A Sunday Walk at Hidden Haven

Is it really a walk when you're climbing mountains? When you're sweating? When you're huffing and puffing and would cry out for air, but you don't have any breath to do so?

I would call that a hike.

We got smart the last time that we visited my parents' house on the mountaintop; we brought walking shoes. We came prepared. Instead of expecting total relaxation, we expected to eat, hike and then keel over with exhaustion. That's exactly what we did.

Instructions for an enjoyable Sunday Hike.

First. Eat things with substance to provide energy for your hike.

Second. Get a good hiking buddy.

Aha. Oh yeah. Everybody needs a FURRY hiking buddy.

Third. Get a hiking buddy that can talk to you, instead of slobbering. That's my mountain man dad. He makes funny faces for the camera... in between going sooo much faster than us people like half his age and talking the entire time. I can't decide if he has more energy than the average person, or if he just has a better sense of personal drive. After this exhausting hike up and down mountains, over streams, across ridges and through the forest, he still had the energy to jog/run and race the dog up the lane. SAY WHAT? ...while I'm dragging my poor little body along dreaming of sitting down. And he is ENTIRELY TOO HAPPY WHILE HE DOES THESE THINGS. (ahahahaha) Fourth. Have a goal in mind. In our case, getting to the top of the next mountain. So we could look at lovely trees. Look at the view! (My parents' house is somewhere in this picture. Just look closely).

Fifth. Be entirely bested by the dog who never stops running ahead. Sixth. See pretty things along the way. Seventh. Hold hands with the best person ever.We returned to Hidden Haven (my parents' house) to fall over onto the couch, not to get up again for several hours... while eating ice cream and popcorn. And then relaxing in the very wonderful hot tub, which is pretty much the BEST. THING. EVER. after a hike.

The end.

Oh yes, and the moral of the story is that when my dad asks you, "do you wanna take a walk?" you should definitely say yes, because it's awesome fun.... but you should know --- this is actually a hike.