Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Shunting The Shoulds

This year hubby and I are bound and determined to get out and take advantage of this absolutely best time of the year for hiking. For his forty-some year teaching career, we always felt we missed out on fully enjoying fall because it signaled the start of the school year and weekends were given to doing the maintenance and must dos around the homestead before winter set in.

But now we have no excuse for not getting out frequently in this prime hiking time. So balderdash, I say. Balderdash to all the lists of (never ending) jobs that should be done.

We went hiking this morning along a favorite and picturesque river near us.

There are several spots along the trail where you can see the water cascading down through the river gorge.

When we started out, especially down near the river, it was kinda chilly. But with the sun shining and the temperature rising, we were soon peeling off layers.

Looking down, down, down into the gorge.

Hubby on one of the sturdy bridges built over otherwise un-crossable areas.

Even though the river is extremely low because of our hot summer and lack of rainfall, there's still a lot of water pouring over these falls.

There are extensive trails (hiking, snowmobiling and cross country skiing) going off and away on both sides of the river (we went up one side and down the other) and we said we could literally spend every day until winter comes hiking, exploring and learning the whole area. Okay, so maybe we won't get back there every day. (The Responsibility Police would track us down, I just know.) But I sure wouldn't mind another hike or two in the area before the snow flies.

8 comments:

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Oh my gosh Mama...that is just beautiful! My jaw hit just thinking of having something like that to wander thru!

I am all for you and your balderdash! Get out there girl!!!

Cindy said...

I agree!! Get out there!! We will have lists until the day we die!! I volunteer at our local nursing home. I have never heard one resident say..Oh, I wish I could have finished cleaning my closets, or I wish I had spent more time doing the laundry or I wish I had spent more time washing my windows or I wish I had spent more time painting the siding. You know what they say...I wish I had spent more time with my kids or husband or wife, I wish we had taken that vacation, I wish I would have sat on the porchswing more often or watched more sunsets or read more books when I could see or taken those hikes when I could still walk......balderdash indeed!!

Anonymous said...

This looks heavenly Mama Pea! What a great way to spend a day!

Erin said...

I'm SO going to work"balderdash" into conversation with someone this week! The kids won't notice so I'll give my mom a whirl, but nothing surprises her when it comes to me.

What a wonderful way to spend the day, thanks to all your hard work filling that woodshed so early this year you may get to have a few more of those days without the Responsibility P.D. coming after you, they have bigger walleye to fry elsewhere (like my house!)

Mama Pea said...

Apple Pie Gal - One of the reasons we moved up here was that it was such a beautiful area to recreate in. 'Bout time we spent more time doing just that!

Cindy - A good reminder from your friends at the nursing home.

Stephanie - It was the perfect day in so many ways.

Erin - Like you don't work your little butt off 99% of the time! Next to you I feel like a lazy lout!

P.S. Use "balderdash" when you're really mad . . . in place of a bad word. That's what I do. Your kids will notice it then. ;o)

Lorie said...

Looked like a glorious day for a hike. How wonderful you have such a beautiful area to explore. I do so hope you can get out there a few more times before the snow hits.

Our kids hiked Old Rag in the Shenandoah's on Saturday. They too had a perfect day for it. I was home with 2 very sick animals. Maybe next time.

Susan said...

What a beautiful area you live in! (for the grammar police, "what a beautiful area in which you live!"). It is so easy to get bogged down in the details of the never-ending jobs and miss what's around you. Good for you!

Mama Pea said...

Lorie - I'm hoping those two sick animals are doing better now. Unfortunately, there are times when somebody has to stay home to hold things together.

Susan - Hubby and I are trying hard to change our habits so that we enjoy and appreciate more fully the "now" in life. Thanks for your encouragement.