Memories, a walk, and anniversaries

Mt Baker and fellow hiker on Scott Paul trail

My good friends, Group 2 of the Senior Trailblazers, went off today for our annual hike on the Scott Paul trail. I went back through my pictures and found a few that remind me of what they will be doing today. It's sunny again, and there are plenty of places on that hike that offer no shade, such as the picture above. I'm not sure who that was (I found it was Carol), but it was nine years ago and taken by me. I'm not sure I will ever again be on these hikes, but I've done this one many times in the past. All very enjoyable, but then again, I was younger in those days and have learned a hard lesson about strenuous hikes in full sun.

Amazing fields of lupines

It seems that August is when we always do this hike, and it's given us some beautiful views of wildflowers, like the ones above. I do hope today will bring many hikers views like this one. The hike is around nine miles, lots of elevation and streams to cross, but pretty much just a slog when traveling through most of the forested areas. There is one rickety bridge to cross, and I got a message from the group leader that she checked to see if it's still up. It is.

Suspension bridge

We always went across it one at a time, just like in the above picture. I remember it would sway in the breeze and with one's natural gait adding to the adventure, but everyone always seems to make it across just fine. One thing about having these pictures from times gone by, it reminds me that I could be very happy with a lovely six-mile walk in town today, with only a teeny little wistfulness that these days are behind me now.

Today is a day of anniversaries for me, good ones and bad ones. In the mid-sixties, I gave birth to my second son Stephen on this day. He only lived for thirteen months, dying of spinal meningitis as an infant. It also happens to be the day, twenty-two years ago now, that my first son, Chris (who was four when we lost his brother), died while jogging while stationed in Macedonia by the Army. Strange that August 15 would mark such different anniversaries in my life. Now it has been more than two decades since I have had any living children, but I have innumerable nephews and nieces and am very happy to see them thriving, and growing into adulthood. Life is filled with peaks and valleys, and I've certainly had my share of them both.

I am happy now, sitting in my wonderful easy chair, filled with a good lunch after my solo hike today. And remembering in my own way all the wonderful Augusts I have gone through in my life. I couldn't ask for much more.

:-)