Another unexpected hike

Marine Park this morning

Well, Melanie and I had decided to spend our Thursday hike going to one of our favorite places, Fragrance Lake. Instead, we woke to a couple of inches of snow and very slick roads. We drove instead to Marine Park in Fairhaven to start a gentle hike along the Interurban trail. I thought this picture looked like it could have been taken on a summer's day, if you didn't know that the white stuff in the foreground is snow, not sand. 

I've been home for awhile, but it's been hard for me to tear myself away from the news of the day. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, as I watched the invasion of Ukraine unfold on TV, along with probably most of the rest of the world. It's a terrifying and bewildering moment in history. The period when World War II ended and we entered a relative safe period is over, kaput. Who knows what this means and what is coming? But that's all I want to say about it now. Excuse my digression: back to my wonderful outing with Mel this morning.

We walked from Marine Park up the few blocks to the trailhead and noticed that wherever the sun was shining brightly on the sidewalks, it was easy going, with most of the snow gone, but everywhere that was still in shade was slippery, requiring careful navigation to keep from losing our footing. 

Some pretty scenery

The snow made everything quite magical, however. We saw only a few people on the trail, but almost everyone was out walking their dog, showing what a pet owner has to put up with (being dragged out to witness the wonders of the outdoors, even when it's below freezing and snowy). Nobody seemed to mind, lots of smiles on people's faces, and the dogs looked ecstatic, muzzles covered with snow and smiling, too. Much better idea to be out here rather than indoors.

Green in springtime, not today though

This scene varies greatly with the season. In the spring, the green succulent plants that are now covered with snow make for a truly enchanting spectacle. It's not bad today, though, with the snow creating a lovely geometric landscape. We ended up walking almost five-and-a-half miles, a very nice outing indeed. 

And while I was on Facebook last week, I snagged a picture to share with you, reminding me that a heron rookery is somewhere in this Fairhaven neighborhood. This was taken in Semiamoo by Jesse Sacdalan, and I loved it. Since I didn't have many pictures taken today, I'll end with this gorgeous creature taking wing.

Great blue heron

:-)