Oh My Heavens...

Such sign love...and I want to thank each and every one of you!

Well, well...I walk.

Yes...that's what I seem to be doing a lot of lately.

Eat.
Walk.
Sleep.
Sweat.

And, this morning, I was up and early at Peavine before I turned my attention to some other million things I needed to squeeze into the day...hence the late post (good excuse eh?)

But first...the weekend in review...
Well, most of it anyway.

I got up early early on Saturday and walked the Peavine...deciding that I would attempt to do my full 8 all in one fell swoop, since I'd never gone that far on the trail...and had a great time! I also saw this teeny tiny horney toad...I was tired and a bit burnt on only one side of my neck from the sun, but over with my exercising by 10 AM (a good plus, if one wants to do things for the rest of the day...Unfortunately, I can't remember anything I did do)



Wait...I had lunch with Rich and watched a movie and just hung out...he'd been climbing earlier in The Dells, so we were both a bit tired and worn out from the sun...so, we called it an early night (which didn't stop me from connecting with a new friend I've made through Rich...) We're kind of like Internet soul-pals...and had no problem talking for about 2 and a half hours! (As a matter of fact, I received a package from her today...but, I will share that later!)

Then...it was off to bed for me.

I would like to say it was an early night, but it wasn't near enough early for the 5:45 wake-up call I got from Rich...who'd been up earlier than that...




All excited to go to The Promised Land...a place he'd found earlier last week, and one I'd been begging to go to with him...so, I got my wish. I threw some hiking stuff on, and off I went...

It's quite a jaunt out to the middle of nowhere (also known as Chino Valley) hanging a left at that cool old windmill, on which a rather large hawk landed on for us to photograph him...









He's been wanting to go back as well only not alone (cause' the last time he was there? There was some guy with a gun hunting a mountain lion he happened to see, or something like that) so it worked out well for both of us...

There apparently has been a bunch of mountain lion activity lately all over...although in the 27 years I've lived here...I've never seen one, but no matter, we figured we'd be safer in a pair...as Rich says, "you only have to be able to outrun the person you're hiking with"

um, yeah...






Well...when we got down to the trail, we were surprised by tons of running water...actual water, that was so loud in some places, we had to raise our voices to be heard...

I had worn my Chaco hiking sandals, totally forgetting that Rich had said that the rocks were super smooth and the soles didn't stick well to them...picture me ice skating on sand, mud and rocks...but, there was so much water, he'd wished he'd have brought his so that we could have hiked further in...using the middle of the creek as a trail. Perhaps next time?







And there he is...our fearless leader...desperately trying to point out some bolts and chains for the climbing routes to me...I was just trying to snap his picture, while looking for the chains...

We stop to photograph a lot, which is super fun (and may I say once again...that the second picture on his post of that day is my absolute favorite one ever! There is something that totally speaks to me with the rushing and somewhat calm water with the rocks dividing the whole thing...and I'm wanting a large copy to hang up at Chez Foolsewoode) sometimes Rich takes a million more pictures than I do...which causes me to wander aimlessly off, and listen for his voice to come drifting to my ears, "Sadira? Where are you?"



I scoped out this tiny cutie frog on our journey back to the car, he has the sweetest stripey legs...it looks like the Alice In Wonderland of cutie frogs! Rich also scoped out what looked like a raven/crow...which was the question that came out of his mouth. My answer...

"No, it's a vulture"

Shudder.

We both got super creeped out and kept glancing behind and above just in case it had some sort of predictive powers, and there was a mountain lion lurking...Needless to say, we were done by 10 AM, and I came home to nap.

Um, Yeah...

But...that's a story for a different day this week...