Facebook Brag Post

 

Loving the snow. 

I tried not to sound like a braggart when posting our 213 hikes for '21 on social media. Here's what I wrote with pictures below. I did write captions for each picture, but I'm too lazy to do that again! I received a lot of positive responses from friends and family: 

DEAR FRIENDS & FAMILY... HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022! 

Yesterday, Bailey and I scampered up Whitecap to the western overlook on the Yellow Trail. That was Hike #213 for 2021 (last year we hiked 209). This wasn't any big athletic accomplishment on our part; more like good scheduling, access to Ibuprofen, the know-how to tape up broken toenails, luck (especially in the summer heat), and treats for the old mutt. I'm done counting hikes; now we're just going to enjoy our days on the trails. I wish the same for all of you. HYOH...

Final Total: 213 for 2021

 

A favorite pix from 2021--early spring

We managed 3 more hikes after hitting 210. I started to get antsy about the numbers, so my goal for 2022 is not to think about "how many," but about "the fun." The fun on our final hike of 2021--Whitecap--was beating our previous winter hikes up. Usually, we're a lot slower in winter on snow than in spring or fall with cool temps and firm, dry ground. But, lo and behold, we had a great final hike. 

Wicked fast for winter

Round-trip time, 1:53

 

#210

Last January, I said we'd try for 210 hikes, one more than the 209 we completed in 2020. Well, the day after Christmas we hammered up Whitecap Mountain for the 58th time of the year. We climbed up and down the 4.4-mile trail in less than 2 hours... any time less than 2 hours is great for us. Yay!   

So, #210... Extra Treats? 

Well, OK, and definitely wine for me.  

The final hikes...205, 206, 207, 208, 209...

 

Bailey's showing no signs of his illness, so off we went again for small local hikes landing on Christmas Eve on Mystery Mountain. 

Azi's Holiday

 

Santa's Watch Dog

Azi arrived home from his trip to Florida's Disney with a head cold that turned into a sore throat that had all the tell-tale symptoms of COVID-19. So, I bought $50 worth of tests. After 2 negative tests with a 24-hour break in between, this Dr. Kent thinks he has a cold and was exhausted from the trip. He stayed with up to 8 unvaccinated people on the week-long holiday and traveled through all the resorts, so the possibilities for the virus were there. But! So far, so good. A reminder to all: Science is good. 

Gift from our neighbors, The Sullivan Family

Funny how ill you can feel when someone's not
well in the house. 

C-19 test

Book tree

Scholarship boy improving his reading. 

Happy Kid with a second negative test.