Taking Some Time Off

I had decreed that after the last of our company left (even though we enjoyed having them very much), I would take a week off and vegetate. Maybe stay up late at night quilting, sleep in in the morning, ignore the remaining work in the garden, read in the hammock (covered with a minimum of two quilts), etc., etc.

C flew back to California yesterday. I did spend the day canning my last batch of pickled beets and freezing eleven servings of beets, and taking care of a couple of other "must dos." So maybe I shouldn't count yesterday as the first day of my week off? Okay. I won't.

I definitely started today in a relaxing mode though. I woke at 4:30 for a bathroom stop and had a little trouble falling back asleep. I contemplated getting a jump start on my first real day "off" by getting up at 5, but finally fell back asleep . . . until nearly 8 o'clock!

Had a leisurely latte at the computer and then hubby and I decided to go for a hike. Drove down the road about 20 miles to a favorite spot of ours.

We were surprised to see the colors have changed as much as they have. The climb to the outlook that was our destination (above I'm at the very start of the trail) is pretty much straight up. These little, short, fat legs of mine demanded several rest stops but that made the climb tolerable . . . and not too painful. (Boy, do I have to get in shape for this winter's snowshoeing and skiing!)

Whadda view from the top. The lake is a popular one which has many year 'round as well as seasonal homes on it.

It may look like two lakes but the land in the middle is actually a peninsula sticking out into the lake.

Even though we got a little warm on the climb up, we were glad we'd dressed in layers because there was a cool, stiff breeze out on the overlook.

We were about halfway down the trail when my better half spied a much less used trail veering off from the main one. (If he had a tattoo, it would say, "Take the road less traveled.") He's always been a bushwhacker of the first degree so off we went to see where the unmarked trail would lead us.

The path got fainter and more overgrown the farther we went. We came to this tree fallen over the trail that was too high for me to clamber over and I would have had to crawl under it on all fours. No problem. Out of his well-equipped pack he carries everywhere, hubby produced a folding hand saw and removed the tree. (Or maybe his tattoo would say, "Be prepared.")

I had my doubts as to where this off-shoot trail would come out, but as usual hubby was right on and we were very close to where we had left our vehicle.

A stop on our way home for a late lunch at a funky, little mom and pop (actually a sister and sister) restaurant for their home cooked $5 lunch special, and we called it a fine outing.

This such a great time of year to be out and about!