H.A. Larson's Blog, page 11

The Future is Always Uncertain

 

In life, the future is always uncertain. Stock markets, relationships, jobs, kids, even our own demise, can never be predicted with certainty. Sometimes we can come close to figuring it all out but, for the most part, we just don't know.
This brings me to the point of this post: my writing and blogging life are, like everything else, uncertain. There's a part of me that thinks that I will eventually get back into the swing of it all, but I'm starting to understand differently. Like I mentioned a few posts back, I thought I was being lazy - but that's just not the case. I'm more productive now than I have ever been, yet my writing has taken a backseat to everything else going on in my life.
More than that, I think I just don't have the fire for it anymore. When I first began writing books and blogging, it was like a compulsion. It was the first thing I thought about every day and I would start every day by writing on my books and thinking about blog posts. 
After I went through a rough few years in my personal life, I practically quit altogether. I figured once the dust settled, I would eventually get back into my old routine. But, you know what, I haven't. So, what has changed? Simply put, I just don't seem to have the fire for it anymore. I'm not a writer anymore - or at least not in the way I used to be. Sure, I still enjoy writing blog posts here and there, but I find myself unable to sit down and put them together like I once did. 
Instead, my life is on a different path than when I first started this journey. I'm older, I'm almost an empty-nester, I'm single and loving it, I'm working towards financial independence, and I'm going to buy a house early next year. On top of that, I have big plans for the next few years and it takes much of my spare time to plan and prepare for these things. 
It's evident that I have moved on from my past and am moving towards my future. There's not a damn thing wrong with that, but it's just different than what it was. I can also say with certainty that my life is very fulfilling as it is, and I'm enjoying the ride more than I ever have.
So, will I give up writing completely...well, I already have for the most part. What I enjoy, and will still do, is write here on my blog, but...it will be when I feel like blogging and not on any set schedule.
I'm grateful to all of you who've stuck by me all these years by buying my books, subscribing and reading my newsletters, and following my life as it unfolded here on my blog. You will still be able to follow my life as it unfolds on the blog - it just won't be happening as often. As for writing stories and books, will I ever write those again? Who knows? I know I sure don't. But, if I do, you'll be the first to know.

I hope you're having a fantastic weekend, friends. I'll be posting here again, I just can't tell you exactly when.


Sincerely, H.A.

I Live on the Poverty Line...but You'd Never Know It

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Before I begin, I need to say a couple of things:

1. I make more than the poverty level. Before taxes and other deductions, I make a little over double the poverty level for my state.

2. This post is not an attempt - in any way, shape, or form - to belittle or lessen the people who live in poverty. Poverty is a real issue with real consequences, so please don't take this as me trying to condescend to anyone in poverty about ways they can just not be poor anymore.

3. This post is strictly informational and describes my own personal situation.

My daughter and I live on the poverty line. It's true. We live on $16,800.12 per year and in our state of Nebraska, poverty for a single parent with one child is $17,308.00. This figure is what I pay, combined, for rent, utilities, food, car payment, gas for my car, car insurance, phone bill, household supplies, internet service, and even a YouTube Premium subscription.

It wasn't my intention to live "in poverty", but rather my intention was, and still is, to live as frugally as possible while still living a good life. Living a good life for me means living without fear of losing my housing, not worrying about where my next meal is coming from, never fearing my electricity will get shut off, and being able to provide the things my daughter and I need - like clothes, toiletries, and the like. Does this mean we never have fun? Absolutely not, I'm always doing something fun or adventurous...but I tend to do them all in the same frugal manner I do with the rest of my life. 

The truth is, I spent most of my adult life making and living on the actual poverty line and I'm not ashamed to say that I relied on food stamps and Medicaid for my children for a few years. It was during those incredibly lean years that I learned all the frugal habits that helped us get by on such little money. Back then, it was necessary for our survival as the real fear that even the smallest of problems could make our situation most dire.

As I started making more money, those habits never left me, and neither did my fear that I could be that impoverished again at any point in my future. Now that I make more money, I still live on the same amount of money that I have become accustomed to. However, I can now invest in my future and squirrel away cash, food, and supplies in the event I should ever lose my income.

When people see how nice my home is, my new car, how I'm able to travel (whether far or near), and how I go out to eat with friends once or twice a month, they think I'm well off. They'd never guess that I was living in "poverty". 

I spent months searching for the perfect place to live that fit in my budget and my patience paid off. I shopped for cars for months as well, saving a down payment, figuring out my budget, and deciding how much I could pay each month. I do credit card churning, which allows me to travel - often for little out-of-pocket expense. I can also travel cheaply often because of where I travel and I've mastered the art of taking a Day Trip. Because of my frugality, I can meet with friends a few times a month for a nice meal and drinks - not daily or weekly - which I can afford on the money I have left after paying my expenses and putting away money in my emergency fund/investments.

I rarely spend money on things that aren't needed which allows me to purchase wanted items a few times a year - within reason. I understand the power and danger that comes with a consumer lifestyle, which is a pitfall for so many people. Sure, there are lots of things I'd love to do and things I'd love to buy, but I envision my future and any scenarios that would put me in a bind, and use that to curb impulsiveness.

That doesn't mean I want to sacrifice having a nice life...and I haven't.

I'm off for a weekend of adventure visiting a friend for some good conversation, good food, and plenty of hiking. See you next week!

December's Seasonal Fun

Another week begins and I completely forgot to post this blog entry this weekend, even though it was ready. Admittedly, I had a busy weekend mixed with a lazy weekend - if that's a thing, and if it's not, well, it is now! Anyway, back in December, when I finally got in the holiday spirit, I attended some fun holiday events. Let's take a look.



Here in Omaha, we have a good-sized German descendent population. They even have their own event space called the German-American Society (GAS). This space is a large building composed of two adjoining buildings and a large basement. In addition to their yearly Oktoberfest, they also have Christmas in Germany early in December. While I've been to Christmas in Germany before, this was the first time I went alone (i.e. without children) and I met up with my friends Keith and Maggie.



The GAS has its own bar and since the lines can get long, the first thing I did was get in there as quickly as I could. I picked up a German beer and since it was German Christmas around there, some gluhwein. Gluhwein, if you don't know what that is, is a mulled wine. Spices like cinnamon, clove, star anise, orange, and sugar are added, while liquor is added for good measure - in this case, I believe the gentleman said brandy, and the whole thing is warmed up. You can get red gluhwein or white gluhwein and I opted for the red. This stuff is powerful, though, so one glass was all I needed!
Besides the drinks, they serve a bevy of traditional foods but, in my experience (and it was just as true this time around) the line for food is ridiculous so I ate before I left. 



The beer hall in GAS is beautiful and traditionally German in architecture. The walls are adorned with the flags and coat of arms for all sixteen states of the country. In the balcony area up top there, is where a polka band plays. I mean, no German celebration is complete without a polka band!



Christmas in Germany has a host of events to entertain you throughout the day, one being a small men's choir singing traditional German songs...in German, of course.



The aforementioned signs above the bar or "Stein Raum" and a flag for the GAS itself, established in 1890.



While Keith held our spots at our table upstairs, Maggie and I went down to the basement to peruse the German Christmas Market going on down there. True to form, the market hosts a bevy of artists making traditional handmade gifts.



We made it back upstairs in time to watch traditional German dancing!



Opa!



After the dancing, a mixed choir sang some more traditional German songs. After that, it was time for the polka band to play and attendees, full of food and drink, danced the day away. Maggie left first, leaving Keith and I retire into the tucked away, more private room at the back of the bar where I had one more beer for the road.



Right by the exit are some old patches of German states. Considering the number here, I don't believe all of them are states anymore.



A couple of weeks later, on a crisp cool evening after work, I wanted to get down to Fontanelle Forest for their Winter Wonderland event. This yearly event lasts a week and sees the Forest open a few hours later each evening in order for working folks to make it to said events. I grabbed my usual partner in fun, Rebecca, and headed down on a Thursday night.



They were serving hot chocolate and had a kid's band playing Christmas music. The great hall was decorated with all kinds of Christmas trees and it was quite beautiful to see the kids play amongst it all.



I have a membership to the Forest (mainly because they also own my beloved Neale Woods) and I hike here quite often. In addition to the miles of trail within its borders, they have a mile of boardwalk as well for those not wanting to hike. The first section of it makes a circle around an outdoor children's area and it was this section that they decorated with Christmas lights. Rebecca and I stole away with our hot chocolate to admire it.









I snapped this picture of the nature center as we walked back up to it, and the lights on the trees made a cool lighting effect on my photo.






After our short walk, we came back in to check out all the trees and other decor in the great hall.



In a room adjoining the great hall, they have some small animals in cages and some art on the walls. I thought this one was particularly interesting. This event held by the Nebraska Audubon Society in 1916 looks like fun!



After we left the Forest, we headed over to the GI Forum (not my photo, obviously). It's a Mexican-American VFW that serves Mexican food and has a full bar. It was Taco Thursday and I got tacos, a few beers, and a few tacos to take home to my daughter - with tip, it came to $20 even. Now that's a bargain! 



I only have a few more posts before I'm finally caught up with old posts from last year. I hope you have a great week and stay warm!


 

Things I'm Into Lately

 

Now that I have a home that I love, I've been enjoying the time that I spend there. Sure, I like to get out and about as often as I can, but in the evenings, either after work or after a day of adventuring, I make the most out of my time at home. For me, this has been an adventure of another kind: rediscovering things I love.


Cooking
I already dedicated an entire post to this so I won't go into detail, but I've gotten back into the groove of cooking. It's incredibly easy to be lazy so getting my butt into the kitchen and making a real meal every night (well, most nights anyway) has been great. More than that, I'm finding it to be therapeutic - a way to unwind from a day at work and reconnect to my home life.


Reading
When I was young, I was a voracious reader, consuming books like a madwoman. The older I got, the less I read until I, truthfully, went a handful of years without really reading anything - shocking, I know, considering I'm a writer. Slowly but surely, however, I've been getting back into it. It was a sense of accomplishment to actually read and finish an entire book! Lately, I'm mainly reading books about the Appalachian Trail as I prepare for my big trip. Of course, reading books in these cold weather months means...


Tea
I love tea, particularly herbal tea, and every winter, I'll have a day or two when I drink it. After moving, I was able to take stock of just how much tea I had and organize it all. I have to say, it's pretty impressive. I have a good three or four loose leaf teas and several boxes of different flavors of bagged tea. I run water through my coffee pot (no coffee grounds of course) so my daughter and I can make ourselves a few cups of tea. 


Old Radio Programs
When I was growing up, my dad was not a fan of television so we never had one. Instead, we listened to music and radio programs. I was perusing YouTube one day and a recommended video opened me back up to that world. Some clever people out there have taken old radio programs, put cool background images on them, and posted them for all to enjoy. I've been listening to old scary radio serials with Peter Lorre in them and old favorites like Dragnet, and they're fantastic. So much fun and it brings me back to my childhood!


As you can imagine, my evenings often look like this: I make dinner, we eat, and then I clean up. I then either put on a fireplace video on my tv, sip on some tea, and read a book while snuggled under a blanket, OR I put on an old radio program and sip on some tea while snuggled under a blanket. I can't think of a better way to enjoy my evenings and leave the world behind. I think my Winter is booked - at least as far as home is concerned.

If you're interested in the old radio programs, you can do a search for just that on YouTube. My personal favorites are The Late Late Horror Show and Old Time Radio Archive. 

Have a great week!

Miles and Miles

Back in April of 2018, prompted by a need to get healthier and get some regular exercise, I started keeping track of the steps/miles I walked every day. At the time, I had an old step counter watch thingy that my dad had given me. A few months into it, I got myself a little, blank notebook from the dollar store to log all these miles in.




Fast forward to today, and I was able to fill in the entire notebook, using that inside back cover to finish the last month of 2021. I thought, then, that it was only fitting that I tally all the miles up over the time that I've been logging in my little notebook.




Here are the stats:
2018 : My total mileage this year was 838.08. The reason I logged so few miles compared to the following years is that I didn't start logging my miles until April of that year.
2019 : I walked and hiked 1,247.89 miles. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself! 
2020 : I only got a few more miles in this year at 1,250.90 miles. Not really a surprise as this wasn't a good year for me, something you know all too well.
2021 : I logged a total of 1,318.12 miles! I'm surprised that this was my highest mileage year as I was the least healthy and most out of shape I was out of all the other years. I did manage to rebound the last few months of the year, putting forth the effort and getting back out there. It was also surprising as I tore the meniscus in my right knee rendering me unable to do much walking for a long time. Somehow, though, I still managed to end the year strong. 

Now that my little notebook is completely filled, I'm not logging my hours anymore. Well, that's not entirely true but I'll save that for a post I plan on putting up more towards the middle of the year. I will miss my nifty little space notebook but I'm glad I used it to log all those miles. Looking at it now fills me with inspiration. We'll see how this year goes!
Have a great weekend friends and, if you can, get out and take a walk.

-H.A.










 

An Afternoon in Brownville, Nebraska

Brownville, NE, circa 1907. 

Brownville, Nebraska, is a small town in the far southeastern part of the state. Once the largest town in the Nebraska Territory, with a population of 1,309 in 1880, it was an important port as goods made their way up the nearby Missouri River on riverboats. After the railroad system was built, the town became useless as a port town - as was so often the case in history. The town now boasts a much smaller population of 132 but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in historical significance, quaintness, and a host of interesting events throughout the year. During the week, it's a sleepy, bucolic village, but on the weekends, especially during the warmer months, this town comes to life.
I have visited Brownville one time, a handful of years ago, but it was during the week and it was like visiting a ghost town. I vowed then to come back one day to properly see and do all the neat things there are to see and do here on the weekend. So, one Autumn afternoon, I returned with my daughter and my BFF, Keith.



This handy map details where everything of note is. As you can see, it is quite a small town.


The map was handily outside of Whiskey Run Creek Winery - our first stop. It was a gorgeous day so we took our wine outside to sit and enjoy - after all, Fall just doesn't last long enough so take it in while you can, right?






A view of the inside of the winery.



After a few glasses of wine, we headed out to see some of the museums before they closed for the day. Unfortunately, they all seemed to close early and I was once again foiled in my attempts to visit the interesting places of Brownville! We found this out as we attempted to stop at the Flatwater Folk Art Museum. Next time!



This metal sculpture sat outside of the Flatwater Museum. Try as I might, however, I was unable to find out any information about the sculpture.



After this, we drove up onto the hill above the town to Capitol Square Park to have a snack - which I packed myself, of course. From its vantage point on the aforementioned hill, I afforded us a nice view.



Since we were unable to visit the merchants and businesses of Brownville, I decided to drive over to Indian Cave State Park. It wasn't far away and I figured it would be the perfect day to take a drive through it. The cave is currently closed so that was a bummer, but it didn't deter us.



There's a long, one-way drive that weaves around the park and its attractions.



The first attraction is the Old Town of St. Deroin. It's the first time, of the handful of times I've been here, that I actually stopped to check out St. Deroin.



It's a ghost town that grew up around a trading post and was named after the trader in question, Joseph Deroin. Formally charted in 1854, it had a popular ferry crossing over the Missouri River until the river changed course. After a few more tragic events, it was eventually abandoned and taken over by Nebraska Game and Parks.



Today, only two buildings and the old half-breed cemetery survive. One of the buildings is the Broom Maker's shop.









The other building is the old schoolhouse.






After leaving the Old Town and cemetery, we continued on the road to my second-favorite spot (besides the temporarily-closed cave): the Overlook. The view here is fantastic! 



I've mentioned this before, but living near the Missouri River for most of my life means I have no shortage of Lewis & Clark information within a short drive. 



Ahhh, Autumn in all her glory...



...while the Mighty Missouri River snakes its way through the lush landscape.

This was a great way to spend a lazy, Sunday afternoon. It's only about an hour's drive from Omaha and there are plenty of things to do. I swear, though, that when the weather warms up this Spring (or maybe Summer, we'll see) I'm going to get down to Brownville and finally visit all their museums and shops. Hopefully, the cave in Indian Cave State Park will be open and I'll make my way down here again, as well.






        
 

Day Trip to Yankton, South Dakota

 Believe it or not, I labeled this post for later writing in mid-October of last year. By the way, it still feels weird to say last year when last year was literally just days ago. Anyway, like I mentioned in my last post, I have posts that need to be finished and I'm going to finish them, damnit. I'm not a quitter! Well, maybe sometimes I am, but I try hard not to be but, alas, I digress.

Back in July of last year, I bought a much-needed and eagerly-anticipated new car. My old car wasn't road-worthy anymore and so traveling outside of the confines of my city just wasn't something I could do. All that changed with the new car and after I acquired it, one of the first trips I made was to visit my dad. Dad, like me, loves to get out for adventures both big and small, and we are both a sucker for a day trip. It came to be, then, that we spent a day in Yankton, South Dakota.

Our first stop was the Lewis & Clark Visitor's Center at Gavins Point Dam. If there's anything I know after living on or near the Missouri River most of my life, it's that there is no shortage of Lewis & Clark waypoints along its banks. This particular one sits on Calumet Bluff, affording one excellent views of the Dam and the River.



The inside of the visitor's center isn't terribly exciting and is more set up for young kids - having had young kids once upon a time, this is a great thing...if you have young kids. Still, there were some informative tidbits here and there but I found this piece of history particularly interesting.



As you can see, it's the actual speech handwritten by Captain Meriwether Lewis during his travels up the mighty Missouri River. This one he wrote to address the Yankton Sioux Tribe.



Of course, the main feature of the visitor's center is to educate and give fantastic views of Gavins Point Dam. There are a few viewing decks on the bluff side of the Visitor's Center, and this diagram helps you to know exactly what you're looking at.



The actual dam. This dam was built in 1957 by the Army Corps of Engineers with the express purpose of conserving, controlling, and using the water resources of the River.



A view from the deck in the other direction.



A more expanded view. Just to the west of the dam, the river has been impounded into Lewis & Clark Lake, while to the east of the dam is the much-smaller Lake Yankton.



After our time at the Visitor's Center, we made our way over to the other end of the Dam where we could see where we had just been. 



There are a few of these long, metal staircases that will take you down to the manmade, rocky shore.



A view of said shore down to the Dam. After this, we made a brief stop just a short trip down the road to see Lake Yankton. It had a small roadside park and a trail that goes around at least part of it. 



Our next stop was at the Meridian Bridge. Built in 1924, it's a double-decker bridge that was designed for car traffic up top, train traffic below, and an expanding portion of the bridge that would allow for riverboats to pass under it with ease. However, the train rails were never constructed so for many years it was a bridge for cars with traffic moving in a one-way manner. The importance of the bridge, and why it was built in the first place, was to allow people and goods to easily move between Nebraska and South Dakota. 
Today, it's a unique piece of history that was closed as a vehicle bridge and was reborn as a pedestrian bridge. It's 0.57 miles each way, making the round-trip 1.14 miles. My dad, my daughter, and I decided to walk the entire thing.



We started on the lower half.



Along the way are some interesting pieces of art.



The art seemed to encompass artists from the two states the bridge connects: Nebraska and South Dakota. This article talks more about the artist, this piece, and another piece he created for the town.



This plaque, placed between art, gives good information about the bridge's history.



After walking a little way, the trail moves directly under the top portion. It's a neat perspective to see in person.



While the lamps that adorn the bridge look old, they are definitely much more modern. They just look older and I think that's cool.



Have you ever heard of the Pont des Arts? It's a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine in Paris that people would put locks on the prove their love for one another symbolizing the unbreakable nature of it. While it's now forbidden by law to put locks on the Pont des Arts, you can still put a lock on the Meridian Bridge. The locks can also symbolize good luck, so here my daughter attaches one.



After meandering the bottom section, we finally made it to the top section.



The top portion of the bridge really allows you to see for miles. This bridge in the foreground is the one built to replace the Meridian Bridge for motor traffic.



The number of locks on the top section of the bridge far outweighed the locks on the bottom section and we definitely spent some time checking the various locks out. They came in all shapes, sizes and were often spread out in patterns (like two big locks for parents with smaller ones surrounding those for their children) or engraved.



Case in point. While I'm definitely jaded on marriage (haha), I thought this must have been an interesting way to propose.

After this, we drove the short distance over to Riverside Park - a large park that is exactly what it sounds like. We packed food and drink so we ate a late lunch while taking in all the people enjoying a nice summer day along the River.

It was a nice way to spend a day. Even though Yankton isn't terribly far from where I grew up, I think I've only been there one other time in my life and that was for a band competition back in high school. While there's not a ton of stuff to do there (we visited four of the top eight things to do), there are a few other things to check out if you ever decide to visit the town yourself.

I hope you have a great weekend! The weather is going to be considerably warmer today, so you can bet that I will be outside somewhere at some point.

Coffee Talk: Let's Have a Chat, Shall We?

 

Good morning! I have a cup of coffee in my hand, per my usual morning routine, and I'm ready to sit around the table and have a chat with you. So, grab your own coffee (or whatever motivates you in the morning) and we'll get started.
I need to apologize. No really. *sigh* I've been....a lazy bum. I have gone places, done things, and photographed it all, but I haven't posted about any of it! I'm so sorry, honestly. I mean, I have stuff from this past summer that I haven't even touched yet. 
Before I talk any further about this topic, I need to apologize for another. *deep breath* Look, I'm sorry that I've posted ad nauseam about my personal struggles. I know, it's my blog...I know, talking about things helps, but I also know that driving a topic into the ground doesn't win you any friends and drives people away. You were probably just as sick as hearing about it as I was in dealing with it all. I'm over it all. I'm ready to move on from it all - in fact, I have moved on from it all. So, let's carry on, shall we?
Now, back to my lazy ass. Look, I have a ton of material - okay maybe not a ton, but a do have a lot of material that seems like such a shame to just let sit around collecting dust. Since I and my life have returned to a better, happier normal, I want to start fresh in 2022. I'm going to post up the aforementioned things and then move on to new, bigger, and better things. Okay, so I'm going to move back into posting like I did circa 2019 and before.
I'm back to the Wednesday and Saturday schedule, so stay tuned for my first old-new post on Saturday. Also, I'll be sending out my January newsletter soon so make sure you sign up for that. 

Have a great week!

Life is Good - A Recap of 2021

2021 started off quietly and different than in past years as covid turned my life upside down (like it did for everyone else). I had been divorced for a few months but was still living as roommates with my ex-husband. It sucked twofold in that the old house was a dump and I was ready to move on from my marriage and make a clean break. 
In April and May, I went through the long and tedious process of finally moving into my own place while moving and dealing with 11 years' worth of stuff out of my old rental house. I also struggled through the rest of the year with children who had some serious issues while I suffered through a midlife crisis.
Unlike past years, the vacation time I took wasn't fun at all and I felt cheated of my time. I wrestled with a year of ups and downs at my job that left me frustrated at best and in tears at worst. I tried working a second job again and it was just awful.
I tore the meniscus in my right knee and it took months to heal. All of these struggles forced my writing to take a backseat. Worst of all, I ate and drank myself through my troubles. 
Then, as November came to a close, things started to change course. Turns out, 2021, while not great, wasn't so bad. Here are all the good things that happened:

* My ex-husband and I suddenly became friends, celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family with our kids. Both holidays were wonderful.
* My kids got through their issues (with and without help) making them, and me, happy again.
* I bought my first brand new car, opening a path for traveling that hadn't happened in a long time.
* I quit my crappy second job while things at my main job settled down and became awesome again.
* My new home is just wonderful and I love it so much.
* I spent a good amount of time during the year exploring both Nebraska and its wines through the Nebraska Wine Passport and it was a ton of fun.
* My knee finally healed and I got back into walking and hiking, ending the year strong, and putting my health back on priority.
* I worked out some of my own issues and became a better friend, daughter, and parent.



I can finally say, after what was a year of some good things and largely crappy things, that life is good. It took a long time to get here, but I made it. I finally feel a sense of peace and happiness that I haven't felt in a very long time - and this time I mean it when I say that. I look around me and I realize how fortunate I am. 
I have a great year planned and I guarantee...it's going to be my best year yet.

Happy New Year, friends. 








 

Loess Hills Hiking

One of my best friends from high school, Amy, and I are doing a section hike on the Appalachian Trail in June (of 2022). Because of this, we've been getting together every three weeks to take a hike - typically about halfway between our respective homes and somewhere in the Loess Hills. Our first hike was in the Jones Creek Pond and Amy was running late that day, so I drove up the road aways to check out a scenic overlook that I had always wanted to stop at.



There are plenty of scenic overlooks dotting the Loess Hills but not all of them have a dedicated plaque. Walter Ordway Jr. sounds like my kind of person!



It was a chilly & windy day this day, but the views - like always - cannot be beaten!



This particular scenic overlook has the largest, most accomodating deck I've ever seen and boasts plenty of seating. It would be a great place to hang out and take it all in on a perfect-weather day.



After my quick side quest, Amy and I hiked North of the pond on an old maintenance road, where we actually ran across a couple of other folks walking. We backtracked after a while and walked on the trails around the pond.



One cannot hike in nature without taking at least one photo, amirite?



Typical late Fall foliage. Some people hate hiking this time of the year because they think it's ugly, but when the leaves leave the trees and bushes, it makes it easy to see much farther out.



Of course, the trail starts and ends around Jones Creek Pond itself. What a beautiful sight! 



The next time we met up, the snow had fallen, although it wasn't as dense in my neck of the woods so we met closer to my place. This time we graced Old Town Conservation Area with our presence. 



It was definitely colder this time around, but more beautiful. With tufts of white dotting the ground, an azure sky above us, and the Sun shining brightly over the land, hiking was a glorious thing this day.



Just look at that! How could you not want to hike it?

It's nice having a hiking partner again - something I've been lacking for a long time. My kids are on their own or have no interest in hiking, and most of my friends are busy or also have no real interest in hiking, so it's been nice having company out there on the trails. Of course, we have an agenda we're working on, but we're doing it together. And, we're enjoying the views along the way.
Enjoy the rest of your week, friend!