My favorite season is disappearing daily, with the last leaves dropping from trees and hillsides changing from the vibrancy of fall into the muted tones of winter. This change was especially apparent up in the mountains, where Andy and I spent the weekend at my parents cabin - likely our last chance to drive in for the year. The rain that had dumped on the lowlands all week had turned to snow in the mountains, leaving the lightest wintry dusting on the peaks. The white stuff also stuck around in the shady places surrounding the cabin, making for the jarring sight of fall mushrooms sprinkled with snow. After arriving at the cabin in time to join my parents for lunch, Andy and wanted to be sure to make time for a walk before the sun disappeared behind the ridge - an early event these days! As the afternoon sun warmed the frosty ground, the world around us steamed. The swirling mist drifting over the creek and pond led us to linger on our walk, but eventually the warmth of the cabin called to us. After a dinner of rabbit stew cooked by my dad, we broke out an anniversary gift from my mom, a national parks board game that turned out to be addictive, fun, and highly competitive. Sunday morning, we stretched out our stay as much as possible, stopping at Dru Bru for lunch and a beer before the short trip home. As always, I’m already dreaming of the next free weekend I’ll have to spend relaxing in the mountains.
Read moreLife: Week 44
In the middle of one of the busiest seasons of the year at work, I managed to steal away for a peaceful and inspiring long weekend. Last November, when I saw my friend Ashley's photos from outdoor creative retreat for women at Salt Creek, I immediately began dreaming of attending the next time the event came around. Watercolor and writing workshops by a toasty, crackling fire accompanied by serene views of misty Pacific Northwest coastline? Yes please! However, when tickets went on sale for the 2018 retreat, I suddenly found myself waffling. It would certainly be worthwhile, it wasn't something I needed. Thankfully, Andy intervened and practically demanded that I go. After managing to get through a busy weeks work in just 4 days, I got an early start Friday morning to head for the coast with Ashley. After catching the first ferry, we had plenty of time to enjoy our day before any workshops began at Salt Creek, and after reading all about Pippa’s Real Tea on a mutual friend’s blog, we agreed that our first stop of the day should be Port Townsend. The power may have gone out shortly after we arrived (county-wide apparently!) but that didn’t stop Pippa herself from making us each a delicious cup of tea! Steaming cups of tea in had, we explored a few of the shops that were able to stay open even with the power outage - including a bookshop I’d love to return to when the lights are on - before heading to Crescent Lake for a short hike to Marymere Falls, which I’ll be writing more about soon!
Read moreLife: Week 43
Whidbey Island is my favorite place to be in stormy weather. Sheltered in the warm and cozy in the cabin, I can watch as the sea and sky both turn a steely grey, and rain and wind lash the windows. Luckily for me, we had perfect stormy fall weather on our last minute weekend trip to the island. Before heading to the cabin, we stopped in Langley for coffee and some bookstore browsing, and I picked up the perfect weekend reading material. For the first time I can remember, we hadn’t packed a ridiculous amount of food, and we wound up having a dinner of chips, salsa, and breakfast sausages. Oh, and plenty of red wine. Not sure what we’d been thinking when we packed food for the weekend, but we survived!
Read moreLife: Week 42
This was a week of brisk, foggy mornings, leaf strewn sidewalks, and warm, sunny afternoons. While I found few opportunities during the week to get outside and enjoy the lovely glorious fall weather, I did manage to fill my weekend with plenty of time outdoors. Headed to the Iron Goat trailhead Saturday morning for a early start to meet my book club group for our October hike, I witnessed one of the most magically misty mornings I’ve seen in years. Low clouds hung heavily over the mountains, and as I drove east, the sun began to pierce through, catching the orange and golden leaves lining the highway and making them glow. Knowing I had a little time to spare on my drive, I even took the opportunity to stop at a small fishermen’s access to the Skykomish River to soak in the misty morning and snap a few photos. By the time I’d reached the trailhead, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. If it weren’t for the distinctly autumnal colors lining the trail, it would’ve been easy to mistake the balmy day for July instead of late October.
Read moreBagley Lakes
I think it’s safe to call the group of adventurous ladies who showed up on a brisk, damp morning are all pluviophiles. For the first time, our book club was joined by the author of our book for the month, and the clouds had descended to accompany author Maria Mudd Ruth on our hike. We’d originally planned a longer hike of the Chain Lakes loop, but as our group gathered at the Bagley Lakes trailhead, with icy wind blowing rain at us from every direction, we quickly made the decision to opt for a shorter loop around Bagley Lakes.
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