Another Interurban adventure

Looking out at Bellingham Bay

We were really unsure of the weather this morning, so Melanie and I decided to walk the Interurban trail once again. It's becoming a pandemic urban standby, when we aren't sure of the conditions. We expected wind, some rain, and moderate temperatures, and that's pretty much what we got. Except the rain fell heavily last night, and let up for the few hours we were on the trail. More wind and more rain are still to come today, although we had a nice little window of respite.

Fifty shades of green

As we walked on the very wet but well tended trail, we skirted myriad puddles and made our way past the many trail markers until we got to the boundary of Larrabee State Park, our turnaround point. Our conversation covered the gamut, from the state of our sore ankles (both of us) to the latest movie options to stream. 

Tiny little sprouts in front of an old hemlock

We saw plenty of signs of the spring to come. Buds are just beginning to open on shrubs. Although it will be awhile before we see any flowers on this trail, there are other places around town where I see that the crocuses are beginning to flower.

Nancy's Garden

Sharp-eyed Melanie spied this carved owl, and we went to investigate and found this delightful little garden, complete with a stone bench and a sign that says, "Nancy's Garden, inspired by Nancy Arnold's love of family, friends and nature." And of course that lovely owl drew us right in.

Melanie in the garden

Mel was going to sit for her portrait, but the bench was way too wet. She chose instead to give her sore ankle a rest while I snapped this picture.

My turn

Then it was my turn. This will not be the only time I visit this sweet little grotto on the Interurban trail, and maybe next time I will be able to stay for awhile. We covered around 6.5 miles on this hike, and enjoyed every second of our time out and about in the beautiful and very green Pacific Northwest forest.

:-)

Rain, sun, and more

Roaring waterfall

Last Thursday we saw this lovely waterfall, which is fuller than usual, thanks to all the rain we've been having. That, combined with a few days of sunshine, has made our hikes lately very satisfying. I noticed that I have taken a picture of this waterfall every time I've seen it. You can see why; it's so pretty.

It sure is beginning to feel like spring cannot be far away, with more and more light every day, and little shoots coming out of the ground. Today I noticed that primroses and other early spring flowers are on display outside my local grocery store, adding to the feeling of change in the air. It is almost March, after all. And we will change our clocks here in the US in just a few more weeks, moving to Daylight Saving Time (March 14). We'll "spring ahead."

As I climbed the steps to my apartment this morning, after having gone on the bus to the coffee shop to join John in a cup of coffee (not literally), I have realized it's time to start wearing two masks when on the bus and when shopping in grocery stores that allow too many people inside. Although I lost my recent appointment to get a Covid shot, there are plenty of options beginning to open up here in Bellingham. I think I have an appointment for a shot next week in Ferndale, if they receive their doses, and by mid-March it looks like we will have a mass vaccination place open up just a few blocks away. They are hedging their bets until they learn whether they will receive enough vaccine doses, which seem to be in short supply everywhere right now.

Soon. One way or another this elderly citizen should be getting her first jab. We don't get to choose which vaccine we will receive, but if I had my druthers, I think I'd choose Pfizer, since it seems to gain immunity more quickly. But I'll take whatever I am offered! How about you? Would you choose one over another?

:-)

Labor Day 2020

Kaffeeklatsch Avellino

During this pandemic and the most unusual summer season of my almost eight decades of life, this particular spot outside my coffee shop has become somewhat famous. John and I (the two oldsters on the right) have been doing this ever since the pandemic made it impossible to hang out inside. Other than when we've had a bit of rain (when we sit inside the cab of his truck), we've hauled out our lawn chairs and enjoyed conversation, scintillating and otherwise. The definition of the word kaffeeklatsch is as follows:

kaf·fee·klatsch/ˈkafāˌklaCH/
(noun) An informal social gathering at which coffee is served. Talking or gossip at an informal gathering where coffee is served.

Yep, that's us, all right. Our gossip is often of the political kind, or about the latest movies or books we've read and want to share with each other. It's been a really wonderful morning interlude for me during the shutdown. I don't know when we might actually be able to be inside again, but we now have dozens of people who drive by us and wave, apparently happy to see us still there.

When the weather changes, I don't know what we'll do. Perhaps drill some bolts into the trees and put a tarp over the area? Or just see what comes into being from the remnants of the fall season? In any event, I have been enjoying the time spent outdoors talking with friends who sometimes join us. Of course, they have to bring their own chairs, and the seating is limited. But the conversation is always lively.
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Fun, although without sun

Gate at beginning of Fragrance Lake trail

Today my friend Melanie and I went to Fragrance Lake instead of the long drive south we intended, because somehow the weather turned out to be less than stellar. At first we expected rain, but that changed quickly, although there were low clouds and no sun, meaning that it made more sense to stay close to home. Maybe we can get that hike in next week, but for today, we chose an old favorite, Fragrance Lake.

Bellingham Bay from the viewpoint

We took a short side trip to the viewpoint of the bay, since we knew this would not be a long hike and wanted to add some distance. The clouds reminded me of the wings of doves, soft grey and really quite lovely.

Pretty Indian Pipe

We didn't see many flowers, but Melanie had seen this plant on her last trip up into the area. I told her I had heard it called "ghost pipe," and it's actually quite an amazing plant. I found this information on the internet:

Monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost plant (or ghost pipe), Indian pipe or corpse plant, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America, but with large gaps between areas. The plant is sometimes completely waxy white, but often has black flecks or pale pink coloration.

The thing that makes it so interesting is that it contains no chlorophyll, instead getting its energy from photosynthetic trees. I also learned from that link (above) that it has medicinal properties, having been used as a medicine that inhibits anxiety. Here's a closeup of the flower:

Monotropa uniflora

Also while on our way to the lake, we saw numerous beautiful ancient cedar trees. I asked Mel to take a picture of this one with me in it, so you can see the size of this beautiful old tree.

Two ancient artifacts

And then we headed to Fragrance Lake. As you can see here, there was little breeze, and the cool air made it seem very unlike midsummer. Not that I was complaining.

Fragrance Lake

We watched a young man walk out on that limb, all the way to the end. Although he was careful not to slip, he took his cell phone out of his pocket and placed it out of harm's way, just in case he might be taking a quick dip in the water.

We went back along the service road instead of the trail, giving us a nice six-mile loop. By the time we reached the trailhead, we were both happy to have been out and about, and pleasantly tired. but not tired out. It was a lovely time outdoors, and I realize how important it is to my mental health to enjoy the forest and turn my attention to the natural world. Although lately my Thursday hikes are mostly nearby and easy, it doesn't make them any less important to maintaining my equilibrium during these trying times.
:-)

A gentle morning walk

Pileated woodpecker having breakfast

Melanie and I decided to have a short walk this morning, along the Interurban trail, since she had made plans to have lunch with friends, it being her birthday and all. For once, I decided to let her be the one to determine today's excursion, from the possibility of driving south to one of her favorite hikes, or whatever she desired. When we started, we heard this fellow making quite a racket, pounding away as he made dozens of holes in this snag, looking for breakfast. He didn't fly away while we snapped lots of pictures.

Unidentified plant

We saw this lovely flowering plant by the side of the trail, new to both of us. I'm sure someone can identify it, since we couldn't. It looks similar to a lilac, but has no smell and a different leaf. It's pretty, though, and Melanie's favorite color. We also saw a couple of eagles swooping quite low overhead, probably just wanting to say happy birthday to Mel (that's what I told her, anyway).

Bellingham Bay

At one point, we had a good view of the bay, and it was a bit surprising to see all the whitecaps, since we were in the trees and insulated from the wind. The weather was overcast for the entire morning, but by the time we finished around noon, it had begun to clear and the wind had died down over the bay.

Ferns galore

The view along the gentle trail is quite lush and verdant at this time of the year, with so many ferns at this point I had to show them to you. I love the different shades of green.

Our turnaround spot

We got to this point, where the Larrabee state park lands begin, and turned around to head back the way we had come. It was almost exactly three miles in each direction, giving us a nice six-mile jaunt, almost completely flat with only one little dip to descend and climb back up. Nothing, really, to speak of.

Next week we'll be doing something a bit more challenging, Mel promises me, but I did very much enjoy a lovely walk on the Interurban trail with her on her birthday. And now it's time to return to my book (I'm reading Mary Trump's memoir).
:-)

Interurban trail

The Interurban trail

Today three of us (and Joe, Dianne's wonderful dog) went out for a walk on the Interurban trail. I have never been on it, since it is the starting point for many walks on Chuckanut Mountain, and I never realized it was there. I was actually surprised to find it so enjoyable, because much of it looks just like this: flat, wide, and surrounded by trees.

Lots of ferns and emerging sunshine

It was really nice to see all the ferns and beautiful fir and cedar trees, many of them regal and mature. There are also many homes along the trail, with signs marking restricted access, but it is mostly a very agreeable walk, with little that will challenge anybody's sore knees or back.

The sign says, "K9 H2O"

There were lots and lots of people on the trail, and everyone, almost without exception, wore a mask, even if it was (like us) mostly to pull it up to cover one's nose and mouth while passing by. One gentleman pointed out this water stop for dogs. That's his dog coming up after a drink. I looked at it: a small bowl with water filling it slowly from a spring. I put my hand in the water and found it to be very cold. Joe took a quick swig himself.

Our turnaround spot

Although it was cool and foggy when we started out, by the time we got here, to our turnaround point after more than three miles in, the sun had come out in full force and the temperature rose a bit (it was perfect, in the mid-sixties, or 18°C). That's me in the picture with Dianne and Joe; Melanie took it).

Melanie, Joe, and some cheese

Joe is a well-mannered three-year-old poodle, who doesn't bark or attack other dogs, and sits when asked. He loves cheese, and Mel pulled out a small snack she tried to eat herself, but she ended up giving most of it to Joe, after having been seduced by those pleading black eyes.

Chuckanut Bay

We had some lovely views of the bay, with Lummi Island rising up and looking quite impressive. I see that contrails from jet planes are returning again, after months of their absence. We returned to our cars by retracing our steps, having walked almost seven miles with little elevation gain and loss. All in all, just a pretty perfect day, even if not a challenging one.
:-)

Coffeemaker for home use

French press

Several readers wondered why I don't make coffee at home, and I figured I should tell you the truth:  I really like GOOD coffee, and those usual drip coffee makers don't do a very good job. Plus, I like the social aspect of having a cup or two with friends. My usual order is a "shot in the dark," coffee with a shot of espresso.

We've now got a French press coffee maker. It actually turns out that I must have bought it years and years ago, and when I suggested to SG that we get one, he paused for a moment and looked thoughtful. Then he rummaged around in our cabinets and pulled out a Bodum french press that looked vaguely familiar. It's never been used, and had all the instructions inside to tell me how to use it.

I think I bought it because I had been served some coffee at someone's home, made with a french press, and I liked it very much. But then after the purchase sat on the counter for awhile as I continued to go out for coffee, it disappeared from sight and, obviously, out of mind.

Today I bought some coarse grind coffee and tomorrow I'll give it a try. I think it's more like espresso (which I prefer to drip), and the coffee I bought is a local Bellingham blend. Just today our governor announced that all bars and restaurants will close for at least several weeks. He didn't say anything about coffee shops, but now I'm all set for the foreseeable future.
:-)

Christmas Day is here

Inside a Bellingham Christmas bus

Yesterday I walked in the dark before sunrise to catch the bus to my favorite coffee shop and then to the Y for a truncated workout. I was able to get out and about and all my steps before returning back home. It was mostly sunny and not raining, for a change.

We had so much rain in the past week that several rivers flooded and caused my favorite bus route to have to take a detour, making it about ten minutes late. It wasn't all that difficult to wait in the dark, since I was dressed for the weather. As you can see in the picture, hardly anyone rode the bus yesterday. And today there aren't any buses to ride: the bus drivers have the day off.

I was pleased that on the way home yesterday, I accidentally caught this bus, one decorated for the holidays. Only one or two are decked out like this, so it was a real treat for me to enjoy. And not fattening!

After the holidays are over, I'll be returning to my regularly scheduled diet, but for now I'm allowing myself to eat whatever I want. It amazes me how quickly my clothes begin to tell me what I already know, but in just a couple of weeks? Wish the pounds would come OFF as quickly as they go on.

In any event, I truly hope that you will have a happy, safe, and delightful holiday! I will be enjoying it, in fact I already am!
:-)

Holidays are coming on fast

Lovely harp music

This morning I walked with the ladies at Lake Padden, twice around for 5.2 miles. The lovely sunshine of the past few days is gone, with rain expected this afternoon and evening. But for our walk, we had none, nice and dry and perfectly delightful.

Afterwards, some of the ladies went off for coffee, but I decided to do some grocery shopping at our local community food co-op. I walked in to the sounds of harp music, so beautiful to my ears. I went up to the mezzanine to find this volunteer giving us the first strains of holiday music. I can still hear the sounds of it, hours later. It's less than a week before our American Thanksgiving. We'll be doing our usual gifted salmon, squash, and a hefty green salad. I think I'll add cranberries to it this year, for the fun of it.

Randi Eckhoff photo

I found this magnificent picture on Facebook's "Love Bellingham" page and wanted to share it with you. It personifies the beauty of our town at the end of the day. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have moved here eleven years ago, with no idea at all how much I would love my newfound home.
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Meet Dirty Dan

"Dirty Dan" Harris sculpture

I promised I'd let you know a little bit about this character and his life when I wrote about the other two sculptures in the vicinity. I didn't know much about him before I looked up his biography today, other than that he was the founder of the town of Fairhaven.

The link I found has some interesting facts about this guy. He arrived here from the East Coast between 1826 and 1833, after having sailed the seas as a whaler. He finished a log cabin begun by an earlier settler who died, and obtained legal title to 146 acres, which became the main part of Fairhaven's downtown. Fairhaven, Sehome, Whatcom, and Bellingham combined to become one town in 1903. But Fairhaven was the place where Dirty Dan began to make his fortune. He was, according to the article, "a shabby looking guy, hence the nickname Dirty Dan." From HistoryLink.org:

He typically wore a well-worn hat, greasy coat, unbuttoned red flannel undershirt, and pants that were ripped and occasionally held up with rope. Shoes and socks were something of a novelty for him in his younger years, though he did wear them when he was on the road. He loved his liquor and could hold it as well as any man.

But as he gained his first wealth, mostly from the sale of bootleg liquor, he cleaned up and then began to sell property in the new town of Fairhaven.  By 1883, he had amassed close to a half million dollars (in 2014 dollars). And he began to clean up his appearance:

He bought a new wardrobe — a silk hat, fine black cutaway coat, and matching pants, real pants, sans ropes, and a white vest. Yet he didn't pull it off entirely. He still wore his red flannel undershirt, no tie, cowhide shoes (still an improvement from no shoes at all), and his coat and pants were often dotted with spots and stains. 

There is much more information about this interesting man on that link. He died in 1890, I guess somewhere in his seventies. I enjoyed learning about him and now will walk down Harris Avenue in Fairhaven with renewed respect.
:-)

Statues in Fairhaven

J.J. Donovan sculpture

On my way to the yoga class this morning, I thought I'd take a picture of two statues I've found to be quite interesting in Fairhaven, where my class is held. I have seen this one for awhile now, and I wondered who he was. I found this information online:

John Joseph (J.J.) Donovan arrived in Fairhaven in 1888 at the invitation of Nelson Bennett for the purpose of building a railroad which would transport coal from his mine on the Skagit River to be shipped from the newly-settled town of Fairhaven. (from Fairhaven History)

 Then I wondered, when I studied the statue, what he is writing. And sure enough, that information was also available from that link:

The statue includes a replica of an actual letter from J.J. Donovan to his wife Clara.  In the letter, J.J. is describing the four towns on Bellingham Bay:  Fairhaven, Bellingham, Sehome and Whatcom. The town of Bellingham would soon become part of Fairhaven later that year.  In 1904 a City of Bellingham would be formed when Fairhaven and Whatcom were consolidated.

Just down the street from this statue is the Village Bookstore, one of my favorite places to peruse books while waiting for time to leave for my class. Just last year I noticed a new addition to the Fairhaven sculptures, unmistakably Mark Twain. Take a look:

Mark Twain sculpture

 I knew without seeing the information that it had to be him. And sure enough, that same link confirmed it and gave me more information.

In August 1895, Samuel Clemens – better known as Mark Twain – visited Fairhaven. Artist Gary Lee Price’s life-sized bronze sculpture of Twain seated on a bench, reading a book, joins similar nearby sculptures of Fairhaven founder Dirty Dan Harris and community leader J.J. Donovan. Donated by community member Michael Botwin to the City of Bellingham and Village Books, the bench has space so visitors can sit awhile with the legendary writer and humorist.

I didn't get a picture of the Dirty Dan sculpture, so I'll save that for another day. The bench underneath Twain's arm is a favorite place for people to take photos. Hope you enjoy these guys as much as I do.
:-)

Lovely final August day

Cool clouds

We've had some beautiful weather this past week, even with a little rain and reaching the 80-degree mark (for me, this was on the hot side). But today, it's pretty perfect, in the low 70s, and the trees around town are beginning to show their slow march towards autumn. The feeling of fall is in the air, and the days are getting noticeably shorter. We are 23 days from the equinox, two full months away from the solstice in June. As I said, pretty perfect.

Today eighteen of us (all ladies except for one; Gordon has joined us again) walked from the downtown Farmers' Market to the ferry terminal in Fairhaven, a round trip of about five miles. I did pretty well,  but I was nowhere near the front of the group. It was just fine with me to be in the middle of the pack, or even close to the back, but with a spring in my step just to be out and about.

Last Thursday's treat to myself

Since I still couldn't hike with the Trailblazers because of my knee, I walked the first part of today's walk with the ladies to Fairhaven and then took the bus back to town, so I wouldn't overdo it. (I'm learning patience, slowly but surely.) I treated myself to a delicious smoothie and sat and gazed at past hiking pictures while I enjoyed it. When I saw the pictures posted by both Trailblazer groups, my usual one and the other, I was just a tiny bit sad that I wasn't there with them, enjoying the absolutely gorgeous day.

I'm hoping to join them this coming Thursday, since it's only a seven-mile hike, with moderate uphill. And I could stop at any point and wait for them to return, since it's an out-and-back trip. I'm hoping to make it all the way to the glaciers, however. We'll see what happens. In any event, I am feeling better every day and hoping for the best.
:-)

Saturday rolls around again

Taken from Galbraith Mountain

This morning the ladies and I walked up Galbraith Mountain for about six miles, maybe a little less, from the Whatcom Falls parking lot on Electric Avenue. I snapped this picture right in the middle of the brisk walk, not sure whether it would even be in focus. You can see the bay in the distance, and foxglove flowers in the foreground. It's not really much of a picture, but it's all I was able to get while moving so fast.

Some of us went out for coffee afterwards and enjoyed some laughs and good company. It's not hard for me to be having a good time, since I've got so many great friends. This is simply the best time of the year to be in the Pacific Northwest, with just a week to go before the summer solstice. People ask me if I've got any plans to go anywhere this summer, but where could I go that would be better than this? That would be an emphatic no.
:-)

A new cafe and more

Shirlee behind the counter

After the walk with the ladies this morning, my friend Gene took us out for breakfast at one of his favorite places, the Shirlee Bird Cafe in Fairhaven. He had already introduced us to the incredible yummy bear claws she makes in her cafe, but this time we got to see the whole place, such as it is.

t's a very tiny little area, as you can see, but once you walk through the door in the back, it opens up to a place shared by dozens of different shops, and there are many more places to sit than just the counter and the one booth where Lily and I sat while we had a great breakfast. Lily saw the Marlon Bundo book on the side and picked it up. She loved it and read the entire thing before we were served. If you don't know about it, you can find out more right here.

I had seen the book advertised on the John Oliver show, and be forewarned if you know little or nothing about the book. Marlon Bundo is a bunny who fell in love with another male. The saga tells the story of how the two same-sex critters decided to get married against all odds. I just ordered it from the above link.

4Ocean website

And just yesterday, while visiting a couple apartment friends, I noticed they were both wearing sweet little bracelets. It turns out that they had ordered them from 4Ocean, which is an amazing organization.  I had a hard time deciding which bracelet to order for myself and finally went with the dolphin bracelet.

When you purchase the 4ocean Dolphin Bracelet, we’ll remove one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. We’ll also help protect dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats from ocean plastic and other threats. This bracelet represents your support.

For a $20 donation, you get a cool bracelet and it's a great way to help clean up our oceans. So, for a small amount of money, I have helped to pull a pound of trash from the ocean and bought a controversial but delightful book!
:-)

Joe's Garden

My favorite place for flowers

I made my way to Joe's Garden this afternoon to pick up some pretty flowers as well as some garden starts. This is one of the best places in the area for just about anything to do with gardens.

An abundance of flowers and veggie starts

I learned that it is still too early for cucumber starts, as well as zucchini. That means I'll be going back again in a few weeks for them. By that time, all these starts will be gone, if it follows anything like previous seasons. Here's what I bought today:

Flowers and veggies

There are snapdragons, tomato plants, arugula, collards, sugar snap peas, and maybe a bit more that I cannot remember having decided on in the heat of the hunt! I'll be back soon for more wonderful plants. Meanwhile, I'll get these into the ground as soon as possible. I love this time of the year.
:-)

Saturday walk by myself

A carpet of leaves

This morning, Lily had to work, and I wasn't all that excited about the long drive out to the north shore of Lake Whatcom to walk with the ladies, so instead I walked to Fairhaven along Boulevard Park. It was foggy and quite lovely, and as you can see from the carpet of leaves, our deciduous trees are well advanced in their shedding activities.

Kayaks emerging from the fog

As I walked along Bayview Drive to Taylor Dock, which takes me from downtown Bellingham into Fairhaven, the fog began to lift, and I saw these kayakers and could hear them talking to one another. Just a few minutes earlier, they would not have been visible. The fog is long gone and the sun is shining merrily at the moment.

We had a lovely day on Thursday, after a full day of rain on Wednesday, and then another day of rain yesterday with sunshine today. It's that time of year in the Pacific Northwest, and I'm loving it. I'm sure the ladies had a nice walk without me, but my own walk was serene, quiet, and restorative. It's all good.
:-)

What are YOU doing here?

Gene seems unhappy to see me

Yes, it's Thursday and I'm not hiking. I went to the Senior Center and met seven other Trailblazers who wanted to find someplace that would be moderately healthy for us to go, with the air quality still bad. Very bad, to be exact. This morning when I woke and checked Bellingham's air quality, it had gone from the "unhealthy" range to the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range. Great! That told me that, as the day wears on, it would continue to improve. But in checking to see if those numbers were continuing to fall, I discovered that it had returned to last night's miserable numbers and that it is bad everywhere we might go.

After much discussion, I decided that it would be best for me not to go anywhere at all, and the others decided to leave all their hiking paraphernalia in their cars and take a walk from the Senior Center down to Boulevard Park, just to get in some exercise. I decided that enough exercise to make me sweat would not be a good idea. So I went over to the coffee shop and got that look from my buddies.

The "acid ball" with Trailblazers

While sitting there with the guys, Melanie sent me this picture taken from their walk to the waterfront. This is actually part of a new addition to our city, called Waypoint Park. It's in construction right now, but out of curiosity I looked up what the heck that ball is. It turns out it was from an old pulp mill and is being repurposed as art.

As for the art, that comes by way of an industrial artifact from the closed Georgia-Pacific pulp and paper mill on the waterfront. An old piece of equipment known as the “acid ball” is being turned into a new beacon. About 30 feet in diameter, the round steel tank stored acid that helped break down wood chips at the mill. It will be moved to the new park and coated with luminescent glass beads to create a glowing beacon at night.

I don't think they have added the glass beads yet, but that will certainly make it interesting to see at night. Here's a picture of an artist's rendition of the finished park.

Waypoint Park sometime in the future

The park is supposed to be finished by November, but who knows? I will enjoy seeing it all lit up, for sure. Right now my cohorts are probably sitting in a coffee shop somewhere.

At the top of my stairs

I decided to just come home. When I climbed the sixteen steps to my apartment, this scene caught my eye, showing the hallway between the front porch and the back porch. Can you see the smog in the air? Sometime today it is supposed to get better, but it sure hasn't yet.
:-(

Bellingham Bay

Lily in the bay at low tide

This past Sunday, I went with Lily down to Bellingham Bay so she could get a nice walk and some fresh air on her one and only day off work this week. She wasn't along on Saturday's walk with the ladies because even though she asked for the day off, everyone else also wanted to have the day off, too. She doesn't have any kind of seniority and they work her very hard. She works in a fish packing plant and does physical work all day long, twelve hours a day and sometimes ten days in a row without a day off. All of us who care about her hope she can find something less demanding one of these days.

Lots of stuff sticking to that rock

We were out there during low tide, as you can see from all the barnacles and shells attached to that rock. When I moved here ten years ago, I was clueless about tides and didn't know that they come and go at such speeds; we get two low tides and two high tides every single day. You can see the tide chart here, if you're interested. Anyway, it was a really nice way to spend part of the weekend, and people were out in force, enjoying the beach along with us. I love it here.
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A lovely place to live

Roger, standing, me, John

A friend took this picture today of the three of us enjoying our coffee and playing on our devices. John looked at the picture and immediately complained about his shiny scalp. He's getting so brown from being outdoors in his garden and riding the lawn mower around his grounds, keeping things under control. Gene didn't show up this morning, but we managed to have fun without him.

My front porch potted flowers

And just now I took a quick shot of my pretty flowers on the front porch. Every year I get new ones, just whatever strikes my fancy, and they give me great pleasure whenever I sit outside with a glass of wine, or when I open the front door on my way somewhere else. Brings a smile to my face every time. You can see we are overcast today, but it's very mild and most pedestrians aren't even bothering with a jacket. It's just a wonderful place to live, if you don't mind a little rain now and then (understatement is on purpose).
:-)