doable for all of us today. Since I was hurting last Tuesday from an easier hike, I took some ibuprofen before starting today, and it turned out just fine. I feel like I could go even farther if necessary. But I'm certainly glad to be sitting in a comfy chair right now, with my feet up, with nowhere I need to go. Satisfied and happy for the moment, with a smile and a glass of wine to enjoy.

:-)

First hike after the snow

Ina and Barb on the trail

It was pretty neat to see how much the snow has receded from our hiking areas, partly because of the warm rain, and partly because it's been almost a week since it fell. It was mostly clear, but there were icy patches, so we Senior Trailblazers kept our eyes open and used our trekking poles to help keep us upright. But after I had gone five days with no exercise at all, I was happy that we went five miles from Marine Park through the 100 Acre Woods and the Interurban trail. It was a round trip amount, and there were 14 of us altogether to start. We didn't know what we would encounter, but, other than some wet patches and the intermittent ice, the footing was great!

Heron nests in the trees

We passed by the Post Point Heron Rookery, a place where Great Blue Herons come to raise their young during the spring. You can learn more about the city's attempts at protecting them here. From that link:

The herons typically occupy the site annually between February and August. They utilize a variety of habitats in and around the colony for nesting, roosting, loafing, foraging and staging. 

Back at Marine Park

It's hard to believe that less than a week ago, we were caught in the huge snowstorm, but the weather cooperated to help us get back to our normal environment. All that snowmelt should make for plenty of wildflowers to sprout a few months from now. Of course, we have two more months of winter to get through before that happens, and who knows what that will bring? Hopefully, we will emerge with plenty of moisture for growing flowers and veggies once the sunshine returns. In any event, so far we have been quite fortunate, especially when I look at what is happening in the rest of the country.

And I am quite happy to have gotten my exercise routine back on track! Hope you are having a good week and that you will enjoy a a bit of exercise yourself. 

:-)

Thursday adventure

From my front porch

No hike today, in fact many places of business are just simply closed because of the amazing snowfall we received yesterday, Wednesday. It did finally stop, but by then the buses were no longer running and people were asked to stay home. Today, Thursday, we are busy digging out from about 6, 8 or more inches of snow, more for the date than we have ever received here. You can tell with a quick glance at the cars, which are buried in what looks close to a foot of snow. 

I did get out yesterday and took the (still functioning) bus to the coffee shop, where I managed to have a great cup of coffee and treat before deciding that the snow was not going to stop anytime soon, so I'd probably just head home. I'm glad I did, because by noon the buses were no longer running, and I don't know how I would have gotten home otherwise. The website for the WTA (Whatcom Transportation Authority) said they would find a way to get anybody back home who traveled to their destination by bus. I didn't know any of this until I got up this morning, wondering if I could make it to town or not, and learned that the buses were all running on schedule, although using chains. That meant I wasn't sure when the bus would actually get there. However, I took my chances and headed out in the dark, using the (mostly) deserted street instead of the sidewalks, where snowplows had made them impassable. It was pretty easy going, especially compared to yesterday when I had to struggle through deep virgin snow.

Today, before I caught the bus home, I made my way to the co-op for a couple of things I forgot yesterday. When I got there at 8:45am, the doors were closed. They had sent everybody home at 5:00pm yesterday and the sign said they would reopen at 9:00am. I chatted with other people who waited along with me for the doors to open. Once they did and I got my items, I walked back to the bus station and caught my usual bus back home. The Senior Center was closed yesterday and again today. Many shops were also not open, I noticed.

Photo by Cindy Plaster

I find it interesting how all snow pictures look like B&W, since there is nothing really that changes color when all that you can see is the snow and where it piles up. This picture is, I believe, the bridge over Whatcom Falls where I was on Tuesday. I found this lovely shot on the Seeing Bellingham website on Facebook.

I will probably be using Microspikes on my walk to the bus tomorrow, since all this snow will begin to melt once the rain starts and we get above freezing. Right now in the early afternoon we are at 32°F and the temperature will fall, but rain is on the way. It will take a lot of it to make all this snow melt, so tomorrow will probably be very slippery. I'll be prepared. Although I didn't get much of a walk today, what I did get meant I used a lot of energy struggling through the snow. Feeling pretty accomplished as I sit here writing this post.

:-)

Oyster Dome and Lily Lake

Stand of trees in sunlight

 Melanie and I made the long drive to the Samish Overlook trailhead in order to hike up to Oyster Dome and make an excursion to Lily Lake, one of our favorites on Blanchard Mountain. I hadn't been all the way up to Oyster Dome for years, even after the trail had been renovated. It was a beautiful morning, and the road to Samish Overlook has been improved, basically (unfortunately) to give the loggers better access to the trees. For whatever reason, we will be using this trailhead more often as it's way easier to navigate now.

Trail to Oyster Dome

Other than being fairly steep during many switchbacks, as you can see the trail was lovely when we started up. The "up" word, though is the reason it didn't stay so nice.

Junction either to the Dome or Lily Lake

Yes, we ran into snow, and lots of it before it was all over. Here we are at the junction, one way to Oyster Dome, and the other to Lily Lake. Although it was pretty snowy and slippery, we decided to hike the half-mile trail from here to the Oyster Dome.

Melanie on the Dome

As you can see from this picture, it was a glorious day as we looked out over Samish Bay. It looked pretty much the same from our starting point, so I decided just to show you this view, rather than repeating it from where we started out.

Another view from Oyster Dome

We made our way from the Dome back to the junction, and this time we took the trail (named the Oyster/Lily trail) towards Lily Lake. Before long, we were in full snow, with little to no part of the trail free of the white stuff. 

Bridge as we headed to Lily Lake

As you can see from this picture, this was the name of the game: snow everywhere. And we knew when we got to the lake, it was not going to be free of snow, obviously.

Lily Lake

The lake is frozen over, but I wouldn't want to walk on it, as it's probably quite unstable. But it sure was pretty to look at. We spread out our inflatable seats on those benches and Melanie pulled out her newest creation: brownies, made with lots of chocolate (of course) as well as made with some Guinness beer.

Yummy brownies

They were really good (as usual with her cooking), chewy and filled with lots of flavors. She said although the recipes only fills a 9x9 pan, it called for five eggs! I can attest that they are really, really good. And then it was time to make our way down Max's Shortcut, which took us back to the beginning of our day's hike.

Some neat trees on the Shortcut

We didn't have to descend very much before we left the snow behind, and we had a very nice trip back to the car. I was going to post some pictures of the clearcut and the desolation left behind in the aftermath but it just makes me sad, so I decided to skip it. We covered 6.54 miles and 1,750 feet up and down before it was all said and done. A very wonderful sunny day in the company of my favorite chef (and good friend). I am so glad to have this sort of recreation available to me so close to home, and to be in good enough shape to continue to enjoy the wilderness. I hope it continues for a good long while.

:-)

Madrone Crest

Lower Salal trail

 Today Melanie and I headed up to the North Chuckanut Mountain trailhead, with hopes of reaching Madrone Crest, if I could manage it (more than seven miles and plenty of elevation gain and loss). And I did, with Mel offering me a couple places where we could shorten the hike, but I was feeling good.

Such a pretty day

Unfortunately, there was little of interest to see, other than lots of trees, a nice trail, and a bit of snow here and there, as we gained in altitude. We didn't have any footgear today, but we didn't need it if we stepped carefully in the snowy spots.

On the way to the Crest c

Once we left the Lower Salal and got onto the trail to Madrone Crest (having gained around a thousand feet in elevation), we began to see snow on the trail. You can also see that it's quite sunny, so we would run into places with no snow and others with quite a bit. 

Trail in the snow

It was pretty easy going, and other times I've been on this trail, we have had a torrent of water running down it. Today, it was actually quite manageable. I never felt like I should have brought my spikes, but I was glad for my waterproof boots. 

Viewpoint at Madrone Crest

When I first began to hike to this viewpoint, you actually had a pretty good view, but today the trees have made it less visible. You can still see the mountains peeking through. We stopped here long enough to have Mel's latest creation, a purple cookie with mochi in the middle. I loved it, but she said she spit it out, not liking the taste of the mochi. I helped her out by eating hers, enjoying it thoroughly.

Last of the snow for today

As we returned to the main trail, the snow gradually grew less and less, until there was just a small remnant. We had hoped we might be able to see the first little shoots of our favorite flower, the trillium, but instead the only white we saw was the frozen kind. But as you can see, it was truly a glorious outing, and I have no doubt I will sleep well tonight. Kudos to Melanie for helping me get more than 20,000 steps!

:-)

Grateful for today

Lummi Island from the viewpoint

It was supposed to rain today and only get a few degrees above freezing. But after watching the weather forecast this morning, I began to feel we might actually end up with a nice day after all. It looked to me like the worst of the weather would skip us, so we decided to head to the Lost Lake trailhead and see if we could make it to Fragrance Lake, one of our favorites. It's been awhile since we were there, so off we went. You can see from the clouds in the first picture that we already had some possibly decent weather for the day.

The trail got a bit dicey

We had made it quite a distance upwards toward the lake, when we ran into snow. Quite a bit of it, actually. But Melanie had planned ahead and brought footgear for the snow, and she figured I probably would bring any, so we had some for me, too!

Microspikes (left); Diamond Grip Yaktrax (right)

Once we had added these to our boots, it was like night and day: I no longer was slipping and sliding, and the adventure ahead became much more to my liking. We made it to the lake in good time and found it still had some snow on it.

Fragrance Lake and snow

Most of the lake was snow-free, but the trail all the way around the lake and up the Two Dollar trail were all covered. I was so happy to have Mel's spikes to make it easier to keep going.

Reflection on a smooth lake

When we started out, it was pretty windy, and we thought it would keep up all day. But fortunately for us, it didn't, and as you can see here, it became calm and peaceful. We stopped at a bench in the sunshine, and we enjoyed Mel's latest creation.

Oatmeal orange cookies

Whenever Mel gets a veggie delivery and caracara orange are included, she makes these. They are so good, filled with delicious orange pieces, cranberries, and lots of love. She says they are almost healthy (for a cookie, that is). 

Such a gorgeous scene

The sun came out while we were heading back, and I love seeing the way the snow added some extra embellishment to the scene. It looks much colder than it felt, although as I said before, the temperature never got more than a few degrees above freezing.

Waterfall

On the way back (we usually come up the trail and return along the logging road), we pass by this waterfall and today, I noticed that we had some icicles as well as being fairly full. Sometimes it's pretty sparse, but today it looked just right, not too full and not too skimpy.

We ended up covering 6.6 miles and more than 1,700 feet up and down. Not bad for a hike that we were afraid wouldn't be much fun at all! It was mostly good because I have a friend who never fails to think of me and what I might need and not remember to bring (like the footgear). And who feeds me as well!

:-)

Sloppy mess

Snow on the pussy willows

I woke this morning to a rather intense snowstorm, lots of flakes coming down, and the temperature just above freezing. It's many hours later, but the temperature has only come up a few degrees. I walked to the bus on pristine snow, and it was quite lovely. But coming  home was another matter altogether. Although the streets weren't clear, only a few places seemed slippery, but the melting snow made the necessity to wade through icy water not a fun activity. It will be another sloppy mess tomorrow, too, probably.

I went to the coffee shop and enjoyed a good Americano, as usual, and then I decided to ask John to drive me to the Senior Center to attend the Zumba class. Because of the weather, the usual 25 attendees had shrunk to 6. It was actually more fun, because I could see the instructor so much better. Anyway, I had a good time, until I had to walk home in the slush. I entertained myself by thinking of expletives to keep my mind occupied.

I got a call from the hearing office that my hearing aids have arrived. They will be fitted for me on Friday, and then I'll have two months to decide if I like them or not. You'll be finding out about my purchase and how I feel about it in the future, I'm sure.

:-)

Looking for inspiration

Snow on the chicken coop

 It's late in the day, and I went to the coffee shop first thing as usual, walked three miles home, and wanted to show you that we got some snow this morning. I took this on the way home. Afterwards, I spent some time playing on my laptop and reading blogs and emails, and then I had my monthly acupuncture treatment in Fairhaven. 

And just like that, the day is over. I came home and spent a little time chatting with SG, fixed myself a late lunch, and then decided I'd better get going or I wouldn't ever get this Tuesday post written and done. I just couldn't find a subject and decided that the snow would have to be enough of an event to write about it. Boring...

So then I got on Facebook and read a little of my friends' posts, and I learned that another acquaintance has died, this time a woman younger than me who died of cancer. Sometimes I have to remember how lucky I am to be in relatively good shape for an elder, and that thought gave me the impetus to pour myself a glass of wine and get started.

I went over to the Bellingham group on Facebook called "Seeing Bellingham" and found this lovely picture taken by Doug Brown in Fairhaven this morning (obviously).

J.J. Donovan

I pass by this status whenever I visit the Village Bookstore just down the street from this statue. He's usually not looking so frosty. I had to look up the information to find out who this guy was.

John Joseph (J.J.) Donovan arrived in Fairhaven in 1888 at the invitation of Nelson Bennett for the purpose of building a railroad which would transport coal from his mine on the Skagit River to be shipped from the newly-settled town of Fairhaven. 

 He is writing a letter to his wife, which is easily read when you're looking over his shoulder, about the town of Fairhaven. "In the letter, J.J. is describing the four towns on Bellingham Bay:  Fairhaven, Bellingham, Sehome and Whatcom.  The town of Bellingham would soon become part of Fairhaven later that year.  In 1904 a City of Bellingham would be formed when Fairhaven and Whatcom were consolidated." (This information is from a website on Fairhaven History.)

That is a much more interesting picture and story than my lame chicken coop attempt, so forgive me, Doug, for snagging your cool picture to make my post more interesting!

:-)

No hike today

Behind the counter at my favorite coffee shop

We, Melanie and I, didn't venture out to hike anywhere today. Although it's way more conducive to outdoor activity today than it has been for the past few days, it's still super cold and, even if the wind has moderated, it's still not much fun out there. Both Senior Trailblazer groups canceled their hikes and suggested that people stay indoors during the worst of the weather. We have a foot of snow (still) on the ground, and such cold temperatures that slick sidewalks are not an issue. There aren't any exposed sidewalks!

Where did the chickens go?

John picked me up and drove me to our coffee shop, where we enjoyed a very nice time inside a warm and cozy place, and then he took me home. I didn't want to venture out after my last attempt, when the cold wind made me really miserable. But today, a little after noon, I realized that the wind had moderated somewhat, so I walked to the bus stop. I noticed that the chickens in the chicken coop have been taken out of the severe weather, and I hope they are enjoying their vacation from the pen and have not been turned into dinner. I think I'll see them again once the weather improves. I hope.

There's a path under the snow

I walked in the street for most of the way, since the sidewalks are knee-deep in snow. As you can see from this picture, it's not a very easy walk. See the huge snowdrift behind? That was from the snowplow, I suspect.

Little snowdrifts making patterns

I do like looking at the wind sculptures in the many places where the snow accumulates. And I did need to find something to put into my usual Thursday post. Although it's not much, at least I got a teeny bit of exercise (but needed to dodge cars every few minutes). We have more snow coming tonight, so I don't know if I could repeat or add onto today's venture out. We'll see. 

This bad weather is pretty much everywhere right now, or if not in your area yet, it's on the way! So, please stay safe and warm, if possible. I am so blessed to have a warm apartment that is so much nicer than being outdoors with nowhere to get out of the elements. My heart goes out to those who are homeless and hope they can stay safe during this awful weather.

:-(

Not our usual weather

Scene when we arrived at the coffee shop

It was very cold and blustery when I went to bed last night, but I really didn't know whether the forecast for snow would pan out or not. We have been told many times that it would snow, a fair amount even, and then not show even a stingy snowflake or two. 

It was so cold last night that I began to think it was too cold for snow. Hah! Color me wrong, as I woke to heavy snowfall and really frigid temperatures, like –10°C (15°F) and the scene looked like the picture above. John called me and said he had cleared off his truck and would be around to pick me up for our usual coffee date within a few minutes. He said to BE READY. I walked outside to consider what clothes I might need, pulled on long underwear for insurance, and found a pair of short gaiters to add to my shoes to keep the snow out of my socks and boots. Finally all geared up, I walked out to see a real winter wonderland. John's chariot pulled up in the dark, ready to take me on an adventure!

My front porch "flowers"

Yes, there is no doubt that we received somewhere close to ten inches or so of snow! And for tomorrow, while the snow may be over, the cold is not. It will be extremely cold for another couple of days, before the weather moderates and the snow changes over to rain, our familiar winter companion. Until then, we will muddle through. 

I found my missing Microspikes to strap onto my boots for walking, and I might try them out today if the sun actually makes an appearance. I can see that there are some breaks in the clouds already, and it sure would be nice to get in a few steps. You know I am addicted to exercise, right? But I am also cautious and don't want to hurt myself by taking too many unnecessary chances.

This cold weather looks like it will reach most of the nation before it's all said and done. And hopefully you will also take precautions and happily find some joy and holiday cheer for the upcoming week. Saturday is Christmas Eve!

:-)

Cold but lovely

Wintry scene, sans snow

Melanie and I decided to make our holiday hike up to Lily Lake, just the two of us. It was supposed to be sunny and cold, but it was mostly cloudy when we started out. Although the forecast was for partly sunny skies, it wasn't that way at first. However, later on the sun did make an appearance. Everything is definitely looking wintry.

Me in front of the decision spot

By the time we climbed up most of the elevation to this spot, we had a decision to make: go to Lizard Lake and make our hike longer, or head to Lily Lake and then return the way we had come. Until we got here, the trail was mostly free of snow, and then it all changed.

Does it look slippery? Yep, it was indeed

This is the first place where we thought that our spikes might be useful to strap onto the bottom of our boots. Unfortunately, I couldn't find mine this morning, but Mel had spares. I thought maybe I could make it to the lake without them.

Lily Lake

We did finally make it to the lake, only to find it frozen solid, and a brisk wind had picked up by this time. We huddled under a tree, while Mel put on her spikes with frozen fingers. I decided to try to make it back myself without falling, which I did, but it was with a lot of careful stepping and caution. The distance where it was icy and snowy was brief. Mel was happy to have put on her spikes, and I'll find mine before we go out next week.

Brief spots of sun broke through the clouds

As we headed back the way we had come, we saw that the sun was definitely beginning to show through all those clouds. And by the time we had returned to the car, having covered seven miles and 1,500 elevation gain and loss, there was more sun in the sky than clouds. Before we hit the freeway, it was full-on sunshine.

Happy holidays from Mel!

We went to the Evolve Cafe for a wonderful late lunch. Although it's been quite awhile since we finished, I am still full and happily so. Mel had a peppermint schnapps hot chocolate with hers, and I enjoyed some cheesy biscuits. It all went very delightfully together with a polenta dish that we both ordered.

As the sun set today at 4:13pm, we were both ensconced in our respective homes, me with my partner, and she with Torquil, her cat. And both feeling pretty good about our choice for the day. I do hope that everyone had a great day, filled with lots of good cheer!

:-)