The weather has continued to swing wildly from rain to sun - like Mother Nature has bipolar disorder. It's what I love most about spring. Work this week continued to be hectic, as it will for at least the next month. Thankfully we had plans Friday evening to head to Whidbey for a relaxing weekend to celebrate my birthday. For the first time in months, I spent most of a morning reading a book. Over the weekend, we did manage to leave the cabin on a few occasions for visits to my favorite bookstore and restaurant, as well as a morning spent exploring the blooming rhododendrons at Meerkerk Gardens, but mostly we curled up indoors. There are few places I'd rather be than at the cabin with a fire crackling in the old cast-iron stove, watching the ever-shifting view of a spring storm.
Read moreLife: Week 15
It's been an unpredictable, stormy spring. Most days, it would rain off and on all day, but in the evening there would be a few hours of clear weather, giving me just enough time for a walk before dinner. With frequent, rapidly passing downpours, during these period of sun the trees and their new green leaves would sparkle with accumulated raindrops. As much as I'm looking forward to the long, sunny days of summer, I'll miss this beautiful, erratic spring weather. By the weekend, it was sunny and warm - a little preview of summer, and the perfect weather for our April hike with the Alpine Trails Book Club.
Read moreGoose Rock
Deception Pass is a gem year round, but especially in the spring. While most other trails in the state are covered in snow, or at least a heavy coating of mud, wildflowers are blooming, and if you're lucky, the sun is shining. For the April Alpine Trails Book Club hike, we were definitely lucky! While it was overcast and chilly at the trailhead, we warmed up quickly climbing from the beach to the bluff underneath the Deception Pass bridge. We chose to follow the Goose Rock perimeter trail before climbing up to the summit, gently following the waters edge through vibrant green forest. As we emerged from the trees to a rocky trail bluff above Coronet Bay the sun broke through the clouds, and we began to notice early wildflowers scattered over the rocks.
Read moreLife: Week 14
As the days continue to get longer and lovelier, work continues to get busier, leaving me less time and energy to leave the apartment. During the hectic days of April and May, I dream of summer when work will be comparatively quiet, and there will plenty of time for all sorts of adventures. For now, I'll have to settle for watching the ever changing spring weather outside the window over my desk, and make the most of weekends. This weekend, we had plans that kept us close to home, but we still had time for a couple long walks on the Powerline Trail and around Redmond. The neighborhood is constantly changing this time of year. For every tree that has already shed its blooms, four more are just beginning to burst into flower. Spring can feel so fleeting, but there while the specific varieties may change, there will be plenty of blooms to find for many months!
Read moreLife: Week 13
Spring is most definitely, finally here! The early cherries are blooming, and there nearly everything else is covered in tiny buds. On sunny days, the breeze carries the distinct scent of cherry blossoms. After a lazy Saturday recovering from a stressful week, we decided to explore a nearby lowland trail. I'd actually hiked a couple of short loops in the Paradise Valley Conservation Area with my mom and her dogs, but Andy had never been! We were both surprised by how lovely the trails were, although the shared mountain bike trails were extra muddy from all those bike tracks! It was mostly a wet and cloudy walk, but the sun did briefly come out as we made our way back to the trailhead. I was happy to see tons of trillium and fern fiddleheads poking through the undergrowth, sure signs that spring is marching ahead!
Read more