"A Nice Little Walk" -- Sunday, 4/14/13

Last Sunday we hiked along the lower section of the Cascade Canal trail.  This week we wanted to walk beside the upper section, which is considerably longer, like 6 miles R/T (a fact we usually forget till we get to the trail's end and then turn around!)  So, after a hearty breakfast of whole grain waffles, with real maple syrup (or maple slurple as I call it), away we went.  We picked another fine morning to be Out and About -- to work off that breakfast!

This is such a tranquil place to walk: In and out of shade, alongside the shallow, rushing canal water, it's soft babbling a most soothing companion. Birds, too - songbirds and chattering birds and hammering woodpeckers, keeping pace with us as we walk along.

A cool water slide?

I'm not too good at guesstimating, but these gorgeous native Pacific Dogwood blooms had to be four or five inches across.

Buzzy bee visited this leaf for quite a while.

Is it confused? There's no pollen on this leaf.

 

A massive black oak with new leaves was a real stand out framed against the clear, blue sky!

This blue Western houndstongue, Adelinia grandis,

really showed well amongst the green.

With the exception of clumps of beautiful bleeding hearts, very few wildflowers have popped up along the canal yet.  During the summer, ferns line the canal, and today I spotted a few squiggly fronds beginning to unfurl, but I didn't get a photo.

We always see joggers and walkers, occasionally a bicyclist or two, on our hike.  Today we were joined by three dogs:  A white dog, a huge black Newfoundland dog with drool slopping off its jaws, and a border collie (not seen in this pic).  All wore tags and seemed friendly.  They must live nearby.  They tagged along for a while, minding their dog business, eventually disappearing.  I steered clear of the Newfie and its drool!

That's what Jimmy said after dinner ("a nice little walk!").  Another header could read, "Tramping the Trail."  I couldn't wait to get my shoes off when we got home.  My right heel was screaming!  I'd like to say that a hike this long is good for the souls, but not good for my soles!  No matter.  We relaxed later in the day.  Fun day!