Fully leafed out

Favorite tree in Cornwall Park

I walked by this tree many times a month, and I've seen it go from leafless to fully covered within a few weeks. It is a maple, with gorgeous colors in the fall, and delicate spiked leaves that never fail to look impressive when I walk by. Today I noticed that it's finally finished adding more leaves, at least that what it looks like. One day all those leaves will turn into bright colors and then fall off.

November 2023

I recently discovered that the search feature on my laptop can search for this particular tree (or any other scene I capture regularly) by looking for ones taken in Cornwall Park. I have been enchanted with the colors of the myriad flora I visit almost daily. Since I still haven't felt quite ready to join the Senior Trailblazers on walks yet, I spend more of my walks solo. I always look with pleasure at the writeups about the walks, and sometimes I wish I had joined them. But the truth is, I've done all of them so many times that I don't actually have the same feeling of excitement when I think about joining them. I'm still getting some exercise, not at the level of earlier days, but I'm not sure I can do much more than the four or five miles I cover by myself. My damaged right hip and right leg remind me that I should be grateful for all I've been able to do up to now. I'm not feeling any need to hurry myself back into backcountry trails.

We have been very fortunate with the weather, too. Although it looks like we have some precipitation expected mid-week, it's not much these days and just helps to keep our world looking green and lush, with flowers still burstiI'ng out everywhere.

And I am truly enjoying the life I share with my dear sweet guy, who is hanging in there with his chemo treatments and continuing to keep up his own routine. Nothing feels like it's missing from my daily life, so I'm happy to keep on keepin' on for as long as I can. Hope you're doing the same, dear friends.

:-)

Two more sleeps

Jeff Barclay photo

I was wondering whether the Skagit Valley daffodils are coming up yet, and I found this picture on the Seeing Bellingham Group on Facebook. Jeff is a constant contributor to the site, and I have always enjoyed seeing his delightful pictures. The dark skies and brightly lit daffodils are incredible, don't you think? I know this spot because I always see it when I visit the tulips in April. This was taken three days ago, and I am so happy to see this scene. I am already looking forward to this year's Tulip Festival in the Skagit Valley. I suspect it will be a moderately average time for the blooms to show up. It's still too early for tulips.com to venture a guess.

It's just two more days before we experience the first day of spring. And I also suspect we won't have much more cold weather, although that's definitely not a given. I remember one year after we moved here when we had a foot of snow right here in town in April. It was almost like I hadn't left Colorado behind! That said, I don't think we will have a repeat performance of lowland snow this year. We already had a month of below-normal temperatures, but next week the forecast is for above average temperatures.

I am trying not to get too freaked out over the Social Security fiasco that is apparently emerging from Washington, DC. We are completely dependent on getting our checks deposited into our accounts each month, something that has happened without a hitch since we retired almost two decades ago. But now, who knows what will happen? They are cutting staff and closing offices all across the country. And I know we are not alone in needing our SS to keep on coming regularly. I am hoping that saner heads will prevail before it's too late to fix it. Sorry to bring this up, but I am puzzled and mystified by this and wonder if anything is safe anymore.

:-(

Fairhaven Park to Chuckanut Falls

Arroyo Park bridge

Today thirteen Senior Trailblazers hiked from Fairhaven Park to Chuckanut Falls and back, a trip of just under six miles, with around 850 feet of elevation gain and loss. Obviously not a huge and challenging hike, but one with some of the most beautiful scenery one can imagine. We hiked from Fairhaven park near the tennis courts into the Hundred Acre Woods, and from there to the Interurban trail, which takes us to this lovely bridge, which was under construction for years after having been struck by a falling tree.

Some of today's hikers

I didn't see any trillium today, although I'm sure there are still plenty in bloom, but I did see lots and lots of bleeding heart plants by the side of the trail. It was, as I said, a simply gorgeous day, with full sun after an hour or so, but it was never very warm. By the end of the week, it will be warmer and probably out of my comfort zone. I do wilt when it's really hot, but today's mild temperatures and full sunshine were just right.

Chuckanut Falls

When we got to the falls, we saw a respectable amount of water cascading festively down the cliff. There have been times when I've seen it with no water, and others when it was twice as full as today. From this point, we turned around and retraced our steps back to the trailhead. It was a lovely day, and our leader, Joe, reminded us that he didn't get lost in the Hundred Acre Woods, for once. It helped that he had a GPS tracker on his phone.  I have to admit that I do like these shorter, easier hikes. But I'm not yet willing to miss out on the longer, harder ones. Yet.

:-)

Tulips on Tuesday

Fields of tulips

Last Saturday, my friend Lily and I took off bright and early to get to the RoozenGaarde display gardens before the crowds hit. We got there a little past 8:00am and noticed that they were already letting people in, so we joined them. It was a little windy and more than a little cold, but we were ready for anything and went in to see this year's wonderful tulip festival flower displays. The vibrant colors and incredible varieties were a sight to behold. We covered every inch of the display gardens, as well as the fields behind them, and managed to find ways to avoid pictures with most of the other early birds, but as we spent more time there, we had a harder time finding areas where people were mostly absent. It was crisp and cold for most of the morning, but as more of the clouds cleared, we got a little warmth from the April sun. The difference between sun and clouds on our shoulders was quite noticeable. From "ahhha" to "brrrr" in a few seconds!

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. —Iris Murdoch

Planting them must have been fun

Although I couldn't quite get high enough to see the design, several people told me that this was a hearts-and-flowers picture. I believe them, but I wouldn't have known it if someone didn't tell me.

The pink ones are just opening

Looking at the intricate designs and colors that these tulips and hyacinths make, I wonder if those people who were planting them in the fields a few months ago were also having fun. There are so many tulips that have not yet begun to show their colors, and others that are fully on their way to the petals falling onto the ground, ready to be carried back into the earth.

Aflame with sunlight

I had such a good time on Saturday, when after filling our eyes with as much beauty as they could hold, Lily and I went off to our reservation in La Conner for lunch. And now that our wonderful tulip adventure is over for another year, I am already looking forward to our summer adventures to come.

Dreaming of our next time together

I went on a walk in Hovander Park this morning with the Senior Trailblazers, but I didn't take any pictures, as the wind was blowing and then it began to rain. I caught a ride home with two friends who were leaving early, so now I am back home, gazing at the mostly clear skies and looking at the chilly temperatures outside, and I'm just glad to be home, warm and toasty. And dry.

:-)

Whistle Lake in Anacortes

Senior Trailblazers at Whistle Lake

Twelve Happy Wanderers from the Senior Trailblazers set out for Anacortes on a beautiful, sunny and mostly warm day. We traveled up I-5 in the Skagit Valley to find our trailhead for the trip around Whistle Lake. I had not done this particular hike before, and I was very glad I brought my trekking poles, since parts of the trail around the lake were steep, covered with gnarly roots, with drop-offs right into the lake. Mostly it was much more accessible, but those spots would have been very difficult to navigate without poles. Some managed quite well.

Our first view of the lake

Whistle Lake is one of the many lakes in the Fidalgo Island vicinity. I have been to Mt. Erie, Heart Lake, Sugarloaf, and had vistas of the San Juan islands in previous trips, but this was the first time I saw this large lake in the middle of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL).  From that link:

In the heart of Fidalgo Island lies a natural gem of a forest with wetlands, lakes, and rocky bald meadows with great views. This nice little hike will take you around the lake on a hiker only trail. Take this hike in spring for the fresh new leaves and the dainty spring flowers, or hike on a rainy day in winter and watch the mist float above the lake among the trees. The lake is very popular on hot summer days. 

Peaceful and scenic Whistle Lake

I took this picture because of the cormorant sunning itself on that log sticking up from the middle of the lake, but when I saw it, I also noticed all the beauty of the area. Most of us were smiling most of the day as we hiked, it was so pleasant.

Barb checking out where we were on the map

This lovely wooden sign was fun to see and use to orient ourselves, although many already had paper maps to help us get through the maze that is the ACFL. I have been lost in this area more than once in past years. Today, however, we went around the lake and took a few side trips but nothing that made us feel lost.

Me at Whistle Lake

This was where we stopped for lunch, before starting back in another way to make a loop rather than retrace our steps. It's truly a beautiful area, and when we saw this gorgeous Old Growth tree that is probably hundreds of years old, I stood next to it so you can get a feeling of its size.

"Wow!"

I am often awestruck by these magnificent creatures, and glad to know that the loggers, long ago, decided to leave a few of these beauties untouched by their need for lumber. And that three, it hugged me back, I swear!

Winding trails through the forest

Although our hike was only around five miles, we had a wonderful time getting to know the environment around Whistle Lake, and I do hope we will return again to explore some of the other nearby tantalizing trails. After our outing, we headed to Anacortes to visit the Lopez Island Creamery ice cream store. Oh my, that is some of the best ice cream I've ever had! I hope to have a chance to try some of the other flavors on future trips to the area. Some of the hikers decided to go to the Tulip Festival afterwards, but I have a date with my friend Lily later this month, so I didn't go today. Plus, I was plenty tired and didn't feel like I needed any more exercise for the day. It turned out to be just right, just as it was.

:-)

Laid back Thursday

Beautiful flowering tree

You know it's spring when you see the trees bursting out with gorgeous flowers like this one. I see it every day on my walk home from Cornwall Park. They don't stay as amazing as this for very long, so I stopped to take a quick picture. We only have a few more days left in March, and then all the rain and longer days will bring us more and more scenes like this.

When I got my Covid booster on Tuesday afternoon, I didn't expect to spend the entire day feeling like I did yesterday: weak and achey. I hadn't had as strong a reaction to a Covid shot before. I went to bed early last night, and that's saying something for me, who normally gets to bed when most people are sitting down for dinner. When I woke this morning, I felt much, much better, but I wasn't sure it was a good idea to go out and test myself on another uphill jaunt. I'm happy to stay home and maybe get some laundry done instead. There will always be next week. Plus, I have to remember that I don't bounce back from setbacks as quickly these days.

First signs of lilac buds

Walking up my driveway, I spied these little guys, who will soon burst forth into fragrant flower. At first, I didn't want to think winter is already done with us, but now I'm getting the feeling that spring is undeniably here! Tomorrow is Good Friday, reminding me that when I was spending Holy Week at the Convent of St. Walburga, this was the day when the nuns would ceremoniously wash the feet of the retreatants, This was to remind us of Jesus humbly washing the feet of his disciples as one of his last acts before being crucified. The Abbey has since moved away from Boulder, where I got to know about it.

The Abbey of St. Walburga is a community of Benedictine contemplative nuns of the Roman Catholic Church. They are located in a valley in northern Colorado, where the high plains meet the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Yes, there was a time when I toyed with the idea of becoming a nun, but I was young and impressionable in my youth. There are so many alternate paths I could have followed, but my life would have been completely different. I guess this is true of most of us. I am happy in my marriage, which I never thought would happen; however, we will soon celebrate our thirtieth anniversary, which is quite something when you meet and marry in your fifties. Life is filled with surprises, isn't it?

:-)

Pine and Cedar to Raptor Ridge

Signpost at junction

Today, seven Senior Trailblazers in the "Relaxed" group went up the Pine and Cedar trail to this junction, where we then turned right and went up to Raptor Ridge. This trail is exceedingly steep to this spot, so I didn't take any pictures but only stopped to catch my breath a time or two. In just over a mile, you ascend more than a thousand feet of elevation. It was cloudy and at times a little damp from the mist, but quite warm otherwise. And a little muddy from last night's rain. But we didn't actually have any rain on us today.

Cindy resting before heading to Raptor Ridge

The entire day was pretty perfect for hiking, even if we didn't have a view, but nobody cared all that much. Once we knew we had done most of the uphill at this point, we sauntered up to the Ridge.

Beth, Donna and Cindy on the trail

There weren't many possibilites for great pictures, since the trees were shrouded in mist for most of the day, and the seven of us were happy to keep going until we got the the ridge, hopeful but not optimistic about any views,

Beth and Donna on Raptor Ridge

Yep, that's what we saw when we got to the Ridge: more clouds, more fog, nothing to see here. But it was still a nice spot for a bit of lunch.

John breaking out his lunch

John also brought along some nice chocolate covered blueberries, which he's been trying to use up for a couple of weeks now. I helped and really enjoyed them once again. I think finally the package is done. Then, after lunch, it was time for us to retrace our steps back to the parking lot.

The group, taken by Beth

And here is a picture of the seven of us, since Beth is on the other side of the camera, I was able to be in this one. I wasn't looking forward to the steep downhill, but I made it without my knees giving out, partly because of having taken one of Beth's Aleve tablets before starting out. I did feel my knees, but they didn't make too much fuss. There were three hikers who had not done this hike before, and I asked them what they thought of it. All said it was hard. It's the darn unremitting steepness, especially (for me) on the downhill that makes it difficult. 

Beth taking a picture

When Beth stopped in the trail to get a shot, I took the moment to capture one myself. All in all, it was a really good day, and I sure feel like I got a bit of exercise this week, between today and last Tuesday. I should sleep really well tonight!

:-)

Soggy but satisfying

Today's walk started out wet

Twelve Senior Trailblazers set out from the Senior Center this morning to walk to Irongate and back, giving us almost seven miles to cover. It was relatively flat, and rainy to begin with, but it got much drier after awhile. That's our leader Barb in the center, in the pink poncho getup. We decided to forgo our scheduled trip to Canada, because we could turn around at any time if the weather deteriorated. It did get much better, though, as we walked through Cornwall Park and city streets.

Yes, it was soggy but we still had fun

The most colorful things we saw on today's hike were our outfits. I liked seeing Persis in her day-glo yellow and Barb in pink, making for an early Easter scene. Lots of red, too. It did stop raining finally, and we even saw a ray of sun now and then as we made our way back to the Senior Center.

Pretty daffodils

There are signs everywhere of spring on the way, such as these daffodils in a yard we passed by. And flowering trees look to be beautiful and profuse in another week, or two at the latest.

Taco Tuesday

After it was all over, some of us decided to head to a local taco restaurant, which features $1- and $1.50 dollar tacos. Don took this picture of us chowing down. I didn't go last month on a similar outing, but trust me, I won't make that mistake again. They were delicious and cheap, and a good way for us to enjoy each other's company for a bit longer. Another fine way to spend a less-than-perfect weather day. 

:-)

Travels around my community

A very pretty front yard

When John drops me off at the Cornwall Rose Garden after coffee, so I can walk my more than two-mile usual excursion home, I walk by some lovely places. This one often catches my eye, thinking how nice it would be to sit in one of those chairs and look out at the lupines or some of the rhodies in the yard, just beautiful at this time of the year. Those lupines seemed to emerge from nothing to this overnight. But it was probably longer; I just noticed them all at once.

From this spot, I turn onto a side street that takes me to a walking path that leads into Cornwall Park itself, and I then have a lovely journey past the pickleball courts (that are now being well used, with lots of laughter) and the distinctive sound of the balls being volleyed back and forth. 

And then after walking through areas with some lovely old growth trees, pines and cedars mostly, I must make my way out of the park and across a busy street, before again finding a lovely neighborhood to walk through on my way home. Many of the homes in this area are large and well established, and they almost all have extensive flower gardens for me to admire. 

Lately I have been seeing lots of bunnies hopping across the trails, not very big so I wonder if they are just out on their own for the first time. I hear roosters crowing and hooty-owls almost every day, along with the ubiquitous birds. It reminds me that a friend suggested I download one of those apps on my phone that would allow me to identify the plentiful birdsong I hear, too. But I'm not very motivated; I am simply enjoying my walks so very much. I'm feeling pretty grateful right now.

:-)

Spring in full swing

Apple blossoms over the fence

Every year I see this massive display of apple blossoms in the next-door neighbor's yard, and I sometimes wonder what happens to most of them. There are lots of apples, but not this many, so do some just fail to get fertilized and fall to the ground? I wish I knew more about flowering plants, but there's always the internet if I get interested enough to find out. They are awfully pretty right now, though, I must say.

Today when I walked to the bus stop, I didn't even feel the need for a jacket, just a warm vest, but I ended up feeling cold now and then and regretted my decision every time the wind picked up. I don't mind feeling cold when I know that soon the bus will arrive and I'll get warm once again. Frankly, I'll take cold any day over heat, which apparently we have coming up this weekend, just in time for Mother's Day. It is very rare for us to reach such warm temperatures so early in the year, and that makes me a bit anxious that we will have another awful hot summer. I hope not!

Lately I have been feeling a bit melancholy, for no obvious reason I can ascertain. The weather is great, I've been getting in my usual level of activity, and my days are full. Perhaps it's the news of the world, especially this country, which is on track to hit a record number of mass shootings for the year. Every time I see the chyron crawl on the TV screen, even if I'm not listening to it, I see that yet another one has occurred, with lots of innocent people slaughtered, usually by an AR-15, an assault weapon of war that has flooded our communities. 

I recently saw a statistic that is startling: In the US, there are 125 guns for every 100 people. That scares me silly, and makes me wonder for what reason do people purchase them? I don't have a gun and have never held one in my hands. I hope I never do. So maybe that is what is causing this melancholy feeling. I know it will pass as I get more involved in my day-to-day living. I am surrounded by good friends and a dear partner who helps in every way he can. 

So, I will distract myself with another walk in the springtime beauty, and I will tend to my front porch garden as well. It's time, just a few short weeks until the unofficial beginning of summer. There is so much to be grateful for, and looking for those precious moments of bliss will displace my sadness. I hope so, anyway. Now I'm off to the garden store for supplies.

:-)

Fifteen years

Lilac buds ready to pop

Walking home today in the blustery wind with raindrops spitting every few minutes, I was hunkered down inside my fleece and with my raincoat pulled up to protect me from the wind and wet. It wasn't pleasant, but on top of that, the sun kept trying to come out to change the narrative. Before long, I was almost home and happy to be thinking about coming inside and getting warm and dry once again.

Just before walking up the driveway to my apartment complex, I saw these lilac bushes sporting beautiful buds, soon to become flowers. Lilacs don't last a long time, but while they're around, they are one of my favorite flowers. And they're purple, too!

Yesterday marks fifteen years since SG and I pulled into this driveway with a U-Haul filled with our Colorado belongings, ready to start our retirement years here in the Pacific Northwest. He had come here earlier, with his car, to find a temporary place for us to use as a "jumping-off place," and he had found a nice two-bedroom apartment and starting staying there for a month or so, before flying back to Boulder to finish our journey. As it has turned out, we are still here, in that same apartment, fifteen years later. 

And we decided that Bellingham was just the place for us after all, not needing to look any further for a good community to join. It was important to find somewhere close to the ocean and not too far from the mountains. Bellingham fits us just right. I am still hiking in the mountains and know the trails around town intimately. We didn't know any of this when we got here, but I cannot imagine having found anywhere else that fits us so well. 

At first, we traveled to Canada (just a half hour away) quite often, but as the years have passed, we have stayed closer to home, and the pandemic closed the border for a few years anyway. Now we make short excursions to local stores for supplies, but otherwise we have graduated from being world travelers to elders who enjoy puttering around in our small home town. Having each other is the best! I hope we can continue like this for awhile longer, while we still have our health and mobility. Who could ask for more?

:-)

Birdsong!

Way back in 2015

I heard this bird singing from the tree while I was visiting the Tulip Festival in early April, 2015. I could hear the bird and followed it to where it was sitting there, singing away. and captured this lovely picture. 

But since it was taken almost a decade ago, I've been saddened to realize that many of them are no longer around. Which is NOT true, I've discovered, since receiving my hearing aids last week. After much frustration about trying to get them inserted properly into my tiny ear canals, once I managed to get them correctly situated (with help from the audiologist), I was completely blown over by the incredible number of birds I could hear, once again! Although I've never lost the ability to hear the big ones, like crows and gulls, I really did think the little songbirds were gone. Walking to the bus in the morning, I am once again thrilled by the sounds of trees filled with delightful song. That is probably the most conspicuous change I've noticed so far.

Four-legged neighborhood denizens

And yesterday as I was about to leave in the morning, I saw these deer strolling across our front lawn. They are so accustomed to people that they looked up at me but didn't change their pace as they looked for fresh green sprouts for breakfast. I saw one running across the road to avoid a car the other day, which was helped by the driver slowing down. I pondered those skinny little legs and realized it wouldn't take much for a deer to get seriously hurt. I'll continue to watch the road and hope for the best.

Pretty tulips

While I was looking for that bird picture, I spent some time admiring the tulips that will look like this in about a month. Spring is just around the corner now, and I see signs everywhere that our drab winter colors will soon be replaced by scenes like this one.

:-)

Beginning or end of week

Richard Marcus photo

I tried to take some pictures of the just-emerging pussy willows, but nothing I took came anywhere close to this snap by Richard Marcus, which I snagged off the Seeing Bellingham Facebook page. I can be shameless that way, but I always try to give the photographer credit. These are graced by the recent rain, and once they dry out, I'll bet they are even bigger and fatter than before.

By the way, speaking of "fat," did you know it's Fat Tuesday? The day before Lent in the Christian calendar, and the day when people would use up all their culinary fat before the (supposed) forty days of austere eating before Easter. One year (or maybe it was more, I'm not sure), I gave up all sweets for Lent. I don't remember whether I made it all the way to Easter without some, but I do remember it was hard to change my dietary habits.

About the title of my post, I'm curious: do you see Sunday as the last day of the week, or the first day? I go back and forth about it, but I tend to think of it as the first. How about you?

Oh, and before I forget: I had a nightly visitation from a friendly ghost just before I woke up this morning. I was standing in a crowded room when I noticed someone smiling at me, a huge welcoming smile, and I realized it was my recently deceased friend Maria! It was such a treat to see her, and I approached and the two of us shared the most delightful hug, until I woke up, a smile on my own face. I can still remember the feeling of her beloved arms around me. It's been awhile since I've had such a wonderful visit.

:-)

Valentine from the Universe

Can spring be far behind?

I saw this new display outside of the local community food coop, where we do a lot of our shopping. They had just finished putting out these gorgeous flowers, just enough for me to spend some time smiling and enjoying the bright colors. It's the beginning of the changeover from winter's drab monochrome.

The garden of love is green without limit and yields many fruits other than sorrow or joy. Love is beyond either condition: without spring, without autumn, it is always fresh. —Rumi

That quote seemed appropriate for today, when we celebrate love in its many forms. I am home after having walked to the bus early, enjoying the cold as I had dressed just right for the weather. After watching the sun come up in a cloudless sky, it made me realize it will stay cold like this for awhile, and that is just fine. However, the wind made me happy to be warmly dressed.

Yesterday I attended my first yoga class at the Senior Center. It was not a hard class, so I didn't expect to be as sore as I am today. It made me aware once again that you cannot store fitness. I also went today to my second Zumba class, and I once again realized that jumping around like that takes energy, and I might not feel it's necessary to worry about completing every move; I found myself tiring and brought down my activity level until I felt a little more in control. Whew! I can now feel just fine sitting in my easy chair and enjoying more quiet pursuits. 

Pussy willows just starting

I was so pleased to see, on my walk home, that there are the beginnings of pussy willows appearing on a favorite bush. It's early, but they are definitely there, no longer dormant. And the warm sun will continue to help them spring forth. 

Snowdrops

These are the first blossoms I've seen actually coming up out of the ground this spring, and they sure do look beautiful to my eyes. Once I finish this Tuesday post, I think I'll spend the rest of the day enjoying myself and hanging out with my Valentine. I hope you have a wonderful day, too.

:-)

Chanterelle trail

Lots of new green

Today Melanie and I decided to head up the Chanterelle Trail, one of our favorite wintertime hikes. We may be doing these lowland hikes many times more during the coming season, since it's still snowing in the High Country. I just heard on the news today that our local ski areas will remain open until mid-June because of the snow situation up there. 

Vanilla-leaf plants

I noticed today that the vanilla plants have come to bring their flowers out. Those straight white flowers are what give these plants away. From that link:

In the months of March-June Vanilla Leaf send forth a bottlebrush-like flower featuring 8-20 long white stamens that form a showy spike positioned above the center point of the leaves. The flower spike can range from 1”-3” in length.

The leaves smell strongly of vanilla when dried. It is also known as Deer's Foot, but I have only heard the plant called vanilla leaf. Anyway, it was nice to see these lovely three-leaf plants appear since all the trillium have faded away. At least, we didn't see any of them today.

Dandelion gone to seed

We saw lots of dandelions, both in their blooming state, but also gone to seed like this one. Melanie said when she was a kid they called them fairy dust as they blew the seeds, like this:

Mel scattering seeds, or fairies, in the forest

Although it was forecast to rain today, it's not supposed to get here until later. We were off the trail by 2:00pm, so we escaped the rain. The beautiful trail pulled us up until we got to the Viewpoint.

Whatcom Lake

It was quite warm, for us anyway, with the temperature in the mid-sixties (18°C) and quite humid. But the humidity didn't deter us as long as it didn't turn into rain. Now that I am home, I see in looking out the window that the rain has started. 

Looking at the viewpoint from the trail extension

We thought about going farther up the trail, where the second half gives us another five miles and plenty of elevation, but my knee was already complaining so we turned back. We ended up hiking almost six miles and 1,400 feet of elevation gain and loss, so we did get a pretty good workout. I'm happy and not completely tired out.

Mossy tree

I was taken by the design of the moss on this tree as we headed back down the trail. It's also got a couple of vanilla leaf plants at its base. All in all, it was a very good day, and I'm always glad when we have three wonderful items in our day's exertions: (1) no rain, (2) good company, and (3) great views. Now it's time to begin the rest of my day. Hope you're having a good one, too!

:-)

Right in the middle of spring

Beautiful purple iris

As I walk through the neighborhoods on my way home from the coffee shop, I have watched the profusion of flowers of every kind emerging from the fertile ground, helped along by abundant rainfall this spring. Fortunately for us here in the Pacific Northwest, the rain has also helped keep the temperatures low, while much of the rest of the country has been baking in the hot sun. We still are a month away from the first day of summer, but until this week, it has seemed much more like late winter or very early spring days. I love living here and hope we can avoid any hot spells. If we do have them, they usually occur in late July or August. 

Yesterday I almost saw a murder. I happened to catch a skirmish going on in a tree just a few feet away from me. It was an owl trying to capture a squirrel. I stopped to watch to see what would happen, the squirrel hid, and the owl perched on a branch right in front of me. I only got this one shot, but he wasn't willing to lose sight of the squirrel, just in case.

Barred owl, side view

When I pointed my cellphone at the owl, he seemed to be looking straight at me, but no, the picture shows his gaze is turned away from me. I don't know if he managed to catch this particular squirrel, but they are simply everywhere, chasing each other around in circles, up and down the trees, scampering across the ground, and pretty much being crazy. It's mating season. 

Cassia fistula

This lovely sight is commonly known as a golden chain tree, or golden shower tree. It sure is pretty! I have also seen some in other places, I think the same genus, in a gentle lavender color. It is also used by some people as a medicinal plant, although from what I've read, I'll steer clear of eating it.

It is a popular ornamental plant and is also used in herbal medicine. It is both the national tree and national flower of Thailand. It is the state flower of Kerala in India. It is the provincial flower of North Central Province in Sri Lanka.

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I have an acupuncture treatment in an hour, so I'll head to Fairhaven soon. It's been three weeks since I last saw him, and I'm hoping he can help my sore right hip and leg. They are never perfectly okay, since I messed it up with all that bad landing in 2000 and the nerve was damaged. Mostly I'm able to cope with it, but every now and then it flares up. Anyway, here's hoping for a good outcome today! Hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are.

:-)