Category: hiking

Father’s Day Hike

Posted in boyfriend, California, Father's Day, hiking, humor, memoir, nature, outdoors, relationships, trees, turkey vultures, worst1 Comment

Several years ago on Father’s Day, my three kids went with to their dad’s for a bbq, and I went on a late-day hike with my (now ex) boyfriend. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t believe in rules and always thinks his way is the only way. We took a hike on the west… Continue reading Father’s Day Hike

The Power of Nature

Posted in act of God, aging, best, California, car accident, care giver, caregiver, hiking, humor, memoir, nature, outdoors, trees, turtles1 Comment

Sun, trees, dirt, flowers — my nose is full of the smell of Eucalyptus leaves. I used to hike twice a month with my senior hiking group called DASH. Then my sis moved in with me so that I could be her care giver. My hiking days stopped except for once last summer when I… Continue reading The Power of Nature

FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

Posted in aging, attitude, best, birthday, blondes, California, caregiver, girlfriends, hiking, humor, memoir, music, relationships, summerLeave a comment

You know summer has begun when you are constantly checking your email and calendar to make sure you’re not missing out on some live music that evening. Every town has its own series of live music. If you are willing to drive, you can hear it six evenings a week for free, from June to… Continue reading FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

Sorry About That

Posted in Black Diamond Mines, California, firsts, hiking, humor, menopause, menstruation, mines, nature, relationships, surprise, worstLeave a comment

Aileen had a date in her early fifties that neither she, nor the guy will ever forget. They met online. He suggested a hike out to the Black Diamond Mines in Antioch. She agreed, although she wasn’t much of a hiker. During the hike and while climbing in and out of the mine tunnels, Aileen… Continue reading Sorry About That

Mountain Lion

Posted in biking, California, escape, hiking, humor, memoir, Mendocino, nature, relationships, survival, Van Damme State Park, Washington, worst2 Comments

The latest mountain lion attack got me to thinking about how we humans hike, bike, and enter into cougar country and should know what to do in the event that we run into one. The newspaper article today tells about the two mountain bikers in Washington this past weekend that encountered a mountain lion. The… Continue reading Mountain Lion

Interface with Nature

Posted in babies, birds, California, cats, children, dogs, hiking, humor, memoir, mom, Mount Diablo State Park, nature, relationshipsLeave a comment

I live in a town that backs up to a gorgeous mountain in the middle of an otherwise flat part of the Bay Area. The hiking here is phenomenal, and the wildlife interfaces with the people whose homes border the state park. Two houses ago, I lived in a faux-gated community where every day there’d… Continue reading Interface with Nature

An Ode to the West Coast

Posted in best, Big Sur, California, caregiver, dancing, earthquake, fires, hiking, humor, Iowa, memoir, Monterey Bay, mudslides, nature, relationships, San Francisco, Study abroad, Super BowlLeave a comment

Earthquakes, fires, and mudslides aside, California is an awesome state. You’ve lived at both ends, and it is like leaving one country and entering another. San Diego is warm, sunny, and filled with swaying palm trees. You were only there for 18 months, long enough to visit every beach and experience every tourist attraction. You… Continue reading An Ode to the West Coast