REI - Take a HIKE!

I'm going to hike!  I'm going to get outside more.  I'm going to walk wooded trails and see waterfalls and canyons.  I'm going to see if nature can save me. (better explanation at the bottom of this post).

I enjoy walking.  I walk every day with my dogs and my dad walks with me most mornings.  It's almost a mile around the perimeter of our property and it's very pleasant.  As much as I've walked it, I'm still not bored.  Still, I'd love to walk even more and see new sights.  My wonderful friend, Susan Holcombe, and I were walking around Lake Horton one day and one of us said something about wanting to do some hiking.  The conversation sparked a fire in us both and we're going for it.  We're going to start hiking regularly!!!  We're thinking fairly low key hikes - mostly 5 miles or so (at first).  Day trips for now.    There seems to be an endless number of interesting places to walk and be back home by the end of the day.  Who knows what's in our hiking future.

We decided to start off our new venture with a trek across town to REI because there's nothing like a new pair of high dollar hiking boots to ensure commitment.  :-D

Dave helped us find the perfect shoes and that was no easy task.  He stayed helpful and good natured through our entire stay.

It's hard for Susan and I to find shoes.  Susan's feel are very narrow.  I have to work around a sensitive area on my right foot where I once broke my ankle.  Susan's search was easy.  Her daughter, Katie, has matching feet and she had already found the perfect shoe.  Susan tried in on and declared it perfect.  My search was harder.  I tried on at least 8 shoes searching for perfection.  I *think* I found it. I'm wearing them around the house for a while to be sure.

To the tune of Nancy Sinatra's old song...

These boots are made for hiking.

And that's just what they'll do.

One of these days these boots are gonna

Help me figure out what to do (with my life)!

The shoes with a tiny bit of purple are mine.   Susan's have bits of orange.  I tried on several that were more girly with turquoise and other fun colors, but these ended up being the most comfortable.  Since I'm a serious hiker, I had to push all my style instincts aside.  Ha Ha

The search for great socks was easier.  OMG.  We fell in love with our socks, but geez - hiking socks are expensive!

Why this new desire to hike?  Let me explain.  I am blessed to have a lot of wonderful, seriously wonderful friends.  They have all been watching out for me through this entire sad time.  They were there in droves when Rudy got sick.  They stayed after Rudy died.  They continue to love me and watch out for me as I figure out how to live without him.  Many of our outings have been to lunch, which is great because cooking for one doesn't seem worth the effort most of the time. Some outings have included a bit of shopping.  I can shop with the best of them, but I'm about shopped out.  I want need things to do that are different and fun and engaging.  Hiking fits the bill and is a great place to start.  I'm ready! Luckily, I have friends with varied interests and no matter what I come up with to try, I can usually find a friend willing to try it with me.