In an effort to make up for all the “un-walks” we’ve taken this summer because of the heat, I took my dog hiking for two days last week. Call it “bad dog-mom guilt” or an excuse to get away for a couple days before school begins or just time spent in the woods; we had a great time. We went to Turkey Run, one of Indiana’s state parks, which is known for it’s great hiking trails. There are 11 trails, ranging from easy to moderate to rugged. We hiked some of each and the rugged are definitely challenging. We scrambled over huge boulders, wound our way up and down canyons, hopped stones across several creeks (well, I hopped across the stones; Tosca went straight through the creek), and enjoyed the beautiful scenery surrounding us.
Tosca is 13 years old and I wondered how she’d do on the more rugged trails, but she was eager to go and rarely needed to stop and rest. She must have been tired though, because she slept very soundly at night. We stayed overnight at a little motel about fifteen minutes away and returned for a second day of hiking before heading home late Wednesday afternoon.
It was so nice to spend some time away, just the two of us: enjoying God’s creation, praying as I walked, listening to the birds, thinking about the coming school year, being “still.”
I hope Tosca remembers these two days when the “too-tired-to–take-you-for-a-walk dog-mom” begins school.
And, after my tech training, I’ve put together a little video of our hikes. The song is“The Mountain” by Steven Curtis Chapman from his album “Heaven in the Real World” and I think it perfectly captures my feelings on the hike.
1 comment:
What a beautiful song and beautiful pictures! Next time I start heading for the valley I will have to remember to go to your blog and watch the video again. I love how you have one foot planted in nature, stillness and listening to God and the other foot in technology - it's a perfect combination and a great way to share what God is showing you with others.
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