Chuckanut Falls

Tiny little trickle

Today 11 Senior Trailblazers, led by Chris, went off to visit the Chuckanut Falls, starting from the Fairhaven Park area and meandering through the Hundred Acre Woods, crossing the Arroyo Bridge, and up the trail to the cutoff to the Falls. Since it has been incredibly dry for us in Bellingham, you would be hard pressed to find the tiny little stream that greeted us at the Falls.

We had a great time, even without much water; it was cool to start but got up into the mid-sixties by the time we started back. We retraced our steps and arrived back at the Fairhaven Park around 1:00pm. It was a pretty hard hike for me, since I hadn't done anything quite as challenging since I hurt myself in February. We climbed almost 1,000 feet of elevation (and descended as well), and depending on whose device you believed, we went somewhere around six miles, maybe closer to seven, but the light breeze and mostly shaded terrain made it quite do-able. I admit I was dragging at the end, but once I got home and nestled into my favorite chair, I feel just fine. My lower back complained a little, but not enough to even think about taking any Advil. Well, I thought it but managed to avoid any medication at all.

Our happy hikers

A picture was taken of our group by a park employee, and I was so happy to meet three hikers who were new to me. Sometimes the name tags feel a little overkill, but today it was wonderful to have them to remind me, more than once, of their names. Once again, I was almost the oldest hiker there, but not by much. One of these days I'll write a post about all the octogenarians in our groups. I'm so glad I have gotten back to joining the "happy trails" once again.

:-)

Toasty but beautiful

Gang of Eight

 Today I joined the Senior Trailblazers for a around-town walk. We didn't get iner any cars but headed off to Whatcom Falls Park from the Senior Center's parking lot. Another group was headed up to Horseshoe Bend in the Mt. Baker Wilderness, but none of us felt like getting in a car and driving for an hour each way. Instead, we walked around five miles round trip to enjoy the somewhat cooler weather for today. It is about ten degrees cooler than I endured on Sunday's walk.

One mistake I made on Sunday was waiting until after noon to go for a walk, when I discovered that there was no shade anywhere, and the temperature climbed to more than eighty degrees Fahrenheit. That might not sound all that hot for those of you more accustomed to hot weather, but I simply wilted. And I had also forgotten that the buses run on an hourly, rather than a quarter-hour, schedule on that day. So, even though I hoped to catch a bus back home, I missed the two times I tried to catch it. I eventually poured water over my head and managed to make it home in one piece. Today seemed quite moderate in comparison.

Today we started our hike out around 8:30, and even walking at a moderate pace, we were back at the Senior Center before noon. There was also a lovely brisk breeze keeping us cool as we walked, so it was really rather delightful. I met a new member, Yolanda, and enjoyed conversation with the other people I knew from other hikes.  For most of the way, my right hip and leg never began to hurt, so I think I can safely try some harder hikes without too much worry. It's been a long time since that icy fall in February, and I am much, much better now. For awhile I feared I would not be able to walk fast enough (or long enough) to join them any more. I will continue to take it easy and not force myself to take on anything too strenuous. 

Whatcom Falls is just a trickle

Our beautiful waterfall is a bit on the meager side today, since we've had so much warm weather and no rain. And we are now starting the really dry part of our summer, which often doesn't even get started until the 4th of July. This year is different, and I truly hope we can escape the really hot weather. I just don't do all that well in the heat, so I won't be going on long hikes in full sun. Not my favorite time of the year.

Now that I am home and enjoying the cool air inside, with the help of a fan, and moderate temperatures. I just enjoyed a nice sandwich and cold drink and am now ready for maybe a quick catnap. Feeling happy and well exercised.

:-)

Lazy day but lovely nevertheless

My favorite fern

I took this picture a few years ago, on a hike to Lost Lake from Gates Overlook, down the Rock trail, and down to the lake. I saw this stand of beautiful Maidenhair ferns and couldn't resist a shot. Today I toyed with the idea of hiking from the Two Dollar trail to Fragrance Lake and back, which was enjoyed (according to Joe's summary) by sixteen Senior Trailblazers. I made my first foray back into hiking last week, but I am having a bit of a sore knee that kept me from going far from home today.

Instead, I caught the bus to the coffee shop and hoped to see John, but he wasn't there, so I did my puzzles and then took the bus home. I got off a little early in order to have a bit of a longer route, but the one I initially considered would have given me a hike about the same length as the one that the Trailblazers did, but I decided against it. Instead, I was happy with a shorter three-mile hike, which we was plenty for today.

 The weather could not be more perfect. I woke this morning after having gotten nine good hours of sleep, but I just don't have the same impetus to hike alone as I do when I am out with friends. I listened to a podcast once I was on the trail, and I enjoyed being out in the gentle breeze and felt exercised and content when I got home.

Today was one of those days when I didn't have great luck with my puzzles and lost my long streak with Wordle, and I ended up cheating on the Strands puzzle (looking up the anwer after a long time trying to figure out the correct word), so those didn't help me feel all that accomplished. I did, however, come home to a good visit with SG, and now I am writing my Tuesday post without too much enthusiasm, but feeling glad to be alive and in good enough shape to walk in the sunshine.

Anyway, tomorrow I have a yoga class, and Thursday is my usual volunteer work at the Senior Center. And then Friday I am scheduled for a massage, so life is actually pretty good. Feeling happy and looking forward to a quiet day at home. Hope you are doing well, dear virtual friends.

:-)

Hello, old friend

Lake Padden, overcast skies

It's been awhile since I've been back to Lake Padden, although Melanie and I managed to hike here a few times every month. I've been unable to hike much, but I noticed that one of the Tuesday hikes today would be back in my old environs, so I decided to join the group. Most of the hikers went off to catch a ferry to Guemes Island, but three of us joined our leader Joe to take about a four- to five-mile hike at the lake. We started at the dog park and walked around 500 feet of elevation before finishing up with a moderately challenging up and down on the hills behind the lake.

Me, Bill, Joe and Mike

The cute dog belongs to the photographer; I asked if she would take a picture of us, and she was very willing, as was her poodle, looking very spiffy amongst those old hikers. It was quite pleasant, the temperatures in the high fifties and low sixties (F), and although we had high clouds, they did disappear before we finished our leisurely hike. It was, however, the farthest I've gone since my ice-capade in February. I was happy to find that I never had any pain in my hip or right leg. We did have some exciting downhill sections where I noticed that my left knee has not been used much lately. But nothing kept us from enjoying ourselves or our lively discussions.

Now that I've broken the ice, so to speak, I think I will feel okay about joining some longer hikes in the near future. I was afraid that I might be done with hiking, but today gave me the impetus to do some easier hikes with the Trailblazers this summer and see how capable I am. Or not. 

I wasn't sure at all whether it was a good idea to try this but it turned out just fine. Tomorrow I'll have another yoga class, and then Thursday will be my favorite day of the week: volunteering in the lunchroom. And just like that, another week and month will be behind us. I see that some areas will be very hot, and others very wet, but we are having our Goldilocks period, it seems. Just right!

:-)

Tri, tri, trillium

Trillium grandiflorum

I've been photographing these beautiful trillium flowers ever since I first started hiking in these woods more than a decade ago. They are so pretty and different from any wildflower I had seen before in Colorado, or other places I used to hike. Then I learned a lot of stories and information about these beauties from my hiking companions. 

First of all, I didn't realize that they take around seven years from when they are planted before they get big enough to produce a flower, and that only one emerges out of each three-leafed whorl, once a year. Here's some information:

Trillium grandiflorum is most common in rich, mixed upland forests. It is easily recognized by its attractive three-petalled white flowers, opening from late spring to early summer, that rise above a whorl of three leaf-like bracts. It is an example of a spring ephemeral, a plant whose life-cycle is synchronized with that of the deciduous woodland which it favours. (Wikipedia)

Melanie and I would be out in the woods every spring, looking for these flowers. They are also called "wakerobin" because they come out at the same time that the first robins return for the new season.  I took so many pictures, and my newest version of the photo albums on my Mac can now search for such things as "trillium" and give me a whole lot of options for pictures. I especially like this one because it shows the stamens (which there are six of, twice the number of the petals and the leaves) very large and prominent. Apparently this means they are fruiting. I know so little about plant taxonomy, but I sure do love my pretty trilliums I see in the forests.

A very happy crop of lush trilliums

I also learned there are a few different varieties of trillium, but these are the ones that grow wild in this area. There is a red variety, which apparently smells a little like rotted meat, or like (it says) a wet dog. Mostly the trillium I see, when they get a pinkish cast to them, are past their peak and on their way out.

This is the first year I actually haven't seen any, because since I fell and injured my right hip, I still cannot go very far without pain. It is gradually getting better, though. I had my first yoga class in the new Senior Center building yesterday, and other than the room being huge, almost cavernous, it was a very good class. I had to take a second bus to get there, but one of the other attendees gave me a ride home. It's been raining for days now, so I was glad I didn't have to walk home in the rain. Today it started out raining but has now been sunny and bright for awhile.

Tomorrow I will have the three-month checkup and cleaning for my hearing aids. If it's not one thing, it's another. And I won't even venture into the political world, it's so depressing. I'm doing fine, hubby is doing fine, and that's all that matter, right? As they say in Canada, elbows up!

:-)

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.

:-)

Here come the iris and rhodies

This iris just bloomed this morning

I've been watching the flowers across the neighborhood begin to bloom, and it's the only time of the year when so many are in bloom at once. I can't remember a time, however, when so many are emerging while earlier ones are still going strong. The lilacs (which I wrote about here last week) are STILL beautiful and luxuriant. Usually the lilacs only last a few days, but as I walked by last week's lilacs, they are all out there, with their fragrance continuing to waft into the air. I wish I could smell them, but the memory of their fragrance is strong, even in my weakened nostrils. Odor is such a funny thing: I am not sure whether I can smell certain flowers, or whether my recollection of that smell is strong enough to fill my imagination.

When I walked to the bus this morning, I considered whether or not to join the Senior Trailblazers in their excursion to Abbotsford, Canada, since the hike is not a long one or with much elevation gain. I decided against it, though, since my right hip is still sore from Saturday's walk. And I had a great yoga class yesterday that loosened things up, but  these days I no longer feel a need to push myself. That might reassert itself during the summer, but for now I am happy to get my three-mile walk from the bus into my local neighborhood. I might go out and take a walk to the boardwalk at Squalicum Beach, but I probably won't. I've got another great yoga class tomorrow, and who knows what I might feel like after that? On Thursday I have my volunteer work at the Senior Center, where I almost always acquire a ten-thousand step workout. 

And, hopefully, I will be able to get my haircut on Friday, delayed a week because my stylist ended up sidelined with measles. She's originally from Vietnam, and has two college-aged kids who might have brought the disease to her. I am okay because I had it when I was a pre-teenager, along with my dad. We were both quarantined for two weeks in the same bedroom, so I remember it well. I also had the vaccination (I think) and was not terribly sick, but sick enough to remember the time.

Beautiful rhododendron bush

I will eventually write about something other than the gorgeous flowers, but for now it's just the most delightful thing to see all these incredibly beautiful flowers on my daily walks. Hope the world is lovely (and not too hot or cold) in your neck of the woods.

:-)