More Exploring A

     I particularly enjoy these pictures and hope you will too.   So much so, I am going to turn tonight's post just about these shots from last week's exploring.  We had some rare free time last Wednesday afternoon, and saw some sun shine!  Although after getting my final pictures of the sun set, the walk back to our car was very chilly.   Please do not forget to share this exploring blog sight-if you enjoy what you see.   And check up on my longer running sight with 350+ posts of random rambling and coffee love.   I have been focusing on promiting posts from this page there also, but will return to my wonderful rants and rambling this week.  Take a look ---  www.wyomingjack.blogspot.com

    On this day -- our youngest two had early release from school, and we found it was time to explore and give mommy some free time before our oldest got out of classes.  We started out downtown Bellingham.   I have written about this area many times.  And new sights and beauty always greet me--on every trip here.    I think the above building is one of the neatest buildings in Whatcom county.  I also believe it is haunted.   I have many-many pictures of this great old building.  

This picture has an almost Eire glow from the intense sun!

I stood across Holly Street facing one of the mini light house towers for this shot.

We soon ended up down by the water.

A common destination in our travels around the area.

You can just make out the bay beyond the bridge in this shot.

Beyond all of the ducks and geese, ever present in the area

and the salmon ponds 

throwing/skipping rocks is always hours of fun!

          
                            Max- our dog always is the first to get wet on our trips--
but will fight to the bitter end, when it is his bath time. 

    It always seems hard to imagine seeing such sights in the heart of our wonderful downtown. 

   

                       Further up Holly Street ---I had to stop to take a picture of this tree!

Same tree  not nearly as neat of an angle.  

      We ventured further up the road---near Bellingham Technical Collage.  
Across from this stack is a parking area, surrounded by trails.  To the left you are soon exploring the college.   To the right you can soon reach the bay. 

                     Another great tree, just off the trail on the way to the beach.  

Soon you pass under the rail road tracks.

       It just happened that a train was coming --right as we neared the bridge.  

Even this lonely piece of drift wood turned into a great picture. 

The kiddos soon got tired of my picture taking and built there own teeter tauter 

with an ocean view!

I have posted about this area before--but 

I really enjoyed these pictures.

Water ever flowing into the bay.

The abandoned pier, ripples, and sun allow for some great images.

                               I am forever in seek of the perfect sun set picture.  
It might appear that the jet in this and another picture, ruined the shot---but I feel it made it.  
Many flights, both big and small went over us during our short journey.  But the airport is just up the road.  

A few last shots, before heading back up the trail to our awaiting, warm car. 

                                  Who needs Hawaii when you can get views like this ?

Lake Padden ---Winter 2012

       A week into the new year, and I am just now making my first post of the new year.  I hope all of my readers had an overly wonderful Christmas and have at least managed to keep one of your New Years resolutions!!   I have tons of posts, ideas, and improvements for this and my Facebook page---please bear with me ;)   Please check it out if you have Facebook: Wyoming Jack/Bobble Head's Blogs Exploring Bellingham & Whatcom county
      First I wish to share this local picture---- It is down by Boulevard Park and actually goes with last weeks blog post.  But I forgot to add it to the blog.  It started out as a picture I was going to delete, and than I blew the picture up, and well, wow if I do say so myself.   This was shot right before the coffee shop.

      The following is another example --- shot in the same park, near the wooden board walks....

But today we talk about wonderful Lake Padden.

And by we, I mean I!

I have posted about the area before--- but about all the summer activities.

On Christmas Eve, I some how had the day off work, and ventured to the lake, camera in hand. 

I actually had no destination when leaving the house, but was truly coffee fueled!  

Living in Fairhaven -I was not previously aware how close the lake really was to our house.   It is literally -right down the road.  

A week later I returned with our dog, Max and our two oldest kiddos. 

This mirror image almost can not be beat.

Although Bellingham has seen snow all around the town, we still have yet to see the white stuff here.

Last week the kiddos and I were going to venture up Mt Baker to actually see/play in the snow, but it was too cold.   More on that--after it actually happens. 

No snow, but a light dusting of frost could be found.

This area offers all kinds of recreation-- year round. 

I love trying to capture images and ripples in the water

The clouds on this day were again amazing. 

They have been very neat lately--- blowing in off the mountains and the bay.

Perhaps it has always been this way

I just notice them more now. 

We parked just past the horse trailer parking and took off on some of the many trails around the lake.  Instantly heading to the right, and away from the tennis courts.

This lake side bench offers a great view as well as a place to rest and think. 

On this day it was also a spot for tribute and reflection on the New Year.

     Through the gorge trail, the water trickles ever down wards heading to one of my favorite spots---the bay. 

        We had time for some off trail exploring.    You almost can not make out the kids, because they are wearing camouflage coats.

This up-rooted tree could make a great dry spot.   

Not that it ever rains in Washington!

Huge old trees all around the trails make great sights.

At least in my eyes.

This dew covered leaf appears to be hanging on for dear life.

Pump house.

Of course this is just a small portion of all of the exploring just in this small area of Whatcom.  

Next post finds us once again down by the bay.  

Watching the sun set.

I hope you enjoyed.

In an attempt to gain many more local readers---please pass on the links to this page.

So many trails---so little time.

And as Always

**Happy Trails!!**