I had such a fun day!

I went to Anacortes to pick up some papers and then, impulsively, drove to the marina to see if there were any cool boat reflections. (There were.) Then I thought to myself, “Self,” I thought, “I think I’ll saunter down to that gazebo on the end of the trail on the other side of the marina.” So I did that.

And then I looked up to the top of that hill over-looking Cap Sante, and I thought, “Self, you’ve never been up there. Maybe today would be a good day to check out the view up there.” And so I found a trail through the woods that led up to the top of the hill and started up.

About half-way up a deer suddenly appeared in front of me. She looked at me and decided we were friends, and calmly nibbled on branches while I snapped her photo. She was so beautiful! It was magic spending a few minutes with her.

I continued up the trail. Near the top there was a little rock scramble – that was pretty fun – and then I was standing on the boulders at the top and looking out over the harbor. (My phone tells me I climbed 13 floors.) I crossed over to the other side and saw that there was actually a parking lot there – right below the summit. (It always cracks me up when I find a parking lot at the end of a hike.) I stayed up there for maybe five minutes – shooting photos and soaking up the sun – and then headed back down.

I passed another couple coming up the trail as I was going down – it was their first time hiking up there, too – and we wished each other a good day. And then when I got back to the gazebo I discovered friendly Max and his humans. I asked Max’s humans if they’d ever been up to the top of the hill and they said they had – but they said there was an easier way to get up there than the way I’d gone. I laughed – and mentioned the parking lot I’d seen up there. But, I told them, I’d actually enjoyed that little rock scramble. I’d thought of my mountaineering dad when I was on that trail – and I know he wouldn’t have wanted to go the easy way, either.

As I was returning down the trail to my car I spotted a kingfisher sitting on a post. I love those guys. This one posed for me for a few minutes as I took his photo.

On my drive home, I stopped at the The Store to buy a cookie and a mocha for myself. As I was walking into The Store I noticed a gentleman sitting outside on a bench. As the barista was making my mocha, I ducked out of The Store to ask the gentleman if he’d like something to drink and he said a mocha would be great. So I went back in and told the barista I wanted to get a mocha for the gentleman outside. The barista immediately wanted to pay for the man’s drink himself, but I insisted on paying for it. I took the drink out to the gentleman, and when I got back inside the barista said he’d really like to give me a larger sized mocha than the one I’d ordered – and that the extra four ounces would be on him. Isn’t that nice?!

I so enjoyed meeting the people – and the dog and the deer and the kingfisher – I met today! I so enjoyed that little hike to the top of the knob over-looking the harbor. And I so enjoyed my mocha and my cookie from The Store.

Here are some photos from the day…