More pleasant meanderings brought me to a halt once again, this time in front of this captivating pair of purple plants, buzzing with a bevy of bees busily burrowing for nectar.
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The elevation rose as we went forward, and everyone sat down while waiting for me to catch up, right in the middle of the path. Off to the side, just waiting to be discovered by weary travelers pausing to catch their breath, was a glorious meadow of purple flowers… and nearby, several gooseberry bushes. Most of the berries were still green, but a few were red, and the ants were feasting happily.
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This sign proved to be accurate in so far as our hike was concerned. Both Sissy and I had reached the highest summit we would attempt for the day, and so we took our time there before heading back down the mountain.
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Not as many photos were taken on the way back, of course… Paul and I brought up the rear while the kids ran ahead, exploring far out of our sight while we plodded along with dear old Sissy, who was clearly suffering in more ways than one, and in need of rest. We talked about our dear puppy, and our concern for her many frailties of age. It was hard to contemplate that she might be nearing the end, but we couldn’t avoid thinking about it as we watched her, and thought about how she has struggled the last few months, just walking around the house, and even breathing when at rest. We felt a heaviness of heart, and a certainty that we would need to address the topic with the children soon.
Finally we made it back to where the kids were already resting under the ramada, waiting for lunch. Here’s where the “Fail of the Day” came into play. SOO excited were we all to get out the door and on the road for our day hike, and SOO excited were we to have planned a picnic lunch (instead of, as we usually do, driving back down into town to have lunch at the Arby’s in Eagar), that there might have been a few things forgotten. Don’t get me wrong, we brought chairs, and food and drinks for everyone in the coolers… but somehow not one of us thought of plates, napkins, or utensils. The results were messily memorable.
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After our leisurely luncheon, Paul and the girls decided to head back up the trail on a quest to see how far they could go if they booked it as fast as they could for 20 minutes (that is, without me and Sissy holding them back). So they took off, and Jacob and I stayed with the dogs. I puttered around finding interesting things to photograph, including what looked like tiny flies swarming a stalk of wild grass, Jacob between two giant trees, and a few little tiny critters (you know I always enjoy capturing bug-life!) — and one of my precious Sissy, resting after her hard morning’s work.
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