My Husband's Birthday Hike

We would have missed this amazing tree had we NOT taken the bloody hike.

It's the tradition in our family that whenever it's someone's birthday, they get to choose the family activity for the day. Not being great lovers of the outdoors, the only way my husband gets us to enjoy the great outdoors is to play this birthday card once a year. Inevitably, he chooses a family hike.

We've done it for the last few years, with mixed results. The first year, he chose what was probably an amateur hike, but it involved a lot of climbing over rocks and through grass. While my daughter embraced her inner mountain goat and my son used his former Boy Scout training, all I had was visions of sprained ankles while making a mental note of the various treatments I'd read about for poison ivy. About mid-way through the hike, I was whispering my mantra of “I hate this, I hate this” and, although not begrudging my husband his choice of activity, wasn't too happy with it, either.

Last year was better, since DH chose a paved hike through a state park which had been the mansion of some tycoon. The path was wide enough for parents with strollers and although not the most scenic, provided us all with several hours worth of exercise. Momma was happy.

Yesterday we drove 2 hours with the goal being to hike along a river. The website my husband got directions from was misleading, at best, and agonizingly frustrating. When we finally arrived at the State Park and asked a ranger for directions to the easiest trail, he said there weren't any that wouldn't result in a search party being dispatched to find us later. Dandy. We finally did find a decent trail, but the climb it entailed left even my extremely fit daughter panting.

I can see that while hiking isn't my thing (we all HATE the tick checks we have to do after being in the woods), walking is. I like seeing Nature, from a safe distance, while getting exercise and enjoying a beautiful Spring day. And even though trekking through the wild isn't my idea of a good time, it's certainly not too much to suck it up once a day for my spouse's birthday.

And to my husband, who does not read anything I write online, should he decided to finally click on this blog: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!