Early February is an odd time in the PNW. It doesn't quite feel like winter anymore, but it's also definitely not quite spring. Right now the days still feel too short, especially during the week. February gets hated on a lot around here, and some years I hate it too. As usual, I've been longing for the drawn out evenings of summer, but this year I'm finding a lot to enjoy in the shortest month of the year. There's so much promise, so many green things just beginning to bud and sprout and poke up through the soil.

During the week, Andy dropped something at work and injured his toe, so we took a break from hiking for the week. Instead, we took a day trip to Whidbey Island, starting the day with brunch at our favorite coffee shop. Caffeinated and well-fed, we headed for the beach. The tide was high, so there wasn't much beach to walk on, but the views from the bluff were lovely as always. Even on a cold and cloudy Sunday, there were a few other groups of dedicated beach-goers wandering the strip of rocky beach. After meandering through my favorite bookstore (and buying this new book, which I'm enjoying very much) we headed to the one brewery in town for a few pints. After a late lunch/early dinner at another favorite spot in Langley, it was time to catch a ferry and head home. It's been too long since we last had the time for a long weekend on Whidbey, and this day spent revisiting so many of our favorite spots was a reminder to make time for a longer stay soon!