5 - Mile Hike

My dear friend SL and I were able to get out on a long hike this past week.  My schedule finally opened up to where we had time to get out in the woods and hike for several hours.  She just celebrated her 75th birthday, but you would never know it by her vim and vigor for life!  We hiked together up hills, and as the trail wound around through the forest, we enjoyed the beautiful day, and sharing, and encouraging each other in the Lord.  She carried a pedometer for the hike, and I believe we hiked over 10,000 steps, or 5 miles!  Wow! It didn't seem like we walked that far, but in a little over 2 hours, we covered quite a bit of territory!

These beautiful purple phlox were growing everywhere - such a delight to see as we walked!

Today was a little cooler than it has been lately, with a nippy north breeze blowing.  As we walked, the breeze felt wonderful though, keeping us perfectly cool.

What beautiful views we saw as we walked!

I like to call this God's Exercise Gym - its free for the taking, and nothing better than a few hills and valleys to get your heart really pumping!

Soon we came to a little "mud hole" and my friend's dogs were sure happy about it! I didn't bring my dogs as they are not so good about obeying when other dogs are with us.

Daisy and Cheetah were so excited to finally get in the watering hole!

Sweet Cheetah is getting on up in years, and towards the end of the hike, she quietly panted behind us as we walked, I think she wore herself out in the beginning, and towards the end of the hike, she didn't run off chasing every little thing her nose drew her to, but kept close behind us.  

Our path meandered through the forest, and it was wonderful to see all the green shoots coming out on the trees and shrubs.

We finished up our hike and my friend's lovely crab apple tree was just putting out its flowers, and so I snapped a picture of its loveliness.  My friend and I enjoyed a nice cup of hot tea together, and some zucchini bread I had made earlier in the morning, and enjoyed visiting, and catching up on each other's lives.  It didn't seem that we had walked 5 miles as the hike had been so enjoyable, and she never took us "off road" once.  She likes to find paths through the forests that are less traveled, and usually we end up walking through some thorny bushes, or up a craggy hillside... but today, we just stayed on the path, and kept up a quick pace of walking.  I hope that when I am 75 that my health and physical condition are as good as hers!  5 miles may sound like a lot of steps - about 10,000 to be exact - but when you are sharing with each other about the Lord, it makes the time just fly by.  I am blessed to have SL as my friend, and look forward to more hikes quite soon!