Theler Wetlands
We all met at 8am at the Ravenna Park & Ride in Seattle and figured out who was riding with whom, then headed to Belfair. I drove and took Storm with me and headed for the ferry at Fauntleroy in West Seattle. On the way there, we picked up Liz as she was walking towards the ferry. Her description of red hair, yellow vest and purple backpack made it easy to see her on our way. We just missed the ferry and had to wait about 30 minutes for the next one. While we waited, a group of motorcycle riders on Harleys drove up. One blond woman had a blond pony tail coming out of her helmet. We were betting on whether it was her real hair pulled through or fake. Once of the ferry, we saw her remove her helmet and it was definitely a fake attachment…but still pretty darn cool.
A short drive later, we arrived at the Wetlands. The sky was on the gray and cloudy side, but at least it wasn’t raining and the weather was pleasant. I was quite comfortable in my sweatshirt and capri length jeans.
All the trails at the wetlands are easy and are ADA compliant. I was wearing my new unloader brace on my left knee, so I was glad for level walking services. I saw more birds than I saw since the weeds and reeds were quite tall. Red-winged blackbirds were abundant and I love listening to their song. I also saw goldfinches, swallows, sparrows, crows, and some killdeer. There were a pair of kingfishers hunting for food that were a delight to watch, but were too far away to get a decent photo.
After walking about two miles, I dumped my heavy camera equipment in my car trunk and got some lunch at the farmers market. I also bought a really cool birdhouse for my neighbor (an avid birder). When I was done eating, I did another half mile hike along a different trail, using only my point & shoot camera. By this point, my right knee was really hurting (though the left felt pretty good). I was wearing my Sketcher shape-ups and gave my calves and hamstrings quite a workout (which I really felt on Sunday).
When we were ready to leave, my car wouldn’t start. Being a former mechanic on aerospace ground equipment, I could tell it was the battery, but I didn’t have jumper cables with me. So, I called AAA, only to learn that I forgot to send in my renewal payment. Got it paid and assistance was on the way. While waiting, Liz was trying to convince me to still take the ferry, saying that if my car died again, the ferry people would jump me. That made me too nervous, so I was prepared to drive the whole way around the sound, doubling the mileage and time. When my jump arrived, it took seconds to get my car going. The guy asked me how old my battery was and I told him it had to be 5-6 years. Once it was out of my mouth, I knew I needed a new battery or would continue to have problems. He pointed me down the road to Les Schwab, only about a quarter mile away.
Before I even opened my car door, a young man ran out to my car and asked how he could help. I told him I wanted to price a new batter, and if it wasn’t too much, I needed to have it installed right away. He ran back inside and after a few minutes, came out with three different prices for different battery lengths. After selecting a 60-month battery, he had me pull into the shop, where he immediately started replacing my battery. The whole time, me and my companions were sitting in the car. After he was through, he took my credit card and brought me my receipt. Then I was off and on my way home. I never had such fast and courteous service before! I need two new front tires, so I will definitely consider a local Les Schwab when I’m ready to replace them!
While on the ferry, I called my husband to let him know what time to expect me and that I forgot to thaw anything for dinner. He said he was inviting friends over and would do fajitas on the grill. Now that is how I like ending a day….my husband cooking while I’m sitting back with friends drinking tinto.
