A Rambling Writer Rerun: Carpe Diem at Deception Pass

Join Thor, Bear dog, and me as we hike from Rosario Beach to Deception Pass Bridge in Northwest Washington.

NOTE: Almost five years after my diagnosis of never-smoker lung cancer, with surgeries and various treatments ongoing, my theme these days is “Carpe Diem!” and gratitude for being alive. So I’m revisiting some of our favorite places and “Geezer Adventures” as Thor and I are able, whether in memory or in the flesh. So here’s from 2020:

This is the year of Life, Interrupted for all of us, what with the COVID-19 upheavals and more. Knowing I had major surgery in store this summer, I packed in as much outdoor activity as possible before August. So I’m now interrupting my Thailand Virtual Vacation posts to share one of those earlier summer outings: a visit to our nearby Rosario Beach and trails in Deception Pass State Park.

Once our long months of gray rain blossom into sunny summer, my native Pacific Northwest is truly glorious, and the trail from Rosario Beach on Fidalgo Island (connected by bridge to the mainland) toward the Deception Pass Bridge offers quintessential scenery along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The madrona trees are especially beautiful.

Thor, Bear dog, and I rendezvoused at the Rosario Beach parking lot with our friend Brenda. She is Bear dog’s “Aunt Brenda,” as she fostered him for the rescue group that found him wandering in the wilds in Idaho. Bear always get Very excited when we have outings with Auntie B.

We followed the winding cliffside trail toward shallow Bowman Bay and across its pebble beach to a peninsula where Coast Salish tribes had summer camps, now the site of archaeological digs. A pebble cove on its south side was a perfect lunch spot, where we could watch the swirling currents that make boat passage through the narrow channel sometimes dangerous.

I’m posting my complete blog entries on my own author website at www.sarastamey.com, where you can finish this episode and enjoy all the accompanying photos. You can also view the complete Italy series there, as well as many other Rambles. Please continue reading by clicking on the link below, then you can return here (use “go back” arrow above) to comment, ask questions, or join a conversation. We love your responses!

https://sarastamey.com/the-rambling-writer-at-deception-pass/

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You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky).  The novel also celebrates the natural beauty of Sara’s native Pacific Northwest. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com