Take a hike!

I mean that literally! In the previous post, I showed you pictures of the hike a friend and I took in one of our County Parks on Wednesday. It wasn't really planned. . . I sent her an e-mail scolding her for not posting on her blog in months. She wrote back and accepted blame and then asked me if I'd be interested in going on a hike the next day. That is like asking my dog if she wants a treat.

Now, two days later, I'm starting to realize the real benefits of that hike. We walked through open fields, along wooded paths, and past wildflowers. The woods were beautiful and a couple of times I just had to stop to take it all in. We came to a crossing of trails and she said, "If we go that way, it will add about a half hour or we can go this way and its much shorter." Without hesitation, I said, "Let's go the long way."

According to the app on her iPhone, we covered 4 miles in a peaceful setting. Then we were off to a nice little coffee shop where you can get all kinds of fresh made sandwiches and the like. "Ginger, do you really think we should go in looking like we do?" I had mud all over the bottom of my pants.

I got home a little before 9:00 pm. I've been dealing with tough issues over the past months and sometimes this really gets me down. My friends have been great in involving me in activities to distract me, like bicycling, hiking, sporting clays shooting, or just inviting me over for a visit. Just being out in the woods, away from the rat race of life, taking in the scenery really boosted my morale.

I'm convinced if you have friends who care and you find things to do that you enjoy, no problem is insurmountable.