Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

The Orange trail Spring was really trying to push Winter off center stage the last few weeks, and in doing so, the spring fever kicked in something fierce. I'd already been having a tough time sitting down in front of the computer to complete work, and the sunny, warmer days were not helping one teeny-tiny bit. All I wanted was to be outside, which is exactly what I did last weekend and right up until it turned cold again this week. The boys and I have had some wonderful long walks, one of which was at Sand Ridge. They were troopers, finishing the day with nearly 9 miles after our usual morning walk, hiking the Brown trail, then hiking a bit of the Orange trail. I liked the Orange trail so much I went back the next day and hiked alone. I wanted to slow down and take some pictures of the trail and its surroundings. They say nature is the cure for what ails you, and I completely agree. The hush amidst the pines. The softness of the ground covered with pine needles. The flit of the ch...

 

So I totally neglected the blog through January. Such as it is, here is the first part of the conclusion to our Iceland adventure. *** A map that shows the route we hiked. I returned to Angel Baby, who had picked out our campsite for the night. He made sure to find one with plenty of large stones we could use to anchor down our tent stakes in case the wind came up during the night. Once we had the tent set up, our sleeping bags unrolled, and our packs stowed on the once side of the tent, we both were ready to snuggle into our sleeping bags and call it a day. I vaguely remember hearing other campers laughing and singing and playing music well into the night that didn't seem like night because it didn't get dark, but I know for sure I fell asleep and slept hard. The next morning, I crawled out of the tent while Angel Baby slept. A gray, foggy day welcomed me. I grabbed my camera and set off for the hot springs and the lava field. We had all day at the campground since ...

Our first hiking day in Iceland ended on a good note though my body was aching like I'd never experienced before, and I was certain I would wake up to not being able to move the next morning. Thankfully, and I chalk this up to doing so much walking and hill climbing the month before leaving for Iceland, I woke up feeling surprisingly good. A bit of soreness through the shoulders, but other than that, the old body said, "Let's get on the path!" I knew it was too early for Angel Baby to be up, so I putzed around, taking pictures of the landscape around the campsite and having breakfast. Finally, Angel Baby emerged from his hut and we set off. Not long after we began, a drizzle started. We pulled out our rain pants and raincoats and put them on, then wrapped our packs with waterproof covers. Though the day was cool, I felt snug and warm in my layers. For the next few hours we walked along in silence. Angel Baby walked ten or so yards ahead of me, sometimes further sinc...

So, Iceland. Let's start with this: Yeah, I know. Every time I look back through all my photos of Iceland, this one takes my breath away. That green! Seriously beautiful, yes? And everyone who has thumbed through my photos always stops on this one to really drink in what they're looking at. I really had no idea what the landscape would be like before we got to Iceland, so to be able to see this, walk across the black sands, feel the chill . . . it all was incredible. Such beauty in our world, and I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to experience it up close and personal with one of my most favorite people, Angel Baby. I'm not sure Angel Baby knew exactly what he was getting into in agreeing to travel with me. I'm the type who just rolls with the flow. I don't book hotels beforehand. I get to where I'm going and hope to find a place, which is exactly what we did. When we arrived in Reykjavik I told Angel Baby we needed to find a hostel. He d...