Frosty Blue Evergreen State

An amazing, sparkling cold and sunny day. I woke very early on east coast time and walked at first light to my favorite Starbucks. It's a hilly two-mile hike, more up than down on the way there, and I stopped frequently to catch my breath and snap pictures. The fall colors are beautiful - I don't remember seeing them so vivid here. The walk goes over Coal Creek (and the San Andreas Fault) and through a grove of huge old firs, and along a normally-busy boulevard that's very quiet at 6:30 on a Sunday morning. Silver frost and golden alder and maple leaves. Coming down Lakemont I could see the blue Cascades. 

Later in the day we picked up some fish tacos near the Ballard Locks and watched windsurfers and a dozen kiteboarders out in the very windy Sound off Golden Gardens park (main), with the snow-covered Olympics across the water. Oh my was it cold - I don't mind the cold per se, but with the wind I could only stand to be outside a short while. And some boys down on the beach, happily dredging a channel through the sand, were wearing shorts! But as it's forecast to rain all the rest of the week, it was good to be out in the sun.

Staying masked and reasonably distant around my folks. I had a Covid test too so hope to soon confirm hugs are safe!