Whistle Lake

Thanh at Whistle Lake

Today fourteen Happy Wanderers from the Senior Center's hiking club met at the Senior Center for a more than half-hour drive to the Whistle Lake trailhead in Anacortes. We took four cars, so it was quite comfy driving there on a foggy morning with almost chilly temperatures. Thanh was one of the passengers in my car, and hopefully I will now be able to remember her name. It's pronounced "Tahn," so I started calling her "Tahnny" to help me recollect what she is called. I've never been good at remembering names that I don't hear all the time. She's a sweetheart and deserves better. I know she doesn't look it, but she's in her mid-sixties, with grown kids.

Today's leader, Joe, walking ahead

After awhile, the fog began to lift and we had quite a bit of sunshine on this pretty wooded hike. If it weren't such a long drive for around a five-mile trip, it would be visited more often, I suspect. The temperature was perfect, on the cool side but not at all frosty as we ascended and descended around 1,500 feet of elevation.

Pretty mushrooms

Since we've had a little rain in the past few weeks, we were also treated to many different varieties of mushrooms. Nobody wanted to take any home, and we heard some stories about poisonous ones that look completely innocent. Nope, I'm not interested in picking any.

Our lunch spot

We stopped for lunch at a place where we could see the lake. One person was bitten by something, not sure exactly what, but she was given a Benadryl and the wound, which swelled up quite a lot, was slathered with some medication and watched carefully as we headed back. It did go down and hopefully she will be okay. We don't know what bit her.

Enjoying ice cream

At Joe's suggestion, we stopped at the Lopez Island Creamery in Anacortes for some well-deserved treats. This is becoming a definite must-do stop before going back to Bellingham. It doesn't get much better than this: good food, good hike, good company, and lots of camaraderie without even the littlest bit of politics intruding into our day. 

Now, however, it's almost time for the presidential debate, which I will watch and hope for the best, whatever that means. Hope you're having as good a day as I am.

:-)