- Shenandoah National Park is a bit more than a half-hour drive from our doorstep. Why don’t we visit here more often?
- How many more months until we hit the age of 62 and qualify for a Senior Pass? That’s going to be a real bargain, and one of the only great things about turning 62.
- Whatever would I do without allergy medications? Spring in Virginia is gloriously beautiful, but the pollen would be debilitating without my Claritin.
- Did I pack enough Kleenex to last the afternoon?
- Aw, look at that young family that just passed us on the trail–Mom, Dad, three kids. Were we ever that young? That cute? That fast on these trails?
- I wonder if our three kids have fond memories of our family hikes.
- Meanwhile, Husband is walking at a much faster clip than I. Did he remember to put his knee brace on? How is he doing that?
- Perhaps Husband is walking faster than I am because I am carrying the backpack/purse with the Kleenex, water bottles, and granola bars. Should I make him carry something?
- Did I actually put the granola bars in the backpack or are they still in the car?
- Husband just called this rocky slope a “talus” and why don’t I know what that is?
- Husband just scampered up the talus. (Surely he is wearing that knee brace!) Is this need-to-scamper-up an inherited trait, since Youngest Son is notorious for doing the same?
- And while I am thinking about scampering Youngest Son, how DID he hike on the Appalachian Trail for 15 days and nights without injuring himself?
- I keep taking my phone out to use my plant-identifier app. Sure, I am curious about these little pink flowers, but isn’t this also a fabulous excuse for stopping to take a breath? I’m getting away with this ruse, right?
- Wearing layers is a wise idea, but as I peel them off, do I shove them in the backpack or tie them around my waist? And how will the re-distribution of weight affect my center of gravity?
- Should I stop and scold those two young women we just passed? Each was wearing flimsy sneakers and each had an infant strapped to her body in a front-carrier. What? One slip or trip, and baby hits its head on a boulder or tree. Why are these women not being responsible parents?
- So, if I didn’t have these sturdy hiking boots and hiking poles, would I make it down the mountain by sunset? And would part of that trip down involve me sliding down on my a**?
- How long of a drive is it from the trailhead to the rest stop with the port-a-potties?
Monica Lists 