SIng along with the Brady Bunch!

I've worked several weeks of 12-15 hours days without a break. My first chance at a day off was Monday. It was yukky and rainy. So I worked. Maybe I could take off Tuesday? Nope, yukky and rainy again. Since today looked like this...



...I found myself singing:

I think I'll go for a walk outside now
The summer sun's calling my name
(I hear you now)
I just can't stay inside all day
I gotta get out, get me some of those rays....

Wasn't Cindy cute in her little pigtails?

Anyway, I worked this morning and got some stuff done before I hit the trail. I was also waiting for it to warm up a bit. I'm not that hearty and 50 is cool in the shade. I knew my hike would be interrupted often by my runny nose. (It was.) I had 2 hours 45 minutes before I had to be a mom, so I went to visit some happy places.

They are a bit greener than they were 2-1/2 weeks ago.

Next week I hope to audition this place as another happy place. I didn't have enough time to get there and back today (it's another 75 minutes each way), but I'm checking the weather for next week already.

I met 5 people hiking today. That's unusually high, but I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed that the sun was shining.

The first two men shared my philosophy of hiking. (hint: I go out into the woods to be alone.) When we passed on the trail, there was a quick 'hello', no eye contact, and away we went. I was passed by two trail runners, so they had no time for conversation either.

The final young man was probably in high school or college and he stopped to chat. He asked about my trekking poles and I agreed that they were quite handy. He asked where I hiked to and I told him about the lake. He asked if the trail went to the next town over. I laughed and told him that the trail went to Georgia and that if he turned around and went the other way, he'd eventually hit Maine. He looked a little shocked. I sent him to the library to get information on the Appalachian Trail.

Today I did my part to educate the next generation.