Mid September Walk…

Yesterday I was sitting reading blogs and visiting Pom Pom’s Ponderings and she said ” I’ve decided to walk more and do it in the morning before it gets too warm. ” I left a comment about the fact that I should be walking but was sitting and then low and behold, I got up, put on my walking shoes and made it around my circuit before the rains came! I’ve been talking and talking about making exercise more of a daily thing. I was happy to have gotten off my duff and here’s some things that I saw.

Look at all these ducks in this neighbor’s back yard! I’m glad they haven’t chosen my yard for squatting!

Across the path they squat regularly at this home, too.

My route is not long. I read recently that walking just 25 minutes a day will add 14 years to your heart life. Or something like that. My walk around the bend and up the hill and along the busy road and down the steep descent to home takes me about 30 minutes. Of course it take a little longer if I stop and ~~smell the roses~~ take the photos!

On the home stretch I enjoyed this view of “this old house” through a couple of our neighbor’s landscaping.

It really has come a long way these last few years. A new roof and new siding really make a difference. We hired a company to do the roof but Dear did all the siding himself. He’s a keeper! Our house is the oldest house in the neighborhood by many years!

That huge maple behind our house and in another neighbor’s yard will keep us busy this fall raking leaves! We talked to the neighbor about getting an Arborist out to check the tree to see what it’s condition is. We wouldn’t want it coming down on our house or anyone’s house for that matter. Our recent wind storm is what motivated us to ask.

This new hydrangea I planted this year is still pink and getting it’s fallish tint. I’m curious to see if it will come up pink next year or if it will change to blue or purple like our other hydrangea did in our soil.

I’m headed up to get my walking shoes on again and see if I can beat the rain. We are moving right along through September. What’s new in your neck of the woods?

My “Burb” with Fences and Blooms!

I’m linking up to Good Fences #52 with TexWisGirl at Run*A*Round Ranch Report.

I had a lovely walk out my door, out of my immediate neighborhood, up the hill, and all around the way in a large square route coming down hill on my way back home. Have you noticed that walking down hill is a lot harder on your knees than walking uphill?

We’ve enjoyed a mostly dry Winter this year although this past Sunday we had the most rainfall in a single day since the 70’s. It was nice to wake up to sunshine on Monday.

Reflections

I’m joining Weekend Reflections with these photos I took along Lake Washington in Washington State.

This past Tuesday I met up with my Senior group to walk the Burke Gilman Trail along Lake Washington. It was a beautiful sunny morning. We spotted two eagles that I’ll post later.

I’m headed into a busier than usual weekend with a birthday dinner for our son and big game. If you don’t know yet the whole state of Washington is rallying around the Seattle Seahawks as they play the Greenbay Packers on Sunday. You can’t go anywhere in this state without spotting someone sporting their Seahawks gear. Our 8 A.M. church service on Sunday will be fuller than usual so people can be home in time to prepare for the game. I’m more of a soccer fan than a football fan but I’ll join in the fun and “root root root for the home team”.

Good Fences ~ Log Boom Park

I’ve started walking with a group from the Senior Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Burke Gilman Trail starting at Log Boom Park in Kenmore, Washington. I was a little early last Thursday and walked out to the lake to take some photos.

The trail runs close to Lake Washington going west from Log Boom. If you walk in the opposite direction the trail continues along the Sammamish River that runs between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish. The trail is a great place to walk or ride a bike.

It was a lovely peaceful morning at the northern edge of Lake Washington.

This morning I’m headed out again to the trail in the misty rain to walk. I’m relieved by this coolness after being in 100+ Southern California. I’m enjoying my latest activity boost with walking on Tuesdays and Thursdays and my exercise class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Got to keep at it!

I’m linking to Good Fences #26 hosted by TexWisGirl from Run*A*Round Ranch Report. Thanks for being such a great hostess for your link-up.

Dark and Foggy

Dear was ready for a walk on Saturday. Dear is a morning person, a very early morning person. I was able to stall him a bit so our walk could at least end in the light. We walked the same trail as Katie and I walked but we headed in the opposite direction.

Since it was foggy and dark for half our walk I decided to leave my larger camera at home and I only took my little pocket camera. Being out so early we were able to hear a lot of birds chirping and quacking.

When Katie and I walked last Wednesday these gopher mounds weren’t here. This cracked me up because it seemed like this particular varmint didn’t appreciate the work the city had gone to in designating this spot to sit and watch the river flow.

Rounding a bend we heard this rooster crow and announce the new day had begun. He was chasing some ducks around and trying to establish his kingship amongst the foul.

We’ve never seen a beaver along the banks but we have seen lots of evidence of their presence.

We always love to see eagles and we were treated to a couple eagle sightings on this morning. I really had to zoom in with my little camera and was happy that you can tell it really was an eagle we saw.

As we walked back to the car we heard this group of Comorants put up a fuss and fly off together. They had all been sitting in a tree together that the eagle we had spotted earlier decided to perch in.

He now had the whole tree to himself.

Beautiful reflections on the river surface always grab my attention.

There is a different kind of beauty in the foggy overcast vistas.

As we continued back to our car we had one more eagle spotting. I was wondering if this was a second eagle or if it was following us along the trail.

When we got back to our car we decided that a doughnut would be a nice treat on this cold foggy morning. Something to take back home to enjoy with our eggs. I’m happy to say that I didn’t feel guilty about that doughnut or the eggs!

The Winter Trail…

On Wednesday we had a dry day with some sun breaking through the clouds and I was happy that our daughter Katie agreed to join me on a walk on our favorite trail.

We start out on the Sammamish River Trail close to downtown Bothell and heading west it soon becomes the Burke-Gilman Trail.

It was so nice to have a dry day for some exercise. Thirty minutes out and thirty minutes back is our standard plan. That translates to about three miles at our pace.

The reflections on the river were exceptional.

We were dressed for the cold. Katie had her ear muffs and gloves. I walk a little warmer and didn’t need muffs or gloves on this day.

The Canadian Geese were out in numbers and squawking quite loudly.

Part of the trail runs alongside a public golf course with bridges that traverse the Sammamish River.

More reflections in the river.

The best treat during our walk besides the good feeling that our heart rates were being elevated was spotting this eagle!

I’m still hoping to make walking part of my weekly habit. It is so much easier to get motivated to step out and walk when the weather is dry.

Where do you like to walk?

A Good Start…

On Sunday afternoon of day 5 of the New Year Dear pipes up and says, “do you want to go out and take a walk?” I said, “let’s go while it’s still light and dry.”

The morning started in the 20’s and there was lots of frosty ice on the deck, roofs, lawn, and sidewalks so we bundled up before we headed out.

Not too much excitement here in the neighborhood to report but here are some things I took photos of…

Little varmints have been busy in the neighborhood. They sure were digging in a straight line!

She did not fly south and she was squawking up a storm upon our approach. She was perched on the roof of an out building.

By the time we got way up this hill I was breathing quite heavily and used the excuse to stop and take a photo of where we had come from and the view from the top to catch my breath. Those mountains are in the Cascade Mountain range.

The trees are in full winter mode. This weeping willow has so much character.

We got home as the sun was setting and casting a wonderful glow onto the maple in our neighbor’s yard.

We really need to make walking a habit for this new year. We used to walk more regularly but have fallen way out of the habit. Do you walk regularly?

(I stayed up way too late watching the season 4 opening of Downton Abbey. I’m still hooked and very tired.)

A Trail Walk…

Almost a month ago Dear and I drove to the river trail close to us to have a very early Saturday morning walk.

The mist was lying low.

It was so peaceful.

Finally it was late enough in the morning to see other humans. This was the first time I’ve seen policemen on bicycles on the trail. I was happy to see them. I hesitate to walk this trail by myself because there are so many secluded parts of the trail. When we walk this trail we do a quick one hour walk which ends up being about 3 miles or so. A good start to our Saturday morning. Hope we didn’t spoil the good of the walk with this next stop we made on the way home…

Someone did say that it’s good to have a goal for your walk to motivate you. I don’t think this is what they had in mind, though.

When our floors are done I hope to drag Dear out to the trail again on a Saturday morning. He is a willing victim when we start very early. During the week it would only work for us to walk in the evening since Dear is out the door by 4:30 A.M. on weekdays. Do you prefer to walk in the morning or the evening?

Refresh

What do you find that refreshes you each day?

I know from experience that it’s good for me to start each day thanking God and expressing my gratitude to Him for the new day.

I also know a little exercise each day is refreshing, too. I’m wondering what is going to kick start me into my habit of walking which has fallen by the wayside the last few years. I don’t want to be that American that Yeats speaks about who doesn’t walk in the winter because it’s too cold or walk in the summer because it’s too hot. Maybe each morning after I talk to God and express my gratitude I’ll start asking for Him to help me put one foot in front of the other and walk a mile or two.

Do you walk regularly and what helps you get out the door?

Free Them 5K

On Saturday we met up with some of our small group to participate in World Concern’s Free Them 5K, helping build awareness of the worldwide problem with human trafficking.

This year the participants numbered over 2000.

Our son’s company was a large contributor and had a tent on campus with a giveaway. We were sad that Josh could not participate in person this year because of a recreational soccer injury he received earlier in the week that has had him home having to stay off his feet.

Another successful 5K/10K and hopefully our DIL Laura will have a more restful week now that this major responsibility is complete. After the walk Dear and I stopped by Chipotle to order some takeout food to deliver to our injured son and a meal for our DIL to enjoy once she got home from all her responsibilities at the 5K.

Today we are back in a rainy pattern here in the Pacific Northwest. It was fun to get phone calls from my kids one after another today to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day. Flowers showed up at my door today, too.

On another note I got a lead on a high school kid who is trying to earn money for a mission trip so I might get some help with the yard work. I’m happy to pay well for someone earning money for missions. I only have 3 things on my calendar this week…woohoo. How about you?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Walking