Neighborhood walk

Little Squalicum Beach 

I joined the Senior Trailblazers on a walk that covers part of my own usual daily walk. Thirteen of us gathered at the parking lot in Cornwall Park, just down the street from the Rose Garden (that I pass every day that when I walk home from the coffee shop). We then mandered around the park for awhile, before crossing a busy street and heading off for Little Squalicum Park. 

We were originally scheduled to travel across the border into Canada, but because the temperature was quite chilly with snow possible overnight, Barb, our leader, decided instead to keep it local. Everyone was looking pretty puffy in their down jackets, including me. I was happy because I know the area well, and even if we got caught in snow, it would be easy for me to get back home. Although it snowed in areas nearby, we only had a covering of graupel on the lawns and streets. What is graupel, you ask? Well, according to NOAA,

Graupel are soft, small pellets formed when supercooled water droplets (at a temperature below 32°F) freeze onto a snow crystal, a process called riming. If the riming is particularly intense, the rimed snow crystal can grow to an appreciable size, but remain less than 0.2 inches.

It looks like little pellets of ice and vaguely like hail, but smaller. When I set out of the house this morning, I was unsure whether it was safe to drive, because it was pretty thick. So, I took the bus to the coffee shop and walked to the Senior Center to join the others and carpooled. 

The sun came out in full force, however, and the skies (as you can see in the picture) were mostly clear, nothing like I thought we'd have today. Nobody was unhappy about having chosen to stay local, though. We covered somewhere around five miles, I think, but I left a little early and made my way back home before they re-entered the park. I saw plenty of fat buds on bushes and the occasional tree coming into early blossom, but my pictures weren't all that good; it seems many of them had my shadow right in the middle, ruining the scene. I should pay more attention to things like that.

At least I remembered to post something today. Now that I've gotten my exercise and a good lunch, I think I'll rummage around in some of the books I've downloaded and find something to enjoy. It's also my guy's birthday today, but he doesn't want anything special, he tells me. We all have those inconvenient reminders of the continuing passage of time, whether we do anything to commemorate the event or not. I am wishing him a very happy birthday and fabulous year ahead!

:-)