Join Thor, Bear dog, and me as we revel in lush “forest bathing” this spring.
Thor and I love the expansive openness of our new Salish Seaside home, but since I am fourth-generation here in the far northwest corner of the U.S., I need a regular dose of enfolding lush forest. And running water, moss, and ferns. We are both working our way back toward mountain hiking again after some major health challenges, so the Arroyo hike above Chuckanut Bay was a nice start with enough hill to tire us. (I had to cheat halfway through to sit on a rock for a while and listen to the birds.) The wildflowers were still fresh, like these bleeding heart:
And false lily-of-the-valley:
Chuckanut Creek sang to us:
Big maples abound:
Switchbacks on the way back down, covered in sword ferns:
We were lucky to get a sunny day, with perfect filtered light through the vine maples along the creek.
Then it was time for a picnic lunch at Larrabee State Park on Chuckanut. I grew up swimming here in the chilly sea, all of us kids turning blue with cold but refusing to come in. Soon it will be time for me to don my wetsuit and snorkel gear.
A great blue heron stopped by to say hi.
*****
You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
