the catalyst

On Memorial Day Weekend 2010, I took Dean for what was really his last significant hike. During the 4.3 mile hike to Dry Creek Falls and back, he fell down and had trouble getting back up. At 9 yrs old, his legs were no longer able to go for such distances, especially off-leash. He could hike more when he was on leash but we pretty much stopped doing big hikes after that.

Today, I went back to Dry Creek Falls with Andrew and Ava. This was Ava's first hike primarily off leash and she did really well. We figured that she hikes at least 3x what we do. Andrew and I have each been feeling the need for more exercise and I think Ava's ability to hike in the woods will be a great catalyst for the change we are looking for. She's so young and energetic. I couldn't help but reminisce about how much I loved hiking with Dean while he could do it. I did end up getting to the point where I loved our couch time as much as our hiking time but I'm excited for all of the potential hikes that we can go on with Ava. And it's still so early in the year! It was gorgeous today and it's supposed to be nice for at least a week before the rain starts in again.

Since the hike itself was a repeat, I will count going to Cascade Locks as my new thing for the day.

What else?
Yesterday I finished the book Grasshopper Jungle. It was a deceptively clever book and really well done. I found myself laughing out loud more than once and would definitely recommend it.