Hike canceled this morning

Sunrise yesterday morning

 No, the air quality is not the reason our hike was canceled this morning, because the air quality around here improved quickly when a front moved in, hopefully bringing us some wanted rain. When I went outside, the air felt okay, but I could feel a little irritation, and as you can see from our orange sunrise, it wasn't wonderful.

So, I drove today to the coffee shop and then went off to the Senior Center to meet my fellow Happy Wanderers for a nice around-town excursion. But when I arrived, I learned that our leader had decided to cancel our hike because of possible lightning in the area. However, it didn't happen, but then again, neither did the rain. We received a disappointing .05 inch of rain last night. Barely enough to wet the streets, and certainly not enough to keep the wildfires that surround our area in check.

Fortunately for me, there were seven of us who didn't get the message that the hike had been canceled, so we went off together for a quick walk in the nearby neighborhoods. We did make it all the way to the Barkley area, where I knew there was a grocery store that would allow me to pop in for a quick bathroom break. A couple of my fellow hikers are familiar with the area, so I did get to see a home where the owner was busy revamping his front yard. 

Rocks with some painted ones interspersed

He was busy tearing out some green grass and replacing it with rocks like these, a few small plants, and his wife's painted rocks mixed in throughout. He said that if any of the rocks grabbed us and we wanted to take one, to feel free. We didn't, but I sure did enjoy looking at them. You have to take your time and enlarge the picture, if you want to get the full display. He said he is looking to make his entire garden into one that no longer requires so much water to be beautiful, and he definitely is making progress in that regard.

I was a little sad that we didn't have a wonderful hike like we had last Tuesday, but it was understandable that Barb didn't want to take any chances with the weather. We have another chance at a bit of rain this evening, so perhaps we'll get more, if not a real soaking like we'd prefer. It seems like everywhere these days there is either too much or too little precipitation.

I'm worried for my sister's home in Florida, where she lives a few miles inland and a little south of Tampa. This hurricane Idalia looks very scary, with it projected to make landfall tonight. Looking at the projections on TV, it looks like the storm surge will be substantial, although I do hope everyone is able to stay safe. 

I just saw a text from the person leading our usual Thursday hike, and he's suggested that we modify it because of unsettled weather for the next few days. So, I might be going on another hike if he decides not to drive all the way up to the Artist Point. As he says, there might be some local rain to play in, rather than driving seventy miles for the same chance. We'll see. Keep your fingers crossed for Florida to make it through this upcoming storm, as will I.

:-)