We woke up to a gloriously sunny day that screamed, “COME OUT AND PLAY!”
Slug that I am, even I couldn’t resist the siren call of a perfectly crisp Spring Sunday, but I couldn’t go out right away (not that I would’ve anyway since I am not a morning person.) A family hike would have to await my daughter’s preemptive plans to visit a Buddhist temple.
Coincidentally, Kayla planned to visit the Grafton Peace Pagoda which is located near one of our favorite parks. So, I figured this would work out perfectly. I would pick her up at noon and we would go for a lovely hike on Grafton’s Spruce Bog Trail.
We’ve done this circuit many times, and at just 2.5 miles, it’s an easy family favorite. Yoohoo, gets to swim (and drink from) Mill Pond. The kids get to pretend they are creeped out by the old cemetery at the trail head. And, we all enjoy discovering red-spotted newts (as we often do) along the trail.
By the time we were ready for our hike, the sun was gone. It was raining just enough that most sane people would’ve stayed home. And, I’ll be honest, I was tempted to forget about it. Instead, I thought about my friend, Ann, who never misses a day of exercise and actually prefers to hike in the rain.
Somehow, it just seemed kind of wimpy to let a little rain stop my hike.
Well, next time I get a crazy notion to hike in the rain with my kids, I’ll have to remember that Kayla and Alex can’t be trusted in muddy conditions.
Not only did they fling mud at each other, Kayla went so far as to slather it on.
This was a mess of epic (or, rather, Kayla) proportions.
I didn’t want her taking all that mud into the car, and seat belt laws prevented me from putting her in the back with the wet dog. So, I asked my bright, twelve-year-old to clean up at the pond at the end of the hike.
Not a complicated request, right?
Apparently, I hadn’t made myself perfectly clear to my older child. While my son interpreted this as a request to wash his hands and wipe his shoes in the pond, my daughter simply walked into the pond - all the way to her waist, in 48 degree weather.
Meanwhile, I missed this maneuver because I was too busy reading a notice warning hikers that May is Turkey Hunting Season.
Now, I need the Peace Pagoda.
Other Hikes On Living By Learning:
Olana State Historic Site, Olana, NY
Peebles Island State Park, Cohoes, NY
Bradley Farm Trail, Mt. Greylock, MA
Trails with Tales: History Hikes through the Capital Region, Saratoga, Berkshires, Catskills & Hudson Valley: Russell Dunn,Barbara Delaney: BooksISBN: 1883789486
ISBN-13: 9781883789480
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