July 29, Visiting the old stomping grounds

I arrived late in the afternoon on July 9 to my friend’s lovely home in Ferndale. She encouraged me to pull up her long narrow driveway to park the trailer in front of her garage. She has great confidence in my backing up abilities so I gave it a go and got the Jam set up in front of her garage. The cats were happy to get out and explore her garden and Toby, of course, found a way to get under the garden shed. She has a huge bush of catmint that kept them quite content. 

Kuan Yin

Brownie at Boulevard Park

Sunday was a day spent doing a few things I have always wanted to do but never seemed to make the time to do it. Take a walk at Boulevard Park, get a coffee, sit on a park bench with a book. Read a little, watch the boats on the water, watch people enjoying the day, and relish the beauty of the moment. 

Nancy and I also took a lovely morning walk on the beach near her home. I of course had to add to my rock collection.

Her rock collection was put into this beautiful starburst by her daughter-in-law.

Monday was a more social day, catching up with dear friends. Breakfast with Christine at our favorite place, the Mount Bakery. I walked around town, stumbled across a new yarn shop which was closed. Good thing for me as I likely would have been enticed to buying some yarn that I don’t really need. I found it interesting how much things have changed since I moved away 8 years ago. I stopped outside the library facing City Hall, the building where I worked for many years.

My office was on the second floor, right corner facing the direction I took this picture from. I had the corner office with two windows, so blessed even though the trees blocked a lot of light. It was nice to look out onto the library lawn where in spring and summer there were always people enjoying the open space. Children loved to roll down the hill, their laughter carried across to my open windows.

As I continued around downtown, I was surprised I did not encounter anyone I knew. I felt like a visitor to a new city, a tourist. Even when I went into my favorite tea and spice shop, Wonderland Teas, I knew where everything was, and yet I was no longer a local.

After lunch with Mary and Jodi on the waterfront, I met up with Nancy to collect her paddle board and a borrowed kayak. We drove down Chuckanut Drive to Cove Road, near Larrabee State Park for a paddle in the salt water. She encouraged me to go out along the cliffs as I was in the kayak. Paddle swift I did, northerly into the wind. Admiring homes built into and on top of the cliffside.

Then I turned back, hugging close to shore to get a closer look at how the wind and water shape the sandstone into honeycomb like structures. Nancy stayed close to the cove, and we met at the launch point so I could take a turn on the paddle board. I would really like to have a floatation device in my garage and can’t decide between a paddle board and a kayak.

They both offer a fun way to get out onto the water. Time will tell, I’m not in any hurry as I seem to be able to borrow one or the other when I have the desire to get out on the water.

Tuesday was another social day, but easeful with some more time to stroll around town. Coffee break with Lisa in the morning. Her office is now at City Hall and we met at a little cafe down the street that used to be owned by a sweet Italian couple. It’s still a charming spot for coffee and we sat on the sidewalk to catch up on each others lives.  Lunch was with Kjerstie at another of my favorite downtown lunch spots, Boundary Bay Brewery. And yes, I have been eating a lot of good food and enjoying craft brews and local wines. That’s what travel is about, just be where you are and enjoy what the location has to offer.

Last up for Tuesday was meeting in person with Mari and Travis. We met online during a fundraising event for Red Cedar Zen Community, the Zen group that I have been a part of since about 2008. During a year of Zoom meetings, sharing ideas and learning about non-profit fundraising, we felt a strong connection. During that time we never had any personal conversations, we were just part of a shared endeavor. We walked to the waterfront and talked as we waited for our table, then over a craft cocktail and tacos we learned more about each others strong talents as healers in different mediums.Yoga, massage and mental health and how they are all intertwined. How important it is to embody emotions and feelings, to realize the connection of that in our lives. When we can feel how our emotions affect our bodies we can make choices to how we nurture ourselves to be at our best. Knowing also that what is best can change from day to day, one day we may feel strong and confident, the next we may be tired and unsure. And that all of that is okay and to just stay aware of each moment of our lives. In a nutshell, meeting them gives me another reason to visit Bellingham again in the future.

Winston

I had moved the trailer into town from Nancy’s to park in front of Mary’s house. We had a couple of late night chats and her adorable little Frenchie became my latest canine BFF. He followed me everywhere in the house, including into the bathroom. He was also fascinated by the trailer, or maybe it was the cats or the bowls of cat food. A couple of times he escaped and ran straight down the front walk to the trailer to investigate. 

My Wednesday morning departure was delayed a little bit with the escape artist Toby getting out of the trailer as it was time to leave. Garbage day in the neighborhood and all those big truck noises had him hiding in the bushes until I could find him. Then he did it again when I stopped for a break on Stevens Pass. He bolted out the door and ran up a steep bank into the woods. I thought I was going to be spending the night up there waiting for him to get hungry enough to come down. I managed to climb up and find him and he was willing to let me carry him down and back into the trailer. 

I got to Manson late in the afternoon and had a day to rest before heading off to the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival for the weekend.

Thursday morning brother Mike took me out for a boat ride on Lake Chelan to start the day.