I find shady riverside trails are always at their best on a sunny day, but they're even better with good company and good conversation. On the Saturday our group met for the May Alpine Trails Book Club hike, we lucked out and had both! Arriving at the popular trailhead at 9 AM, we were surprised to find the parking relatively uncrowded. It might have been a clear, dry morning, but signs of our wet spring were all around. Towering boulders that rimmed the trail were decorated with dripping moss and ferns and the dew drenched trail glittered in the morning sun.
Read moreLife: Week 20
As work slows down for the summer, I'm beginning to have the energy and time for other things in my life. I've finally started to catch up on my towering backlog of books, made a dent in the mess our apartment had become, and wonderfully even had time for a walk after work! It was the perfect week for it too, since the days have been increasingly sunny. I'm sure soon I'll be whining about the heat and sun, but for now, for a few days at a time, I'm happy for the sunshine. It was especially appreciated on our Saturday hike along Boulder River for the May Alpine Trails Book Club meeting. The river was raging, and a much milkier shade than when Andy and I visited last year in April. After the hike, we stopped in Arlington for lunch and a beer at Skookum Brewing. Definitely one of my favorite things about Washington - there's always a good beer stop on the way home from the trail!
Read moreMeerkerk Gardens
I've always enjoyed meandering through a large garden. Growing up on books like The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland, and the work of Beatrix Potter, they've always had a rather magical appeal. After years of vaguely talking about Meerkerk Gardens on Whidbey Island, on an overcast morning this spring Andy and I finally made the trip. The entrance to the gardens is through a picturesque stone hut, and when we arrived, since the garden staff hadn't arrived yet for the day, we left our $5 admission fee in a small kiosk by the entrance.
Read moreLife: Week 19
If April shower bring May flowers, May showers bring only loud complaints. Especially if it should dare to rain on the weekend! Meanwhile, I'm still loving this stormy spring. Maybe it's because I'm still so busy with work that I hardly have time to get outdoors, but I can't get enough of the rain drenched views out my window. All this rain just makes the few days (or hours) of sunshine all the more enjoyable. Between the many showers this week, we did have a few brief bursts of sun at times that I was able to make it outdoors. All the rain has certainly made for a green and flower-filled May. Maybe it's the grey skies, but blooms seem more vibrant than usual this year.
Read moreLife: Week 18
I thought we'd had an impressively stormy spring already, but this past week was especially dramatic. The week started cool and overcast, but Wednesday morning the the sun was shining and temperature began to climb. Throughout the afternoon, clouds began to gather and conspire, eventually deciding on a torrential downpour to lull me to sleep that night. Thursday, along with the previously mentioned rain, saw a series of intense thunderstorms, with more lightning than we see in most seasons packed into one day! By Friday morning, the sun was once again shining, as if nothing had happened. Andy and I had taken Friday off to drive to Wenatchee for his dad's 60th birthday. After the storm, the rivers were crashing alongside the highway well above their usual spring levels, and I could barely resist the temptation to stop for photos or even a short hike. With Andy driving there were no stops, and we made good time to our destination.
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