Stayed local again today

View from the Chanterelle trail overlook

Today Melanie and I hiked up to the Chanterelle overlook to take a look at the view on a glorious sunny day. It was cool, but warming up from the last few chilly days, to around 70°F (22°C). I'll take our current weather over much of what I'm seeing right now across the country. I feel very fortunate to live here, where during the summer it's usually dry and on the warm side. Although it's been more than a month since we've seen any measurable precipitation, we are just now beginning what is thought of as the dry period, with less rain than usual for us. 

Last of the foxglove flowers

It's so dry up at the overlook, and I was surprised to see that the pretty foxglove are already almost gone. These flowers grow in long stems, but it seems early to me to see that they are not still in full bloom. Most of the stalks were completely dried out.

Sunshine lighting up this area

In this picture, also taken from the overlook, you can see how much everything has dried out. It wouldn't take much to cause a fire, so I do hope that all who visit this delightful spot will take care with any fire sources (such as cigarettes). I just realized how seldom I see someone hike up here and then light up. Times have sure changed since I was young.

Dappled sunlight on the trail

This is truly a beautiful and well-maintained trail, as you can see here. It's been extended from the short two-and-a-half mile trail to the overlook, to include another winding and lovely trail up that much distance again, making the entire trail covering five miles, ten miles round trip. We just went to the overlook, as I am still nursing my sore ankle. I was so pleased to learn that this adventure did not tax it too much, although the thousand-foot descent was challenging. Now, however, here at home I am feeling so much better and even anxious to try something a little harder. Maybe by next week I'll be able to return to the whole group.

But in the meantime, I am very happy to have my friend Mel join me on these easier hikes. She was certainly capable of doing the harder hike today, but she instead let me choose my own less strenuous outing, and she was such good company for me!

It's not easy for someone who has been so active to see her horizons shrink, for myriad reasons other than injury, but I am learning to recognize my limitations and even beginning to appreciate a slower, more contemplative pace. Things do change, don't they? Once upon a time I was a runner, a skydiver, even a smoker long ago. 

In any event, today was lovely and pretty darn perfect in so many ways. I am grateful and feeling good! Hope you're having a good day, too.

:-)