Trailblazers annual Christmas party

The group who met at the trailhead for a WET hike

Can you believe that twelve of us met at the trailhead for a six-mile hike in the rain before our annual Christmas party? I was a little surprised that I wasn't the only one. It was a gentle rain that met us at the trailhead, and after we set out, happy that the rain was so light, we realized that the farther we got from the starting point, the heavier the rainfall. The only person who was happy about it was Rich, in his rain skirt, hoping to shake out the final glitches for his rain gear. I'll bet you can pick him out fairly easily in this group.

Dark, wet, and colorless Lake Whatcom

Rain, rain, and more rain. I was soaked to the skin by the time I returned to my car after a six-mile hike. I went straight home to change and to pick up Smart Guy so that we could join everybody at Jacqueline's home for our annual Christmas party. Plenty of people showed up who didn't go on the hike, and we dug in to a fabulous potluck feast.

Plenty of wonderful food for a hungry crowd

Oh my! I enjoyed perhaps a half-dozen different salads, some fine rice dishes, along with wine and mead to complement our feast. And then there were the desserts, some of which I enjoyed with abandon. Doug brought his homemade incredibly good  blueberry pie. He made it from scratch, including the pie crust. Take a look here:

Chef Doug with his blueberry pie

I have to tell you that his pie not only looked wonderful, but it was, in every respect, just right. Not too sweet, perfect crust, and large enough to give almost every one of the thirty or so of us who were there a taste of it. I went back for seconds, but it was gone.

Carol, Chris, and Ginny chowing down

We enjoyed our wonderful party at host Jacqueline's home, and then we went back into the rain and to our own warm and cozy spots to finish out the day. It was truly a fine day, even if it was a little bit on the wet side. Maybe next week we'll get a  break.

:-)