Blog for September 28th, 2026
Best Hike Ever!
This weekend we had another adventurous, fun weekend. We went to the mountains to meet up with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson with his girlfriend. They were camping, but we had a hotel room. That’s how we are these days, our camping days are over, but not our fun times. We would go hang out and camp and then go back to sleep, shower and use a real toilet in the evenings.
On Saturday we all went for a hike in the mountains, when I say mountains, it was over 8000 feet! But the day was so beautiful, and the trees were changing amazing colors that were so vibrant and incredible. Yellows, orange, different shades of green, red, pink and all in this majestic setting of these mountains that reached past the clouds at times. The rocky spirals and rolling forest trees down the side of the mountain were breathtaking.
They were all such a fun and lively bunch, and we laughed, talked, joked and even sang at times. My soul was soaring to be in these mountains; it’s been too long since I hiked there last or anywhere really. We seen remnants of old gold mines and camps up in there. I was thanking my God, a lot and just enjoying being with my family in the sunshine and God’s country. I had just told my son-in-law how much fun I was having and what a great day it was when about five minutes later, a bee stung me! And I mean stung me good!
I flicked him off pretty quick so the stinger did not get deep into my skin, it was my forearm. But boy did that hurt. It not only hurt, it brought me back down to earth and reminded me that nothing is perfect. Because I was having a perfectly beautiful day and thanking God for it. It’s like the evil one wanted to cause me some pain so that I didn’t have a great a time as I was. But guess what? I did anyway, even through the pain.
I refuse to let the evil one steal my joy, especially in the moment. I did a little deep breathing and quiet prayer and headed down the mountain. We did not have any kind of first aid with us so I got a move on. I asked my daughter to pray about my arm and she put her hand gently on my arm and prayed as we continued to walk down the trail. I do believe her prayer worked, yay.
When I got down the mountain back to the parking area my husband was there waiting, yay! My daughter gave me an antihistamine, and I continued to enjoy my day. It was great. I drove me and my husband up higher on the mountain to look at the beautiful colors of the trees and reminisce on some of his old fishing spots and camping spots. He would say, “me and the grandson stayed at that camp” then up the road, he’d say it again and again. He knows those mountains and all the best fishing spots like the back of his hand. He is amazing.
However, he cannot do that anymore due to his COPD and not being able to breathe up there, we just drive while he keeps his oxygen on him and I’m happy to say his brand new portable oxygen machine came just in time for us to take this trip. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the drive, the colors, the fishing spots and watching other people out there enjoying it now like he did for so many years. He used to take our oldest grandson fishing up there a lot as he was growing up and tell our grandson that those are his mountains, and indeed, it seemed like it to me. Until one day, he told our grandson, “these are your mountains now”. He showed the boy all over those mountains and so passed on the joy and love of the great outdoors in these beautiful mountains.
And you’ll never guess what, that grandson lives on the foothills of a part of that 400-mile mountain range with his wife and kids now. I told my husband, he found a place where he can keep an eye on his gift from my husband, a gift from God to be sure. This makes me cry.
We also did a drive by on a little café high up on a mountain lake that he and I went to about forty-two years ago, it was my first time there, my first time camping with him in the little two-man pup tent he had made and the first time I went somewhere without drugs for three days. I was detoxing. Not on purpose but it was strange to me to be clean, not even a beer to be found! I had hot chocolate in that little café, I was freezing on the lake by glaciers, about ten thousand feet elevation.
I stopped the car by the café, and we talked about that day, it made me cry. The memories, the love, the realizations and the unknowing about what the future was to hold for us and our family. The grandson that he gave those mountains to wasn’t even born yet, it’d be eleven years later when he was born and another sixteen before he handed them off to our grandson. That boy has never ever seen us drunk or loaded. Just hiking and fishing, loving each other and loving him and all our grandkids, he is the oldest, he is a doctor now, God is good.
Yes, my heart was soaring this weekend, even with the bee sting and the fifty plus bikers at the restaurant we went to for breakfast, lol. I am familiar with this particular bike club, kind of grew up with them. I was even happy to see them in a way, and I almost said something but didn’t. Just smiled and said “morn’n”. We are no strangers to notorious outlaw biker clubs. I’m still just weird enough that the familiarity brings me comfort and feeling of protection. Humm, what’s up with that? Lol
I am so grateful for the last couple of weekends, a recovery convention last weekend and family time this weekend in one of the most beautiful places on the planet filled with love and laughter with my family, it doesn’t get any better than that, even with a stupid bee sting.
Question of the Week: Do you enjoy doing outdoors adventures with your family?
