The Beach-

The sun invited me to walk down to Picnic Point Beach on Puget Sound.  One of the great pleasures of a Northwest wooded path is that it can lead to the expanse of the Sound. One of the finest examples of this type of trail in Snohomish County is at Meadowdale Park.  Usually a path by the Sound slopes downward and follows a creek.  The one at Meadowdale is a mile down, but also a mile straight up again - some of it quite steep. All of it heavily wooded and lovely. Not there this day, however. I enjoyed the noisy gurgling of the creek as it rushed along, hurrying me onward to the rocky shoreline.  The tide was still low, but with sunshine and warmth, I certainly found plenty of folks to share the views and excitement of looking across the blue waters to the snow caps of the Olympics.  Fishing craft lined up,creating white parallel lines across the waves.  "Shrimping," an elderly gentleman reported.  "Too early for crab."  My two dogs cavorted, cheerfully dashing at the incoming tide, becoming sand covered and smelly.  Loving it!