Back To School

I've been wanting to get back up the hill hiking again, but Max has been home sick for the past couple of days. I'm not sure if he's going back to school tomorrow, we'll see.

There's a spot of the trail were I'm suddenly reminded that there could be mountain lions around. Have I mentioned this before? I forget all about them, then I hit this spot, it's very close to the spot in this photo, and I get goosebumps. I look all around, see no scary big-cats, but I realize that I'm about half an hour from the safety of my car. I don't think anyone has seen a mountain lion up there for awhile, but I talked to a lady who saw a bobcat one time. She said, it walked across the path in front of her.

Tonight was back to school night for Sarah. Mom went with me. She's much better at paying attention than I am. Sarah's very excited about this school year and after listening to her teacher I can see why. That guy sounds like he's into everything. He's got a huge selection of classroom books, they've got a Nature Shelf, classroom pets, they run everyday and do PE daily, they do art all the time and he has a points system for rewards. He's got some great ideas.

Last year, when I still worked at the school, he really annoyed me on a couple of occasions, but his kids seemed to love him. I think I let my frustration with some of the other teachers color my opinion of him. I hate when I do that. I try to have an open mind. It's something that I pride myself on, but sometimes I'm stubborn and sometimes I'm wrong.

Oh, well. I'm a work in progress and I hope to get it right some day.

I'm All Over It

I went on a hike with Mom and Sarah this weekend. Don't they look cute? It was so warm on Saturday. Mom brought us Capri Suns and when we got to the top, I felt sick to my stomach. I don't think that Pop Tarts make an adequate pre-hike meal. I guess that's the reason I don't buy them more than once or twice a year. That's just often enough to really appreciate the treat-feel of them.

I had so much on my mind this weekend and the best place to go when I'm feeling like that is up the hill. I heard from my ex's ex and apparently she was never an ex at all. I feel bad, not because I still want him, because in no way do I ever want that again, but I feel bad that I was put in the place of The Other Woman. That sucks. I would not do something like that. Never. Or maybe we were both The Other Woman. Either way it sucks.

I got a couple of messages from her, one was a comment on a blog entry. She seems really nice and he always said negative things about her. I feel like I chose not to see so many early warning signs. For example there's this - if your exes hate you, it's probably for a reason. I did not hate any of my exes, including my ex-husband, until now. I felt, with them (including him when we were kids) that we grew apart. It was painful at the time, but it was just a natural thing, a sort of progression. This thing with him, it was a deliberate plan to get away with something horrible and deceitful. He is not a good person.

After hearing from her, I was really doubting myself and my ability to see people clearly. I think of myself as a good judge of character. I could not have been more wrong. When I think that he actually used Depression as an excuse for disappearing it makes me sick. I was so worried about him.

I refuse to spend another moment thinking about him and his BS. He is a fraud. I don't have time for frauds.

Here are a few of the things that I do have time for:

*My family
*My Mark
*My friends
*My work
*My camera
*My running
*My hikes
*Okay, really Mark should be on that list a few more times.


I'm hoping to go to lunch with Leah this week. We are going to meet at a Tea place. They have smoothie drinks made of tea. Yum. I'm trying to figure out how to make one for the Food/Nutrition blog. Anyone know any good tea-type smoothie recipes?

That reminds me....... I'm doing another pistachio giveaway. These pistachios were not involved in the recall. I don't have the link, but if you'd like to enter for a chance to win five 16-oz bags of Pistachios go to Blisstree and look under the Food/Nutrition section. Leave a comment on the "Healthy Snacks" post. I'll pick a random winner at the end of the week.

I feel like I've finally got myself back. I was mistaken, but I'm not going to change who I am because of it. I still have to live a life that I can be proud of. I want my kids to be proud of me. I want to be a good example. I'm on my way again - not perfect, but working at doing my best.

Okay, time for bed. Good night/morning/day to you.

Nature Notes: Upper Bidwell Park in the Spring

Today I've got another Nature Notes blog entry. Nature Notes is the creation of Michelle from Rambling Woods.

Yesterday, I took a short hike in Upper Bidwell Park. I love this hike. It's a fairly steady uphill climb, not uncomfortable, but good exercise. This time of year, it's very green, lots of wildflowers.

In the Summer, it's much warmer and gold in every direction. The first weekend that Steve visited, we did this hike. He called it a "Death March," but he laughed when he said it.
As we hiked up the hill, I found myself growing comfortable with him again. It was the beginning of falling in love with him, after more than 20 years apart.

I'd say that 9 times out of 10 I've hiked this alone. I've run it many times and I always feel a mountain goat scrambling up and then I fly back down. One time, I ran by these woman who were my age and one called out, "You go, girl!"

The below shot is looking to the West. That ridge of rock you see is right around where the basalt rock starts. The creek lies below the line. I'll take some photos of that area soon.

More wildflowers. I wanted to lay on my belly to get a different view of these, but it was so busy up there and it's not like the front lawn when I'm trying to get shots of the clover.

I love the wildflowers, but oh man is my head a mess from my allergies. Not as bad as poor Max, though. He's very uncomfortable and he takes allergy medicine all year.

The shot below was shot near the bottom of the trail. You can see the fields of flowers. I start the trail with a worry. Some issue that has bothered me all day. With every step I examine the problem, try to work out the knot. By the time I get back to the bottom, I always feel better. I can leave it on the hill.