The Hike

An alternative title for this post could be "Our Anniversity, Part 2."

We still liked the idea of the hike, so we decided that Jon would take Wednesday morning off from work to make it happen. We packed a lunch, our camera, water, and sunscreen, and drove across town to the base of the mountains. It was only a 20 minute drive, but on the way there, Zephyr started expressing displeasure at being in the car for so long. This didn't bode well for our then forthcoming trip to Denver.

Jubilee is happier than she looks

We didn't have any big goals. Although Jon and I both want to give our kids plenty of time in nature, we don't actually make it out to a trail head with any frequency. We spend plenty of time outdoors exploring the ditch at the end of our street, several parks, and the backyard, but I think the idea of driving somewhere to experience nature just doesn't appeal. Plus, Jubilee is just 2 1/2 today. She can't hike very far, yet she's heavy enough that carrying her a great distance is uncomfortable. As an afterthought, we grabbed our trusty sling, which had been hanging vacant on the coat rack for at least a year. It came in handy.
We walked at a leisurely pace for about an hour, then found a shady spot for "lunch," although it was only about 10:30. I guess it was more like "second breakfast."

Or maybe it was just cookies?

We watched ants carrying off wayward noodles, enjoying the quietness of being far away from traffic and distractions. On the trek back down, Zephyr made a new friend.

Can you spot the lizard?

Our favorite moment on the hike passed too rapidly for picture taking. Zephyr was the first to spot a doe watching us hesitantly, trying to decide if she would cross the trail in front of us. We froze in wonder. What a delight to watch her bound away up the mountain, in quick grace.

We told ourselves we wouldn't wait so long before going on another nature trek. Once a month seems like a reasonable goal. Overall, we were surprised at how well the kids did. Yes, Jubi needed to be carried some of the way, but no one cried, whined, or complained on our hike. I haven't read that book about Nature Deficiency Syndrome, but I think it's intuitive that being outdoors is healthy and calming. Jon and I both grew up in far greener places, but the desert has a beauty all its own.

Besides, there's a whole lot of other lizards waiting to meet us.