More Fun in the Woods

 I went for a hike on Monday in Priest Point Park, and I was surprised to find a pretty big tree had fallen and blocked the main trail. I don't remember it being particularly windy on Saturday or Sunday, but it must have been, because the tree appeared to have simply fallen over, and the base was broken and splintered. Of course, I didn't let that downed tree stop me; I just climbed over it and kept going. Farther along the trail, I saw a few other smaller trees that appeared to have taken a topple as well.  It's pretty cool to be in the same woods so often that you can easily tell when some weather event has happened, even if you didn't notice it when you were cozy in your bed at home. I also got to see my first PPP snake on Monday! I heard rustling and then noticed a pile of leaves that appeared to be moving of its own accord. Suddenly, out slithered a little black and green snake. I stopped and watched it for a little while, and I think it was watching me too, as it stayed very still when I moved close to it. We sat there, each waiting for the other to make the first move, until a boisterous golden retriever bounded up and broke the spell.

In the Woods

 This morning I went for a hike in the woods, and it was absolutely magical. There was a very light breeze blowing, which kept sending the leaves falling towards the ground. They were swirling lazily from the sky, and eventually touching down with a melodic little flutter. It was spooky and beautiful. If you like to hike and don't want to go far away to get to a trail, Priest Point Park is a perfect destination. The trails are well-maintained and provide a (mostly) easy walk through woods of both deciduous and evergreen trees, and include several nice views of Puget Sound as well as beach access if you want to get a little closer to the water. The uncharacteristic lack of rain this fall has left piles and piles of beautiful leaves to look at and crunch under your boots. Knowing Olympia, this isn't going to last much longer, so get out there while you can and enjoy one of the coolest (and free!) places in Olympia.

Stopping to Smell the Roses or Read the Books

For the past year or so, I have walked by this cool little free library that someone set up just a few blocks from my house. Every time I've walked by, I've thought "Wow, that's so cool! I should take a book and bring one back". So this week, I finally did it. The first book I read from the little free library was Bold Spirit; it's about a woman who walked all the way across the United States in the 1890s. The book was completely fascinating and may have even inspired me to make walking across the United States one of my long term goals! There are so many things in life, like the little free library, that I think about doing and intend to do, but never seem to get around to. I think this is exactly what the phrase "remember to stop and smell the roses" is about- not living and working at such a frantic pace that you don't even take a moment to stop and appreciate all the cool things around you. Incidentally, stopping and smelling the roses is something my friend Justin actually did once when we were on a walk, and at that time I had the embarrassing realization that I had walked by that particular rose bush many times and never even noticed it was there. Thanks in part to Justin's inspiration, I've gotten better at taking the time to notice the beauty around me, but clearly, I'm still having trouble slowing down sometimes. The little free library is going to be my rose bush of the year, and I'm making it one of my goals to read at least three more books from it before the end of the year.

Foraging For Wild Berries

This afternoon I went for a magical walk in Watershed Park. It was warm and sunny, and everything looked so lush and green. As I was walking, I suddenly had snacks on the brain (maybe that's the real reason I have Winnie the Pooh tattooed on my back, as like him, I am pretty much always thinking about food). Anyhow, as I rounded a corner, I saw something exciting-free snacks in the woods! A giant patch of wild salmon berries, ripe and ready to be picked, was right in front of me. For those of you who haven't tried salmon berries, they have a texture similar to blackberries, but a flavor that is very light and mellow by comparison. To me, they are to blackberries as white wine is to red wine.  I must have eaten almost a whole pint while I was on my hike. As I rode my bike home, I was also delighted to see all of the blackberry bushes in bloom, and fantasized about how many of those there would be to enjoy in a few short months. This is one of the things I really enjoy about living in the Pacific Northwest- lots of delicious berries to enjoy, and some of them can even be found for free.

Lovely Spring Hike

This afternoon, Zach and I went for a short hike at Watershed Park. Watershed has a loop trail that is just over 1.5 miles. Although it has a couple of  steep sections, overall it is an easy, gentle hike that winds through a beautiful and lush forest. Much of the "trail" is a boardwalk, and it was recently covered with a non-slip material that makes it especially easy and safe to hike on in damp spring conditions. Speaking of spring, spring really is the time to visit Watershed Park! The skunk cabbages and salmonberries are in full bloom right now, there are green buds coming up and unfurling everywhere, the trees are glowing with moss, and the park looks completely magical.
A few years ago I visited the park with my niece and she kept remarking on the the bad smell of the skunk cabbages. When I told her I liked the smell, she started anticipating it, and each time we'd reach a particularly fragrant patch she'd exclaim "Tia, it's your favorite smell!" excitedly. Now, every spring when I visit Watershed I think of being there with her and it makes me smile. Zach took the picture above; from the trail it looked like a dance party of skunk cabbages.
Watershed can easily be hiked in under 45 minutes, which makes it a great choice for a quick and refreshing hike when you want to be outside but don't have a lot of time. Parts of the trail can get a little muddy at times, so be sure to wear shoes that you don't mind getting dirty.

Chehalis-Western Trail

Yesterday I went for a beautiful walk with my mom on the Chehalis-Western Trail. If you haven't been on this trail before, you are in for a treat. It's a flat, paved trail that is great for walking, running,biking, or skating. Spanning twenty-two miles, the trail runs north-south through Thurston County, and then hooks up with Yelm-Tenino trail. We heard many birds on our walk yesterday, and I have also seen families of raccoons and opossums on the trail. One of my favorite things about the Chehalis-Western trail is that some of the trailheads are right off of busy urban streets like Martin Way. You walk for a bit, and then suddenly you feel like you are far away from all the noise and bustle. The plants along the trail are waking up- many of the trees and bushes have little blooms starting to appear, but as you can see on the Thurston County Parks and Recreation site (linked to above), the trail is also a lot of fun in the winter. I can't wait for it to get warm; I think this summer I'm going to ride to Tenino, something I've wanted to do for years but just haven't gotten around to. Spending time walking with my mom out in the sun yesterday was awesome. I felt so relaxed, comfortable, and happy!

A Little Time Away

This past weekend, Zach and I took a  mini vacation and went up to Port Townsend for a long weekend. As you can see, we had a lot of fun. This is us goofing around in the Rose Theater before we saw 56Up, the latest in a pretty cool documentary series that follows the lives of a group of people from the age of seven. Even though the documentary was really good, if I'm being honest, I had even more fun in the lobby taking pictures with Zach! I'm really lucky to have a partner who knows how to have fun and keeps me laughing and smiling.  If you are ever feeling sad or stressed out, I highly recommend taking some silly-face pictures with someone you love.
Being away from home, I was out of my normal routine and ended up eating a lot of things I wouldn't normally eat so much of: Hello Mt. Townsend Creamery cheese! Hello Southern restaurant mac & cheese! Hello a few too many adorable 5oz glasses of craft beer at The Pourhouse (we did manage to eat a few healthy meals from the delicious deli at the  Port Townsend Food Co-op).  I also didn't get in nearly as much exercise as I normally would (although we did do a lot of walking), and I didn't get myself all set up for this week with salads and a clean house. But you know what? I had a wonderful weekend clowning around with my sweetheart, eating delicious food, and relaxing. The happiness and well-being that brings me is well worth making some unhealthy food choices and missing a few days of exercise!

Urban Wildlife

Tonight Zach and I took a lovely walk around Capitol Lake. It was a quintessential Olympia evening- silvery, misty and cool. As we rounded a corner, I noticed a small brown animal munching on the grass. It let us get close enough to take some pictures and it didn't seem scared at all. After looking at some pictures online, I think the animal we saw was probably a nutria. For a time when I was young, my family lived near a creek and one of the ways my parents kept me from going to the creek alone was to warn me of the dangerous nutria that lived in the water. I pictured a sea monster sized animal, with claws and fangs, and it wasn't until I was in my late teens that I discovered that a nutria is about the size of a housecat and totally adorable. At any rate, it was a treat to see this little critter out enjoying a snack. We also saw a blue heron and a bunch of ducks that were bathing and looking for dinner. I feel lucky to live in a place where there are so many beautiful places to explore and enjoy. For those of you looking for a place to get in an easy and relaxing walk, Capitol Lake is just the place. A short, 1.5 mile loop, and especially nice on a weekday evening or a lunch break.