Switcheroo happening, it seems

More Cornwall Rose Garden roses

It looks like my usual Thursday hikes are becoming more likely to be on Tuesdays, with the Happy Wanderers, which is the switch I'm referring to in the title. I had a great time with them this past week, and today both Thursday groups were going on hikes much harder than I wanted to attempt. Both were scheduled to go to Goat Mountain, or possibly Group 1 to Welcome Pass with its 67 switchbacks. Nope, I am happy to enjoy a leisurely day with my usual three-mile walk and a visit with my beautiful neighborhood. 

Local bouquets

Often when I pass by this place on my early morning walk, there are plenty of bouquets to choose from; I wonder if they will all be sold by day's end. From this picture, you can see it was overcast to start off the day, but by noon the sun came out, and by the time I finished with my acupuncture appointment at 3:00pm, it was getting HOT out there. I came home with my qi all in balance from the treatment, and as usual, feeling like a million bucks. I had another good night's sleep last night, including almost a full hour of deep sleep. 

Stargazer lilies (I think)

I saw a woman out watering her extensive front garden, and we chatted about the weather a bit. She said she has a tendency to overwater her plants but with the sparse precipitation we've experienced lately, nothing looks anything but perfect to my eyes. As I walk by, I have always admired her plants as we pass through the seasons, now on our way to autumn, but for the moment we are in full flower.

Himalayan blackberries

If you look closely at this picture, you can see that the invasive Himalayan blackberry bushes are getting ripe. They grow everywhere around here and just keep coming back when you try to remove them. Here's an excerpt to explain:

Himalayan blackberry is an aggressive invasive species. Once established, it can spread rapidly into undisturbed sunny areas, displacing native herbaceous plants and shrubs. Plants spread by seed or by older canes arching over to root several feet from the original plant.

So for some people they are a real headache, but they sure do taste good! This particular spot is one I watch on the trail back to my home, and when they begin to ripen like this, I often stop to sneak a few. I have a friend who picks lots of them every year and makes blackberry jam that lasts all winter long.

More Rose Garden beauty

So here I am, at the end of another Thursday writing a post about my simply wonderful hike-less day, but with lots of happiness, beauty, and abundance galore.

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives. —Albert Einstein

Thank you, Albert! I think it's time for me to have a little wine to finish up the day's journey. I wish you all the best!

:-)