September 30th: Today, I got out for some sunshine & a much needed, and greatly missed trail walk:
Sunshine ☀️
Birdsong 🎶
Fresh air 🌬️
A spunky squirrel, that ran across the trail in front of me - jumped from the trail's blacktop onto a low-hanging branch … & scampered up the tree: all so quick, I didn't have time to shoot a video 🐿️👀
Autumn color 🌳🍂🍁
A good stretch of the legs & light cardio 🚶♀️; I was so excited to be walking an actual trail, in the sunshine … that I forgot to track my route.
Angel protection ☝️💥 & covered by love; every step of the way 💖
Enjoyed an hour long ⏱️, dilly-dallying, glorious Day 😁
After morning coffees, Holland suggested we get outside to enjoy the limited sunshine & drove me into Castle Rock 🚘, to walk the trail there ☀️🚶♀️📸 - and he cracked me up, by patiently waiting me for at every turn of the bend along the way, always saying, "keep your phone close - I can be where you are, in a heartbeat" 📱💬🦁: he doesn’t just say he loves me - he shows it in a thousand little ways every day 🍁💎👩❤️💋👨
And THAT is how you KNOW 🥰
Riverfront Trailhead: where I'd begin my 1.7 mile paved walk … and finish at the Lion's Pride Park - where we normally sit & watch the river; Castle Rock-WA
Holland dropped me off at the Riverfront Trailhead - and drove off to wait ... for what would be my 1st arrival, so he could breathe easy seeing I was "okay" 😉
Drifting fishermen; Cowlitz River, in Castle Rock-WA
I always speed walk; it humored me to see that I was outpacing the drifting fishermen.
The fishermen caught up to me here, at this Information Plaque
River Traffic Information Plaque
Castle Rock's Al Helenberg Memorial Cowlitz Boat Ramp & Kayaking Launch = same place as the original pioneer docking.
Castle Rock's 4 Bridges~History Plaque
Castle Rock's present bridge - which I will be walking under … shortly.
Curious about where this side spur goes …
People in the PNW take their river watching every seriously.
Interesting - don't know how it fits into the river - but, it's fanciful & colorful.
Castle Rock's Dog Park; doesn't look new - but, it's new to my eyes.
Castle Rock Bike Skills Park, along the Trail.
1st Wait~My knight patiently waiting for me, in his fiery red steed 😂🤣
The Bike Skills Park is pretty extensive, & used, by the local daredevils.
I'm gonna walk on - he said, "I'll be parked around the bend" … he worries about me 💎🦁, & will wait a bit further up the trail, for my 2nd arrival. Asthma & advancing age: he is as concerned about these 2 things concerning me, as he is about his COPD; and he doesn't think I get concerned enough. I do, but I am not going to be handicapped by my physical limitations. You only get 1 chance at Life on this planet. I am going to live my Life without being hemmed in by health fears.
Apparently we will be playing Leap Frog the entire way to Lion's Park: he is determined to wait every couple mileage markers, for me - & I let him. It eases his mind & warms my heart 🤭
I try not to tease him too much - it's his right to be concerned about me, no matter what I am doing.
Coming around the corner, a couple minutes later - I see a basketball court … & my 2026 knight sitting out a 2nd Wait~Arrangements were made to meet him at the end of the Trail.
YUK! castle Rock's Sewer Treatment area.
Flood Timelines for Castle Rock-WA
Snowberries & Ferns. I love ferns - this is the shady portion of the trail & ferns are very prolific, here.
I like the Fall vibe …
The backside of Castle Rock's namesake.
The trail that goes to the top of the [Castle Rock].
A pretty purple-hued Ivy leaf.
Bright red bramble leaves ushering in the Fall season.
Colorful Beech tree leaves overhead …
This is the end stretch.
And there he is 💎🦁; I love this guy 👩❤️💋👨 I'm so glad Elohim blessed us in finding each other - Holland is a true Godsend gift.
A small patch of Bunnytail Grass, coming into Lion's Park - along the Cowlitz's riverbank; Castle Rock-WA
Tomorrow morning, Holland has a 9 AM appointment with a lung specialist for an exam, and to have his medical file updated - we are aiming for a reasonably good report ⚕️🙏
