Catching Up

Somehow, I've managed to get out of my loop.  It wasn't intentional, but life happens. The difference between now and this time last year is that I just need to shrug my shoulders and get back in the saddle. No biggie....this is my life now.  Not just a fad.  That makes all the difference.

There are going to be bad days and bad weeks and crazy stuff is always going to happen.  But if our good days and good weeks and non-crazy stuff outnumbers it, then we will still come out ok in the long run.  I need to focus on that.

My last run was last Tuesday.  I did not get to run on Wednesday, and I only got a walk in on Thursday, due to last-minute plans cropping up. Friday, I was out sick, and stayed around the house. My daughter and her SO came up for a weekend visit that night, and we had a great time.  Saturday morning was beautiful, although pretty nippy temp-wise.  We headed up to explore the Iron Mountain trail, and it was every bit as beautiful as we thought it would be. 

Athough there are still a good many leaves on the trees, you can tell that when they drop the view is going to be ridiculous.  And as much as I've been complaining that the leaves this year are not as colorful as last year, the trees mocked me with their beauty.  Every color of the rainbow was present. It's God's way of teaching me patience, I think.  If I just give it more time, the colors will emerge, and they will probably wind up blowing last year's color display away.

The trail itself seems to be very maintained. Although not a part of the Appalachian Trail, it's actually wider and more accessible than many parts of the AT.  I believe it's being maintained by the Parks Service, but I couldn't swear to it.  It's steep in places, but not terribly so, and other than dead leaves, very clear.  Jessica and Nick loved it, and took time to stop and take many beautiful shots of the views...and each other. The boys seemed to love it too...but then, they've never met a trail they didn't love.

We wound up hiking in about a mile, until we came to a really beautiful overlook that someone had cleared.  We stopped there to take pics and just soak in the amazing view of the valley below.  There was actually a valley on both sides... Doe Valley can be seen in these pics.  We could get peeks of Shady Valley, but the leaves haven't fallen enough for a clear view.  Had we gone a bit further, I'm sure we might have gotten a better look, but with so many hiking newbies along, we all thought it best to turn around after a mile. 

The hike back out to the car was just as beautiful as the hike in had been. We watched some chipmunks playing and laughed at the boys' frustration at not being able to get to them.  We strolled hand in hand while the birds sang overhead, and marveled at the gigantic rhododendron tunnels that formed archways around us.  We enjoyed nature, and we enjoyed each other's company immensely.  There's nothing better.

The kids left to go home on Sunday,I was off again on Monday, and worked late yesterday.  I haven't run since last Tuesday, and I've eaten a lot of stuff since then that I probably shouldn't have.  I'm sure the scale will let me know it tomorrow, but today, I'm back on track...with my food, and my plan.  I have a run scheduled for this afternoon that I'm very much looking forward to.  And regardless of what the scale tells me tomorrow, I know that I will reach my goal. In the meantime, life is happening around me....and I am enjoying it.

...isn't that what it's all about?

What about you? How was your weekend? Did you do anything amazing?  Have the trees started turning where you live?  Tell me about it!