Thursday, May 29, 2014

Start of summer hike and potluck

Lake Padden trail
Eighteen Senior Trailblazers gathered at the Lake Padden trailhead today to have our usual shortened hike and potluck to mark the unofficial beginning of the summer season. Although we start on the regular trail around the lake, we visit the horse trails to make for a longer trek through some ups and downs and mud. The pictures weren't very inspiring so I didn't get many. It was overcast and threatening to rain.
What are they looking at?
At one point someone pointed out some rather interesting markings on a tree. We stopped to try and figure it out. What do you think?
Some big animal maybe?
If you look at the tree (actually it was a snag) directly above Al's head, about halfway up are large scratch marks that show where the bark has been removed. It would have been my guess that it was cougars sharpening their claws if it hadn't been so high off the ground. Since it was a dead snag, maybe birds were industriously looking for insects.
Our reserved pavilion for the potluck
After a nice six-and-a-half mile hike, we were joined by another fifteen or so Trailblazers for a really nice potluck meal. It was a TRUE potluck, with nobody assigned to bring anything in particular, and we had a great feast. I brought some extra plates and utensils, and many others had the same idea. There was plenty to go around.
Diane, Rita, Jacqueline, Kathleen and Kirk
We had a marvelous array of salads of every kind. I was so pleased to see that there was plenty for me to eat that would not foil my desire to eat healthy foods and not too much, either. It was surprising to me that there was almost no meat: some chicken in a salad and some sausage on a pizza, and everything else was vegetarian.
Peggy's plate
We also had a chocolate cake (which I brought but didn't eat any of), cheesecake and cherry pie for dessert. Nobody hung around for very long, however, since the cold wind didn't make it easy to sit around and chat, even if it was the unofficial start of our summer season. This is the last day of overcast conditions before we have been promised a week of sunshine.
Marjan
It was nice to see old friends like Marjan and Frank again. It's wonderful to have, just by chance, joined such a great group of active seniors more than five years ago. It's been a real privilege to learn about Bellingham and the surrounding wilderness areas. I cannot imagine living in a better place.
Lily pads in Lake Padden
I walked over to the water's edge to see if I could get a picture of the lily pads I spied on the lake. This picture has so many shades of green that it caught my eye. All pictures were taken with my cellphone today, since I just wanted to travel light. It also takes really good pictures when the light is low, I've noticed. Another great Trailblazer experience!
:-)

15 comments:

  1. what a great kick-off to summer (except for the rains and cool temps, of course). :)

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  2. it is cool to catch up to old friends for sure...and a nice hike...hope you take the time to enjoy the sunshine this week...we are getting the rain today a nice break from the heat...was 93 yesterday...maybe it will clear for our weekend as well...

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  3. What a wonderful start to the season.
    Love those salads and admire (and am unsurprised) at your will power in bringing a chocolate cake and not test-driving it.

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  4. Bringing chocolate cake and not eating any - that's why you are in better shape than I am!

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  5. I like salads, too, and chocolate cake! Yum! You done good, DJan. Lol.

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  6. It's great when you can say that you made a good move to a place. You've probably explained why you moved to Bellingham but some how or other I missed it or maybe it's my good forgetter.

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  7. It is really nice to have retired in a place that offers you so many of the things you enjoy in life and to meet the people you have grown to know. I think, because all these others were looking for this type of retirement life - you all lucked out to meet each other and enjoy similar interests and + Bellingham offers everything you were perhaps looking for....or just about. I love the many greens in your last photo. I also use my iphone many times for quick photo shooting and am pleasantly surprised at the quality of the photos. Have a wonderful day DJan.

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  8. Looks like a feast! Beautiful pictures, too.

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  9. Now that looked like a hike I could do. Wide paths, no steep grades or boulders to climb over. The food looked marvelous also. What a great day.
    Loved all the shades of green.

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  10. I love your photo of everyone looking, that one could have some great captions. I'm with you on the birds and the tree although we do live in bigfoot country. LOL!

    The salads looks delicious! I would prefer them over the cake. Hope your next hike is filled with sunshine.

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  11. Your cell takes great pics! What a wonderful group. A potluck out in the wilderness--love it! You do have a wonderful life, dear one!! :)

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  12. I think it is wonderful that you found such a good group of people to hike with. I feel like I know some of them!
    Sounds like a veggie spread to me...I am so allergic I hardly ever eat much at a potluck...I eat what I bring and I would have had the chocolate cake:)

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  13. A fine start to the season. Peggy's plate made my stomach grumble.. I kid you not. It looks so yummy. I am walking less these days because of black flies and mosquitoes the size of fighter jets. That's not a good thing.

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  14. I'm very impressed with your cellphone photos -- I'm a klutz with mine, and always turn to my Canon instead.

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  15. I love pot lucks. I wish we could be more vegetarian, but no luck so far.

    That scratched bark really looks weird. I wonder what it really is.

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