Taking a Hike

The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.  ~Jacqueline Schiff

As a nation we are dedicated to keeping physically fit - and parking as close to the stadium as possible.  ~Bill Vaughan

Heart Mountain

     I was about 5 years old when I had my first memorable experience with being outdoors.  My sister and I were both wearing soft flannel pajamas, and sitting on Dad's knee by a campfire.  That night we crawled into sleeping bags in the back of a big, black, truck with red painted side boards and a tarp stretched across it. We were surrounded by friends and fell asleep listening to the soft murmur of their voices. 

 One day, when I was maybe 10 years old, Dad decided to take my sister and me hiking up to one of his favorite places, Smith's Lake.  I don't think I had much experience with hiking because I remember having a rough time of it going up the trail, and I  complained a lot about how far it was and how tired I was, and how hot.  My dad probably isn't really known for his patience, but he let me take rests, although he would not agree to turning back.  So we went on, and on, and on.  I don't remember how far the trip was, but when we got above the tree line, where it was just a huge pile of rocks and no trail, it was a whole new challenge for me.  

         I was nervous about my feet slipping on the rocks and falling and there were no branches to hold on to, just rocks everywhere I looked.  Dad wasn't one to let us quit what we'd started, and my case of nerves didn't phase him a bit.  On we went, slowly making our way over the rocks. I felt like I was on top of the world with nothing to hang on to.  Dad didn't get exasperated but he did point out that the shoes I was wearing, tennis shoes, were safer than the ones he had on, logging boots, as he always wore,  because mine had more grip on the soles.  That did increase my confidence, and I felt a little more sure footed than I had before.  

            Then we got to the top, and we stood together looking down into a pretty little lake in a bowl made of mountains.  The water was deeply blue and encircled by a shoreline of  rough, white granite rocks and evergreen trees in bright summer shades.  I understood what I would have missed if I'd gotten my way and we had turned back.    

Dads don't have a lot of time to spend with their kids because they're so busy making sure

they are well provided for, so maybe that's why important lessons that last through life are learned in those moments when you're standing beside your dad.  It was all down hill from there, and much easier, and the trip down to the lake seemed light, quick,  and fun.  My fears were conquered.

           Interesting to me that after years of leading my sister about on various adventures, I have learned that she doesn't enjoy it nearly as much as I do.  She is afraid of stepping across a creek on stones, she's not interested in taking the kids sledding, although we spent hours together doing those things.  While I wanted to run home after school, it made her side ache. How she put up with me all those years growing up, following me without question, is a mystery to me.

                Adventures to the old gold mine were another annual excursion, and I led a few expeditions there, until rotten, wood timbers made it scary enough that safety really was an issue.  Haven't been there in years.

       Because I've  had that taste of conquering fear, I know that as long as you're prepared for your journey,  it's usually worth it. If it takes some encouragement to get  kids out of their comfort zone, that just means they're going to have a more memorable experience.  Once they've done it, they're usually hooked, as I was.  Hooked on breathing pine-scented mountain air, on listening to the gurgle of a stream, on getting a good grip on a strong branch and scrambling up a steep slope, hooked on being in motion.



      

Snow storm

A pessimist only sees the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; 

a philosopher sees both sides and shrugs;
an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all -
he's walking on them.
-  Leonard L. Levinson

Whiskers

Neighbors

Drifting

Crunchy

Wind.  Didn't break, though.

 

             Saturday, a cold, windy day.  Thirty-eight degrees felt like maybe ten degrees.  I went to town to meet Jerry for lunch, thinking I would clean the rental oven while I was there.  I didn't wear both layers of my jacket, since I thought I wouldn't be out in the weather much.  Mistake.  Of course he would need me to hold the window in place while he fitted it in the opening.  Of course he would need me to hold the shims in place while he put in the screws.   And of course I would feel guilty about being unprepared when he's outside installing three new windows in freezing weather.  And of course I was relieved when he said  I could go home and warm up.  Sigh. And of course I let him warm his hands on me when he doesn't wear gloves.  Because after reading All Things Bright and Beautiful you understand that this is what good wives do.

March, in like a lamb?