A Morning of Unexpected Discoveries

Last Saturday I woke up to a lovely view from our apartment of the Olympic Mountains, their peaks covered in fresh snow. Our retirement community’s Park Walk scheduled for later that morning was to Carkeek Park, not far from our home. The park offers majestic views of the Olympics, so I was looking forward to seeing those snow-covered mountains from a different perspective. I also hoped to see some salmon returning to spawn in Piper’s Creek, which winds through the park.

So I set out to the park with two goals in mind—mountains and fish.

Our bus arrived at Carkeek Park, and I stepped out into the crisp end-of-October air. I turned west toward the mountains. But instead of the spectacular view I’d anticipated, I saw a bank of clouds obscuring the Olympics.

Oh, well. I could still look for salmon.

I started up the trail along Piper’s Creek. It was early in the chum and coho spawning seasons, but perhaps I’d be lucky enough to spot an adventurous fish or two making their way upstream.

Unfortunately, there were no salmon in sight. One of the park employees told us she’d seen a couple, but the main run wouldn’t begin until mid-November.

So much for my two goals. Both had been thwarted.

But as I continued along the trail, I realized there was plenty to enjoy. It was a cold but sunny morning, and the park offered many surprises. The autumn leaves still clinging to the trees were so brilliant in the sunshine that they seemed to glow. A harbor seal surfaced in the water, perhaps looking for the same salmon I was. A family of otters lounged behind the seal, presumably hoping for a fish dinner, too.

I also stopped to admire a beaver dam. Every time I walk through Carkeek, it seems to have grown larger. And the dam created a pond where several mallard ducks swam about happily.

Many times in life we make plans and become so focused on what we hope will happen that we overlook what is happening right in front of us. When our expectations aren’t met, we feel disappointed. We may even miss the unexpected pleasures that were there all along.

I’m glad I didn’t let that happen last Saturday. I hadn’t seen the salmon or mountains I’d wanted to see, but I’d enjoyed a lovely walk and encountered wildlife and autumn beauty I might otherwise have overlooked.

And then, shortly before we boarded the bus to return home, the clouds around the Olympics began to lift. A few snowy peaks peeked through, giving me at least a partial view of the mountains after all.

Perhaps I’ll return to Carkeek Park in a couple of weeks, when the salmon run is underway, and I’ll look for them again. But I’ll try to remember that even if the fish aren’t running, there will be something else worth discovering along the way.

When have you had to wait to see something you wanted to see? And did you discover something unexpected while you waited?