Happy Wanderers

South Hill road

Today, I joined the third of the Senior Trailblazers group, called the Happy Wanderers, as we walked from Fairhaven Park to Julie's home for a lovely spread before continuing on our 6.2-mile walk, mostly on streets like this one.

A wonderful spread

Julie, who lives in the South Hill area of Bellingham, opened her home to the group for a delightful repast before we continued on with our hike. Since it was raining lightly, all fourteen of us hikers took off our shoes and raincoats before settling in for an amazing treat. Apparently Julie likes to entertain guests in her lovely home, and since she did this last year, now it's become a tradition. Not one I would skip if I could help it! A few others who were not hiking also joined us.

Terry gazing out at the deck, with Bellingham Bay beyond

It's a truly beautiful home, and I can  see why she likes to share it with friends. You can see that the deck is wet out there, but we really enjoyed the break and the food, before we set out to finish our hike.

Foxglove in a neighbor's garden

By the time we returned to our hike, the rain had lessened to just a light mist, and we went up and down the roads that our hike leader, Barb, had planned out ahead of time. No one minded a little rain, since we have needed it badly, with Bellingham being quite a bit behind its average precipitation for this time of the year.

Everything is in bloom

The abundance of beautiful flowers and trees on this particular part of our town continues to delight my senses. These are roses that smell strong enough that even those (like me) with a damaged olfactory sense could be blown away by the intense fragrance. 

View of the bay

On one street, we saw a really marvelous view of Bellingham Bay, where people who live in the area can see such sights all the time. I, however, soaked up as much gorgeousness as I could, since I only see such sights through a drive or a walk. South Bay residents probably have forgotten what it's like for those who cannot afford to live surrounding with such luxury. Fortunately for me, I can gaze and enjoy it whenever I'm out taking a "forest bath."

So now I have taken a trip, at least one, with all three of the Senior Trailblazer hiking groups. The Happy Wanderers hike on Tuesdays, and the other two on Thursdays. I am incredibly fortunate to have such abundance to choose from. And I'm reconnecting with some old friends, as well as meeting new ones. Life is good.

:-)