Heck of a Mornin

Just got out of the shower and am gettin ready to head down to Charleston - a bit later than I expected, but it's been a fuller morning than I expected, so no worries there.

Oh, hot damn, the hike I went on earlier was epic. Well...maybe not epic, but it was pretty incredible. I'm trying to upload a video of it, but it doesn't seem to be working - especially not with dial-up. I'll put pictures up instead later on when I have a quicker connection down in Charleston.

I am so proud & glad that I took the morning and went on a hike with no one but Bob's dog Mia coming along with me. This kind of hike was something that I thought was out of the question last January when I was thinking a lot about the limitations of diabetes - but, I survived. It was a basic 2 hour hike up to the ridge and along the ridge to the natural gas pipeline cut back along and down the same ridge back to here.

Once I got up to the natural gas pipeline, I walked along that for a bit & eventually reached the other ridge. But - wasn't sure whether that was the right one and I hadn't packed enough food to potentially get lost so I just came right back along & down the ridge I had come up. Next time I'll pack a whole bunch of trail mix & get it measured out for a full meal and try out that other ridge. I should know how to get around this place and Mia's a helluva companion.

Dogs are pretty amazing - she just stays within 500 feet of me the whole time. Whether she's up the incline or down the incline, she keeps herself within hearing distance of the leaves crunching under my feet & the breaking underbrush I plowed/ducked my way through. At one point she got a smell of something, jogged off, looked at me (saying, "hey, stay here, I'll be back), and went down the incline for 5-10 minutes then came right back. So, I just sat down on a wet log, wrote in my journal, and waited until she got back. It was pretty incredible, dogs rock. Most of the time I wasn't sure who was leading who...she was in front then I was in front then she was in front looking back to check on me to make sure I hadn't collapsed then I was back in front. Good hiking buddy.

Didn't stay too much to the path - tried to- but was oftentmes climbing up 60 degree slopes it seemed like beating my way through the underbrush and fallen trees. I'm real glad I didn't get bit by a snake. There were nat gas/logging roads that I could walk on - but they would all of a sudden come to a big pile of fallen trees or there would be a trail that lead up the incline.

Before going on the hike, I gathered up some kindling for the next time I/other folks go in the hot tub, starting to run low on wood - gotta get more than we have.

So, all in all, great morning and great pace to head into Charleston for the movie...I think Viv Stockman is getting some folks together to see a reggae band at a bar in town - so I'll probably do that afterwards.

Hot damn & hittin the road!