10,000 Steps Walking Challenge

The Bellingham Tennis Club and Fairhaven Fitness facility was closed for cleaning today so members of our 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge planned to get together in their parking lot for a group walk anyway. As we drove to Fairhaven to join up with our group, we noticed dark, threatening clouds in the sky, and at the last minute we decided to do the Taylor Dock walk instead of joining our group. That way we felt we could stop in at Woods Coffee in Boulevard Park for shelter if it did start to rain.

Even though I knew we could still log our steps during this walk in our 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge log books, it still felt slightly reminiscent of having skipped a class at school so many years before, and I couldn't help smiling to myself just a little as I walked along the dock today, enjoying that marine air as it blew in my face. The tide was coming in and we watched a group of kayakers practicing their paddling as we approached the Taylor Dock walkway from the Fairhaven side.

They continued paddling along the shore as we walked along the dock.

A freight train passed by near the dock and we stopped to see if we could read the graffiti. Some of the train cars were filled with huge chunks of broken concrete, others loaded down with piles and piles of scrap metal, the weight from those cars making it sound as if oil was needed on the tracks.

I wonder who Shark and Lushy are.

The rain held off so we were able to sit outside at Woods, yet enjoyed the warmth from their outdoor gas fireplace as we sipped our beverages and took in the view. Later, reaching the end of the park before turning to walk back to Fairhaven, we saw those kayakers once again. This time, their boats pulled up onto the beach, cups of coffee and bags of pastries in their hands. How cool is that to be able to go paddling in your kayak and stop for coffee and goodies along the way!