Suburban Mouse Visits the Mountains

For some reason, spending time outdoors in the mountains is much more palatable then sitting outside in an RV park. As previously discussed, sitting by a smelly fire being eaten alive by bugs and drinking yet another cooler that I don't really want but what else am I going to drink because the water is not actually for drinking is not really my thing. Perhaps the difference is that when you're outside in the mountains you're doing something. Whatever it is, the boys and I had a fabulous time.


1. We met BFF for a hike. We got to the proper mountain just as some other hikers were coming down. They saw a bear not very far up and we decided that walking around town would be just as fun as hiking. It was a good visit.

A couple of days later, we went on that hike with Malison and her boyfriend (who, at this point, should really have his own nickname, but then it might get confusing. Plus, one of his favourite things is getting to be Malison's boyfriend, so he probably doesn't actually mind so much). We sat in the cave of contemplation (not to be confused with the cave of urination, the cave of confrontation, or the cave of throwing sand at mom).

2. We went on a rope course. We were in a forest, 15 feet above the ground walking from platform to platform on a series of ropes. I was not aware that I could still do the splits. Some of the ropes swung away from each other and I was caught, more than once, with one foot waaaaay far behind me and one foot waaaaay out ahead of me. I would love to tell you that I was extremely graceful but I honestly felt a little like a cartoon character. Getting down from the last platform involved a difficult corroboree of hanging on, closing my eyes, and screaming. Some people call that ziplining...whatever.

3. We also played a little in the mountain streams. I say it that way because I'm super-cool and it sounds better than: we careened down a fast-flowing mountain river with nothing between us and life-threatening jagged rocks but a thin piece of rubber.

4. I cooked every fricken meal. Seriously, I cooked, like, eight meals in a row. I'd get out of bed and head for the kitchen. And, no, I didn't make anything finicky or gourmet; it was all really easy stuff. A nice change from when we're at home and if we aren't eating out, we're having nachos or whatever the boys can find that doesn't require more than hitting buttons on the microwave. If I'm really being honest, I watched twin B eat four freezies, a sleeve of saltines, and as many oranges as were left in the fridge for dinner tonight. I know, I know, a good mom would make them dinner, but I'm still full from lunch and, really, at 14 how hard is it to heat up some soup or boil some pasta.

Anyway, our holiday was fabulous. And I do it all again in a hearbeat.

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