Out and about

These bright cyclamen hang out in the kitchen window and provide cheer 24/7. They seem happy to spend January inside the house... me too, lately.

It has been dreary outside… and cold… and wet.  Some days have been windy enough to rattle the windows and strip branches from trees. Other days were so foggy that the rest of the world completely disappeared, hidden behind thick, billowy pillows of gray. And you know that if it’s Seattle, it can rain for days on end. It has been the kind of weather that keeps me indoors, focused on inside interests. You know, things like organizing the junk drawer, eating cookies, surfing the net, curling up with a good book, cooking…

Not today! We have enjoyed a day of mild Spring-like weather, mid fifty degrees warm with big patches of blue sky. And it’s a holiday Monday! Woo hoo! A few raindrops did spatter the ground as we set out on a walk, departing under the only gray cloud in the sky, but the shower didn’t last long. The neighborhood was a busy place, full of people and the happy sounds of their outdoor activities. Groups of bicyclists whooshed past, pet owners stopped to chat, families strolled along the lakeshore path, and walkers moved in packs, vigorously pumping their arms and filling the air with animated chatter.

Fat flower buds on magnolias and rhododendrons looked ready to open soon. A few perennials already flaunted some early blossoms, sparkling in their sunny, protected beds in the park.  The cyclamen and hellabore provided a gentle reminder to get moving and enjoy the outdoors, even in January. 

Light winds aloft blew the clouds away from Mt. Rainier, so today, even the mountain was out!