Here's to a brand new year

Beautiful Lily with a toast to the last day of 2019

I have just returned home after a day out and about. I walked to the bus this morning in the dark, in the horizontal rain and blowing wind. After spending some time at the coffee shop and then the gym, I headed home in order to go out yet again, to enjoy lunch with my friend Lily before my appointment with the acupuncturist.

Between my delightful visit to the chiropractor and his teddy bear yesterday, and the needles carefully placed in my hindquarters today, I am pleased to report that my sacroiliac is happy and at peace, along with the rest of me. Although it looks like snow outside that window, it's only a trick of the light: it's simply rain, lots and lots of it. Mild temperatures, too, relatively speaking.

Tomorrow we begin a new year, a new beginning, and I'm hoping, along with much of the rest of the world, for a more peaceful and gentle time ahead. And I am thrilled that I get to share my own little corner of the world with my fellow bloggers, as well as friends and family who brighten every single day.

As I quaff my last glass of wine of the decade, I raise it to a bright and shining future, which can be anything we wish. We have it within us to do that.
:-)

Post-Christmas hike

Most of today's hikers

It seems that many of the Senior Trailblazers wanted to get out and about today, since we ended up with seventeen! Most of us met at the Senior Center, but others met us at the Lookout Mountain parking lot, where we headed up the lovely trail for a fine day. It was very cold (for us) last night, getting down to around 25°F (-4°C), but the sun kept trying to come out from behind the clouds.

Me, my new hat, and the trail sign

We decided to head up the Rufus Creek trail, and go to its end before stopping for lunch. Everyone was dressed for the weather, and we expected not to encounter any rain. Sure enough, it stayed dry, and the trails were in great shape. I don't usually wear a hat while hiking, but this lovely chapeau was a gift from my friend Lily, and it worked quite well to keep me toasty warm.

Hair ice on a piece of rotting wood

We saw white growths like this one on numerous branches on the forest floor. Although it looks like a flower, it's actually something called hair ice, which is a rare phenomenon only recently discovered to be caused by a fungus, Exidiopsis effusa, which allows the ice to form thin hairs as water emerges from the branch. Hair ice grows when the conditions are just right, usually during a humid winter night when the temperature drops below 0°C (32°F). The link I provided above (from an article written in the Daily Mail in 2015) describes how the researcher figured out the mystery behind this delicate and beautiful ice flower.

We didn't go this way

The Rufus Creek trail has many side trails, and I saw this one that I believe we ascended last time we were on Lookout Mountain. Now it's restricted to one direction, because of (as the sign says) "bikes traveling fast downhill." We encountered several bikers today, but there was never any problem sharing the trail with them.

Can you see the mountain?

We got to a place where we should have been able to make out Mt. Baker quite well, but because of the grey skies, it faded into the soft sky.

This is where I took the above picture

As you can see, there is a bench and when the sky is blue, a lovely view to enjoy. Today, we took a short break here and then went to the terminus of the Rufus Creek trail to have lunch.

Today's lunch spot

This is the end of the trail, although another one heads up towards the top of the mountain, we were ready for a break. It was truly a fine day, and although the forecast is for the weather to deteriorate later today, everything held off for us.

Waterfall

We took a different trail back down, so that we could check out this waterfall, which is roaring for a change, because of the recent rain. I've not seen this much activity before. We then headed back to the cars, having traveled a little more than eight miles and 1,800 feet up and down. A good day, and I think I'll sleep quite well tonight, after such a wonderful day on Lookout Mountain with my pals.
:-)

Christmas Day is here

Inside a Bellingham Christmas bus

Yesterday I walked in the dark before sunrise to catch the bus to my favorite coffee shop and then to the Y for a truncated workout. I was able to get out and about and all my steps before returning back home. It was mostly sunny and not raining, for a change.

We had so much rain in the past week that several rivers flooded and caused my favorite bus route to have to take a detour, making it about ten minutes late. It wasn't all that difficult to wait in the dark, since I was dressed for the weather. As you can see in the picture, hardly anyone rode the bus yesterday. And today there aren't any buses to ride: the bus drivers have the day off.

I was pleased that on the way home yesterday, I accidentally caught this bus, one decorated for the holidays. Only one or two are decked out like this, so it was a real treat for me to enjoy. And not fattening!

After the holidays are over, I'll be returning to my regularly scheduled diet, but for now I'm allowing myself to eat whatever I want. It amazes me how quickly my clothes begin to tell me what I already know, but in just a couple of weeks? Wish the pounds would come OFF as quickly as they go on.

In any event, I truly hope that you will have a happy, safe, and delightful holiday! I will be enjoying it, in fact I already am!
:-)

Listening to the rain

Some of today's hikers before our party

Early this morning we intrepid hikers met at the Lake Whatcom North Shore parking lot, to have a gentle (flat) six-mile walk along the trail, before heading over to Dianne's house for our annual Christmas party. She was our hostess last year, and the size of her lovely home, along with its proximity to where most of us live, made us happy to have a return holiday visit. I didn't take any pictures of the walk; suffice it to say it was not raining, and the company made our excursion seem short.

The salad bar

We gathered just a bit before noon at Dianne's home, everyone with their dishes to share. Some people took the time to head home to change into festive duds and to pick up their food. Just as I hoped, there were plenty of salads of every kind.

Main dishes (more kept coming)

In the foreground is a huge half salmon covered with lemon slices, a vegetarian lasagne behind, a delicata squash casserole, meat balls, and much more. Those were the only signs of meat in the entire spread.

Dessert table overflowing

And oh, the desserts! This picture only shows perhaps a half of all the treats; the others either had not yet arrived or were on a nearby table. A late arrival of a homemade pumpkin pie was also enjoyed, but I could not eat another bite after I indulged in these delightful desserts. We were also to bring any drinks we wished, and I brought along an interesting hard cider that was new to me. It was a good light drink to accompany all the food.

My plate

The bright colors and delicious variety of foods made for pleasurable eating, as well as looking good as I loaded up my plate. We were all supposed to bring our own table setting, and I realized I was one of the few with a paper plate; others brought larger plates that would accommodate lots more food!

Quite a crowd

We ate and enjoyed ourselves immensely. You can see how crowded the kitchen is? Well, the downstairs area and living room were also bustling with people and conversation.

Al giving Dianne a gift certificate

To thank Dianne for her hospitality, both groups took up a collection and Al presented her a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant for her and her husband to enjoy some time later. He also thanked her for being willing to host such a large gathering.

Where are my shoes?

When it was time to leave, I gasped when I saw the pile of shoes and wondered how I would ever find my own. Fortunately, I had my cell phone, which I took out of my pocket and turned on the flashlight. Digging through the mound of shoes, I finally found my own.

And now I sit here at home, listening to the heavy beat of rain on the roof, thankful that it waited until we were done before the skies opened up. It's supposed to continue from now until the end of Saturday, so the weather gods must still be watching out for us. A nice walk, a great celebration, and the best company one could ever ask for.
:-)

A dark day on Blanchard Mountain

Walking to Lizard Lake

First of all, let me say that I guess I will continue to put up posts after our Senior Trailblazer hikes, because I really enjoy both the workouts and the ability to chronicle our adventures. It amazed me to see that fourteen of us showed up on a wet dreary day to hike up to Lily and Lizard Lakes.

We met at the Upper Trailhead on Blanchard Mountain and hiked up to Lizard Lake first. We do have a few trail options on the mountain, and we knew it would be a wet one, considering the forecast. But I didn't realize how dark it would be among the trees. I could have used my headlamp most of the day, it was that dark.

Lizard Lake

By the time we got to Lizard Lake, the light rain had almost stopped for the moment. It was still early, so after a short stop, we made our way to Lily Lake. We thought about stopping here, or maybe even having another two-lunch day, but we decided against it.

Melanie capturing some good shots

It was not a great day for photos, but I did get a few good ones. This shows Mel in her element, dressed for the weather and using her phone (which she kept a close eye on, after almost losing it last week).

Lily Lake (Mel's picture)

Since we were all struggling to stay warm as we stopped for lunch, most of us pulled out all our extra clothing and bundled up before starting to eat.

Today's lunch spot

From this spot, we are looking out at the lake as you see in the above picture, but the darkness and lack of sun made us much more interested in what everybody was having to eat. Some people pack a fancy lunch, while others bring energy bars and more utilitarian fare. I often bring something from the salad bar at the Food Co-op, sort of in between the two.

Time to head back

By the time we packed everything back up, everybody was getting cold, so we decided just to take ourselves back the way we had come, rather than adding any more to make the trip longer. It was not raining at the moment, and we considered that an eight-mile day, with around 1,700 feet up and down, would keep most of us happy until next week.

Although it wasn't what I would have actually desired for our hiking day, it turned out to be exceptionally enjoyable anyway, with all of us dressed properly for the conditions, and lots of good company as well. It was just the best way to while away the hours on a dark and rainy late fall day.

I am still trying to decide what to do about the other days that I usually post on this blog, Tuesdays and Saturdays. I am not quite ready to make a decision about the next steps, but it sure does feel good to take this break, if that is what it really is. Maybe I'll find some direction that would capture my interest for those days. Any ideas?
:-)

All's well that ends well

The view from Burnout Point

Yes, I know I'm on a blogging break, but I couldn't bear not to post about our hike today. Sixteen (!) Senior Trailblazers started our hike from the Lost Lake trailhead. Three cars of four each, and four others who joined us at the trailhead. The weather was mild, with a 20% chance of rain, but we didn't have any at all.

Heading up the Burnout logging road

After that lovely view, we trudged up this service road, instead of taking the South Lost Lake trail. This is not a favorite hike, since much of it is on road like this (not to mention with some serious uphill), but there has been much logging activity and clear cut areas that gave us some views we hadn't had before.

The road and the view

As we ascended to the top of the viewpoint (and you can see a bit of the uphill here), I noticed that some low clouds were beginning to fill in below us.

View, trees, and clouds

I love the low clouds and the way they make the scene look rather mysterious. Once we got to this place, it was early, but we decided to have some lunch anyway. Al said we could call it our "first lunch" and then go down to Fragrance Lake for our "second lunch."

First lunch

It was so mild that some people didn't even put on all their warm clothes when we stopped. But after eating and not moving for awhile, it felt much cooler than when we first sat down. So, after a short break we started down the trail to Fragrance Lake.

Fragrance Lake reflections

It was another day where the lake was as smooth as glass. Not a breath of wind and although it was overcast, it was easy to stay comfy as we ate our "second lunch."

Our final return trail

We were all quite satisfied with our eight-and-a-half-mile hike, up and down around 2,000 feet. We took a wrong turn not long I took this picture, thinking we were returning to the parking lot, but the trail ended with no way to continue. Some smart people turned around and went back to the main trail, but others of us bushwhacked our way downwards to join the main trail.

When we got back to the cars, Melanie realized that somewhere she had lost her iPhone. We discussed what to do and wondered if we had lost it in the bushwhack area, which meant it would be impossible to retrieve. Al suggested that, since she has an iCloud account, she use my phone to log in as herself and see if we could locate it. Although when you try to find your phone you need two-person authentication, there is an emergency button to push in such cases. She did all that, and lo and behold, we discovered that her phone was not far away, and that she had indeed lost it during the bushwhack. My phone now showed a crude map of the area, with an icon for her phone. Al said that when we got close, we could tap the icon and a ping would sound. We walked back to where we had been and guess what? We found it, thanks to the loud ping and determined hikers! It was buried in the bushes and would have been invisible.

But when we got back to the parking lot, it turned out that one of our drivers could not start his car. Fortunately, Melanie had jumper cables, and we were able to eventually get the car going, drove back to the Senior Center, everybody was happy that it all turned out so well. As I said in the title, "all's well that ends well"!
:-)

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a wonderful holiday

I'm feeling like giving myself a blog break, so this will be the last one for a little while, other than my usual Sunday one on Eye on the Edge. It's been awhile since I've allowed myself to do this, so it sure feels like a treat!

I hope you and all my dear friends and family will have a wonderful time until I return, and that you will remember how fortunate we all are for the blessings we share, the food we enjoy, and the happy times ahead. Be well, dear ones!
:-)

Hoping for inspiration this holiday season

A favorite picture from a hike this summer

I just finished a yoga class, the last one for this semester, save a “restorative“ class. Then we have a break until January. We will have some holiday classes, and then we start up again, most of us in the class taking level one again.

Just back from my acupuncture treatment. I can still feel where he put the needles, and I know from experience that the benefits will continue to be noticeable for another few days. If I could afford to have acupuncture once a week, I would, just because of how much better I feel for days afterwards.

This Friday, Black Friday, I'll be getting a massage, my other feel-good treatment that I get as often as I can. In between time I'll be preparing our usual Thanksgiving fare: salmon, a squash casserole that I simply love (made with delicata squash), and a hefty salad. We're skipping the sweet stuff this year, unless I sneak something into the fridge without him noticing. Not likely. Pictures to come on Thursday.
:-)

Holidays are coming on fast

Lovely harp music

This morning I walked with the ladies at Lake Padden, twice around for 5.2 miles. The lovely sunshine of the past few days is gone, with rain expected this afternoon and evening. But for our walk, we had none, nice and dry and perfectly delightful.

Afterwards, some of the ladies went off for coffee, but I decided to do some grocery shopping at our local community food co-op. I walked in to the sounds of harp music, so beautiful to my ears. I went up to the mezzanine to find this volunteer giving us the first strains of holiday music. I can still hear the sounds of it, hours later. It's less than a week before our American Thanksgiving. We'll be doing our usual gifted salmon, squash, and a hefty green salad. I think I'll add cranberries to it this year, for the fun of it.

Randi Eckhoff photo

I found this magnificent picture on Facebook's "Love Bellingham" page and wanted to share it with you. It personifies the beauty of our town at the end of the day. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have moved here eleven years ago, with no idea at all how much I would love my newfound home.
:-)

What a day!

Waterfall on the service road

Today was a very special day: Sixteen Senior Trailblazers decided to break into two groups, one which headed up the Mt Baker Highway in hopes of getting one more day in the High Country. The rest of us (nine) were thinking of going to Lost Lake, starting at the Lost Lake trailhead and heading up the service road for two miles before turning off on the Lost Lake trail. This waterfall is always different, but today it was looking especially beautiful.

Hmmm, what to do?

We got to the turnoff where we could either go up to a view, or down the trail to Lost Lake. As you can see here, Dianne is trying to figure it out. The sunny day made us unsure of what would be the best place to go.

This way would take us to a view

After some hemming and hawing, and being pulled towards the view, we decided to hike down the Lost Lake trail until we could see the lake, and then turn back around and head up this trail so we'd be able to enjoy the sunshine.

Heading back to the previous trail

That's just what we did. Here we are going back to get up to the Burnout viewpoint, realizing that we might get there a bit before lunchtime, but we could still enjoy an early lunch there.

Mt Baker from the viewpoint

Once we got there, it was a glorious view, with Mt Baker showing off, no clouds, and absolutely not a breath of wind. Although it was cold, it didn't feel like it at all, and we pulled out our lunches and enjoyed basking in the sun.

Melanie, Dianne, and me (taken by Angie)

I asked Angie to take this picture of the three of us, all in various shades of purple, in front of Mt. Baker. We lollygagged around after lunch, nobody wanting especially to leave, but we knew that just a short distance away from this view, we'd have a view of the San Juan islands, so off we went.

The San Juan islands in Samish Bay

It was another WOW moment. I've seen these views many times, but never so late in the year without a breath of wind or cold weather. We had already had lunch, but we had trouble tearing ourselves away from the view.

Just a couple more pictures

Then we finally decided to hike back down the trail and make a trip to Fragrance Lake. It was such a beautiful day that nobody wanted to hurry.

On our way to Fragrance Lake

Once we got to Fragrance Lake, we almost decided to skip taking a look at it and just head back to the parking lot, but I'm so glad we didn't. That full sunshine and no wind made for an amazing scene. It was almost like I was looking in a mirror.

Fragrance Lake reflections

It was almost surreal to look at. We only needed to descend to the trail for two more miles to get back to the parking lot, to complete a ten-mile day and 2,400 feet of elevation gain and loss. And here's a news flash: I just got some pictures from Chris, who went to the High Country with the others. They made it to the top of Yellow Aster Butte and had a wonderful day, too. Check out her picture:

Mt Baker from another view

It was a very special day in so many ways. The weather could not have been better, and the fact that it all happened this year on a Thursday, and that we took advantage of it, makes all of us smiling and happy that we are so fortunate to live here! My wine is almost gone, but what a day!
:-)

Ten years ago

My birthday dinner 2009

Looking for something to write about today, I found this picture, taken by our server, when we went to Anthony's Restaurant to celebrate my birthday. Back in those days, a decade ago, we went out to eat much more often than we do today. The older I get, the less I want to have meals that deviate from my usual fare. We will have a Thanksgiving meal that we've had every year since we moved here, and we do occasionally go off to our favorite Thai restaurant when we have out-of-town guests.

But that's pretty much it these days. My friend Lily has introduced me to her favorite place, and we've gone there a couple of times, but pizza and chicken wings (with beer, of course) are not something I can indulge in very often. In fact, it was just a couple of weeks ago that I had my first wing with her. It was absolutely delicious, but for someone who doesn't eat much meat, it seemed rather exotic, highly spiced and salty. But nevertheless, finger-lickin' good. I can see why people can get hooked on that sort of food.

Now the beer, I could have that every day, but I don't. Instead, I stick to red wine, but lately thinking about the fizz and delight of an IPA comes into my consciousness more often than I wish it did. Just writing about it makes me want some, so I'd better get back to my novel and distract myself.
:-)

A feast of color and a wedding

Fallen leaves

Walking back from the bus last week, I saw this lovely carpet of leaves after a brief rain shower, brightening the color, where before the rain they looked much less brilliant. A bit of wetness makes a huge difference. We are currently experiencing some rain, which is actually rather welcome after an unusual dry period in late October through early November. We are some six inches of rainfall short of average for the period.

This morning we ladies walked with the threat of rain, but other than a few drops, we were rain free. And then it started, after we quit, and has been raining ever since. How lucky is that? Some of our walkers think it's our leader who has a knack for holding back the elements.

All of my siblings are gathered today in Texas for the wedding of one of my nephews. I was invited, too, but since I've only met him a few times in my life, and because it's such a long distance to fly, I sent a gift and hope that everyone will take enough pictures that I can experience the event vicariously. Another reason I chose not to go is that the bride proclaimed a dress code for the women: semi-formal wear. I haven't had on a dress for so long I don't know if I still know how to wear one. But it's her special day, and she gets to make the rules for the event.

I am just a little sad not to be with them, but I hope they know that I am there in spirit. A grumpy old lady who doesn't travel well at all these days can send them many happy returns of the day from the comfort of her easy chair!
:-)

Goose Rock and more

Walking around Cranberry Lake

I decided this morning to go with the "relaxed" group of Senior Trailblazers, rather than do Oyster Dome again so soon after our last visit. My knee complained mightily then, and today's group had decided to drive to Anacortes to make a hike up Goose Rock, one of my favorites in the area. We started the trip with a short loop around the Cranberry Lake trail, with this wonderful moss hanging from the trees. In other years, I've seen eagles here, but not today.

Discussing alternate route plans

When we went through the gate into the park, we were informed that a rock slide has occurred near the Deception Pass bridge, closing part of the trail, and that meant we would not be able to make our usual excursion from West Beach to the Goose Rock trailhead. Instead, we had to make a detour in order to get to the other side of the bridge highway.

This detour took us under the highway

We walked through the many campsites in the park, on our way to the other side of the closed trail, so that we could start our hike up to Goose Rock.

Magnificent trees everywhere

I love the wonderful trees that grace this park, big cedars and firs that have been around a long, long time. This one appealed to me, so I added it to my collection of favorite tree photos.

Can you see Mt Rainier?

It is not often that we have a good view of Mt Rainier once we get to the top of Goose Rock, but today, you can see it on the horizon. You can also see one of those pesky Growler aircraft that we had to endure all day long.

More of the Goose Rock view

The Navy base where the aircraft take off and land is visible in this picture, in the topmost part of the bay. Another Growler is also visible in the air.

Our lunch break

We had a nice place to have lunch, once we reached the top. The weather was mild, but the noise from the aircraft was intolerable. I've been coming on this hike for years, but I have never before experienced such loud and constant noise, the kind that hurts your ears and vibrates through your body. On the way back, we did a little research and found that several dozens more of these aircraft were added earlier this year, and they are also definitely louder. The Whidbey Island residents have filed a lawsuit over the increased noise.

Our Trailblazer crew today

This picture was taken as we headed back down the trail. Andre is the photographer, since I managed to mess up the one I took of the group. Anyway, once we were on the portion of the trail that puts us with some terrain between us and the Navy base, it was much quieter. I cannot think how people manage to live here these days.

Pretty little mushrooms

On our way back, we saw many beautiful forest mushrooms of every size and shape. Not knowing what they are, I cannot name them, but I can tell you they make beautiful little forest scenes.

Mt Baker in the distance

On the return trail, we had a lovely view of another one of our favorite mountains. Although we didn't get to enjoy our usual walk along the beach on the way back to the cars, we did appreciate both the scenery and the company. Many of the people in this group are ones I have known for a long time, but others were new to me. We covered more than eight miles and about 1,200 feet up and down, less than half what the other group did, I'm sure. My knees were very happy with my decision, and we got a good workout. too. I'm ready to kick back and put my feet up. Another good day!
:-)