Wet hike, warm house

Wet Al on top of Goose Rock

Well, nineteen Senior Trailblazers showed up this morning at the Senior Center hoping that the rain would be only a minor annoyance today. Actually, many of us almost missed having our usual winter companion, the rain, but we could have had a little less precipitation for my taste. We drove to Whidbey Island and hiked up to the top of Goose Rock in Deception Pass State Park. That link from Washington Trails Association gives this information:

One of the highest points on Whidbey, Goose Rock offers the closest thing to "mountain climbing" on the island. Though not exactly a lofty summit, Goose Rock gives spectacular and far-reaching views.

Um, not today. No views at all through the rain and mist, but since we kept moving most of the time we didn't get too cold.  We started our hike at West Beach and managed to eke out more than five miles round trip, not a really long hike, but always a beautiful place to visit, even in the rain.

Nice view of the beach as we climbed

It was high tide, so we weren't able to spend any time walking along the beach, and my pictures were given the added ambience of rain spatters on the lens. I did discover it, though, and managed to clean it off with a bit of help from Carol, who actually had a lens cleaner in her backpack. I've got to remember to carry one for days like this.

Rebecca and Mel are now properly initiated

Our newest hikers, Rebecca and Mel, have now experienced a truly wet hike and can be considered initiated Senior Trailblazers. Some people are fair-weather hikers, but I suspect these two intrepid souls will hold their own with the group through all kinds of weather.

Linda, Diane, Amy

This picture was just too good not to use, even though Linda's eyes were closed. Do they look damp? Yes, they are! We all were, but we knew that if we just held on a little longer, we would be treated to a warm and toasty feast at Mikey and Miriam's new home in Mt. Vernon.

Diane, Steve and Peggy are smilin' in the rain

We piled into our cars and headed off to their warm house to enjoy toasted cheese sandwiches, tomato bisque and chili, and in a very short time the dampness and chill were nothing but a memory. Their new home is huge, with us wandering from room to room and floor to floor, admiring the wonderful new place they call home.

Kirk and Karen at the nook

After we were replete with food, Miriam brought around the dessert: 12th Man cupcakes! Of course this refers to the Seahawks' supporters, and those of us who weren't able to manage to eat ours then and there took it home to enjoy later (I did, and I wasn't alone).

Costco's 12th Man cupcakes

It was a wonderful, full day with lots of shared enjoyment with good friends and good food. Thank you, Mike and Miriam, for your kindness, and thanks also to all my other Trailblazer friends for enriching my life so much.
:-)

Sorry I'm late

Buses alternate between support for our team and routes

This morning I caught this picture of two buses as I waited to catch my route home. They don't usually have anything on the front except the route information, but not this week. Seahawk fever is everywhere. I flash my Seahawk thumbnails several times a day to show my own support. By this time on Sunday, it will all be over, and I think either team could win. Let's hope for a great game!

I just got back from the movie theater, having seen the last of this year's Oscar-nominated movies: 12 Years a Slave. Yesterday Judy and I saw Wolf of Wall Street. Although both of these movies are based on memoirs, assumed to be at least somewhat factual, they could not be more different from each other. I left the theater after seeing "Wolf" feeling disgusted by the excesses portrayed, especially after I did some research online and found that the main character is still scamming people and getting away with it, after serving less than two years in prison. However, that said, Leonardo diCaprio and Jonah Hill both richly deserve their Oscar nominations.

But I am still reeling from the effect that "12 Years" had on me. Knowing that everything depicted in the movie happened, and worse, I cried for the inhumanity that slavery perpetrated on so many people. If you aren't aware of the story, Solomon Northrup was a free black man living in New York in the late nineteenth century. He was kidnapped and treated as a slave for more than a decade. The movie is based on the book Northrup wrote after he was freed. The movie was filmed in Louisiana. "To know that we were right there in the place where these things occurred was so powerful and emotional," said actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (who plays Northrup). "That feeling of dancing with ghosts—it's palpable." Both Ejiofor and the woman who plays Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) are nominated for Oscars.

Of the nine movies nominated for Best Picture, I have read that the buzz is going between "Gravity," "12 Years," and "American Hustle." I've seen all three, and "Gravity" left me in awe at the special effects but lukewarm about the story; "Hustle" was also loosely based on reality, and the performances of Amy Adams, Christian Bale, and Jennifer Lawrence are so good that I left the theater smiling long afterwards. They are also nominated, along with Bradley Cooper.

But if I were Mistress of the Universe, Best Picture would be handed to "12 Years a Slave." An amazing piece of work, if you ask me. I'm glad I saw it, even with all the violence.
:-)

View from my favorite spot

Laptop and everything within reach

Early last week when I was trying to preserve a shot of my Seahawks manicure, Smart Guy took this picture of me in my favorite chair, and I noticed how much I like this picture and pondered why that might be.

First of all, it shows that everything I want is within easy reach: my laptop resides on the white platform to the left when not needed. Sometimes I like the warmth of the laptop as I catch up on the news of the world and what my blogging friends are up to. I am pointed towards the TV when I feel like watching, and the sunlight on my right shoulder comes from the front window, where I peer out at the comings and goings of my neighbors.

And then there's the fuzzy blanket that I wrap myself in when I feel like it. The only strange part of the picture is that senior citizen. It's not how I think of myself at all; the white hair and the wrinkles are usually only visible to me when I look in the mirror. Or in a snapshot like this one.

I'm not complaining, really. My life is filled with adventure and activity, and it makes my favorite chair, my chosen spot, the place to reap some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Do you have a favorite spot?
:-)

Bellingham park walk

Early morning light through the fog

Eighteen Senior Trailblazers met at the Senior Center this morning to start our walk in dense fog. We knew it was forecast to lift fairly soon, but the clear skies of the previous night caused it to be really cold as we set out walking from the Center.

Frozen berries

I saw these berries that looked as cold as I was feeling when we set out on the city streets. The entire walk was either on pavement or very established trails, so nobody needed trekking poles, and most of us left our hiking boots at home too.

Wide enough for two

Since most of the time the trails were wide enough for us to have two or three abreast, we chatted the entire way, along Railroad trail to Northridge Park, the first place we visited. Then we headed off to Big Rock Garden, a beautiful 2.5-acre garden with permanent outdoor sculptures. It's tucked away among the evergreens, and many of our hikers didn't even know it was there. From that link:

The Park boasts over 37 permanent works by distinguished international and local artists. ... Each May the Friends of Big Rock Garden Park and the Bellingham Parks & Recreation Department sponsor a Mother's Day Celebration with a focus on the garden and the opening of a new seasonal sculpture show.

I knew about the park, but not about the Mother's Day celebration. I'll be back for that! It's a sweet and peaceful place. Here's one of the sculptures we saw today:

Positive Spirit by Shirley Erickson

You can also see that the fog had begun to lift a little, and by this time I had warmed up considerably. The garden is near Whatcom Falls Park, so we reluctantly left this lovely place (plus we were all beginning to get cold) to see the falls.

Dam and bridge over the lower falls

The stone bridge over the upper falls has an interesting history. I found some information about it from the park's website. (This excerpt is taken from the Park's PDF brochure.)

Roosevelt’s New Deal Works Progress Administration paid workers to move the Chuckanut sandstone arches from a downtown burned-out building to the park. In 1939 the sandstone was used to construct the landmark stone bridge.

The sandstone bridgework on the left

I feel very fortunate to live in a city that has so many beautiful parks within its boundaries. It would have been really nice if that sun we kept hoping for would have made a final appearance, but we weren't in the right place at the right time, I guess. However, here's a picture of the upper falls taken from the bridge. Looking at the picture I can almost hear them roar.

Whatcom Falls

We stopped to eat a quick lunch in the gloom, as the fog had deepened around us again. But then as we began our trek back to the Senior Center, the sun came out for good, and we managed to get warm and toasty as we finished our ten-mile-long walk around town. And on one of the final trails, we spied this hawk who eyed us suspiciously for several seconds before taking off.

Maybe it's a Seahawk

Since I was just getting ready to snap the picture as he was perched, it was serendipitous that I caught him, almost in focus, as he took off to escape our attention. It looks to me like this might be his very own roosting spot. 

All in all, it was a good day, with lots of good company and the ability to visit with each other the entire time. My knee doesn't really like those hard surfaces for such a long distance, so I'm sitting here writing this post with a cup of tea and some ibuprofen, happy to be relaxing. Of course, NOW the sun is out in full force, but I'll enjoy it from my easy chair.

:-)

Feeling a little sheepish

Nails in Seahawk colors

Yes, I've caught the Seahawk fever! Now that they are going to the Superbowl, on a whim I went off to the local nail salon and got a manicure and fingernails painted in Sehawk blue and green. I know they won't last until the Superbowl itself, but I've already had more fun out of this adventure than I expected. The manager asked me if I'd like a picture of the Seahawk logo on my nails, too, and I was astounded to learn that one of their artists could draw it right on the nail!

Closeup of my left thumbnail

She would have done all ten of my nails if I chose, at only $3 each. I watched her paint this tiny little image one step at a time in just a few minutes. She put one on each of my thumbnails and then placed me under a platform with a warm fan to dry the nails, but of course I'm feeling a little scared to mess them up, since the polish takes a few hours to dry completely, and I don't want to alter the artist's work.

I am really surprised at how cheap all this fun is. The workers are, in my opinion, working for next to nothing giving women manicures and pedicures. Actually, I had never before had a manicure and now I think I may be hooked. I'll be back, that's for sure, if only to get a more reasonable (I mean less flashy) paint job. But for the moment, I'm intending to have a lot of fun with these nails for the next few days. Go Hawks!
:-)

Football fever

Spied on the road here in Bellingham

While driving to the movies, I saw this rather dirty truck with a message for all and sundry. It says, "Go Hawks" with a 12, a Seahawk logo, and underneath all that, #24. I had to look up which Seattle Seahawk player it is, not being a football fanatic myself. It's Marshawn Lynch, also known as "Beast Mode." I'm getting an education here, but I don't exactly know what I'm learning!

Tomorrow is the NFL championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. The winner of the game will go to Superbowl XLVIII (that would be No. 48 for those of us who need help figuring it out). The AFC championship game will also be played tomorrow, between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. Not as interesting to me now that I live here, but rest assured I will NOT be watching the game. My heart won't take it (smile). I'll be at the movies seeing "August: Osage County" with my friend Judy. Shouldn't be much of a crowd in the theater.

When I lived in Colorado, I was always happy to hear that the Broncos were doing well and would watch the playoff games, and once I watched what I consider to be the most exciting football game I ever saw, in 1998 when the Broncos beat Green Bay in a nail biter of a Superbowl. I decided then and there I wouldn't watch live games any more when I cared so much about the outcome.

And now my old team, the Broncos, and my new team, the Seahawks, might be playing in this Superbowl. I saw an article about the fact that Colorado and Washington, being the only two states to legalize recreational marijuana use, would probably want to rename the game to something like "the Oobie Doobie Bowl." (grin)

This coming week I should finish seeing all the movies that have been nominated for Academy Awards, except for "12 Years a Slave" (not playing around here right now) and "The Wolf of Wall Street." I have enjoyed them all, in different ways, but I'm hard pressed to think of one I'd like to see actually win Best Picture. I'm leaning toward "Dallas Buyers Club" but think, from what I've heard, that "12 Years" deserves to take home the gold. If so, I'll definitely get another chance to see it in the theaters.
:-)

Alger Alp 2014

Arriving at Squires Lake parking lot

I woke this morning to dense fog, but there was no wind and zero chance of rain as I headed to the Senior Center to join my fellow Seniors where we would begin our journey to Alger Alp. There were nineteen of us gathered in the chilly early morning fog, with high hopes that it would burn away under the sun.

Squires Lake

In the meantime, the lingering fog lent an air of mystery to the lake. The blue sky above cheered me with the hope that it wouldn't stay so cold for long and I'd warm up quickly. This is not a long or difficult hike, which might be one reason for the high number of hikers who showed up today. Another reason is that we had two brand-new Seniors join us.

Rebecca and Mel

Since there were so many of us, I didn't get a chance to spend much time with them, but I learned that they are fairly new in town and are looking forward to getting involved with the group. I think Rebecca may join the walking group on Saturday, as both Peggy and Linda asked me if I knew where we would be walking in order to let Rebecca know when and where to meet us. They were the ones responsible for getting me involved with the walking group.

Remnants of the fog in the valley below

As we hiked the three miles or so to the summit of Alger Alp, we were in full sun and could see the valley below had a little bit of the fog still hanging around, but we were above it after ascending around 1,000 feet. I love the way it looks with the fog.

Rita in the sunshine

Last year I took this same picture of Rita; in fact, I just checked that link and notice I took almost the same exact picture of Squires Lake as well! Today was the best weather we've had for this six-mile round trip hike, though. Once we got to the top, we returned back to the lake for lunch, since it was still too early to stop. We found a really nice place near the water.

Linda

I just had to include this picture of Linda, as she was setting up her lunch spot, so you can see how tranquil the day was. Not warm exactly, but in the full sunshine with no breeze, we all lingered at lunchtime. I got a picture of the group after I had finished my own lunch.

Our lunch spot

Our spot in the sun made it difficult for us to hurry back. We had quite a few stops along the trail today, not like our usual pace, and it was very enjoyable to visit with so many of my old friends, some of whom I had not seen for ages.

Happy birthday, Al

In the parking lot, we enjoyed birthday cupcakes for Al, thanks to our dear de facto Social Secretary Amy, who never forgets a birthday! (I heard her asking Rebecca and Mel when they celebrate theirs.) It was a very fine day, filled with good friends, sunshine, and even a bit of exercise. Sometimes when we've labored through rain and mud, it's hard to find good things to say about our hike. Today, it was really easy!
:-)