Hikes, Hips and Hunting

Last Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day so we decided that we would head to the farm and take up Grandpa Mike on his offer to bring us up the mountain. The mountain is really a glorified hill covered in bush but we still call it the mountain and my muscles agree (and this is Friday). We rode the first half of our trek on the wagon behind the tractor - about 1 mile. We then walked the second mile. Joseph was not content to walk but demanded that I carry him. I did. Thus, the throbbing pain in right hip still present five days later.

Jacob insisted on collecting rocks in a reusable grocery bag. He also placed the apples for the picnic he had scheduled in the same bag. Thus, when we stopped to rest and eat our fruit, only one apple was still edible and we discovered that the orange that he had packed was really an orange-coloured lemon. His plans were completely demolished and the deer were left with a tasty find for later in the day.

As you can imagine, Jacob's bag of rocks got heavier and heavier as his collection grew. It was at the really heavy point that he asked if I could carry them as well as Joseph. I didn't.

Eventually, Joseph decided that being ambulatory might be fun and I got my first break before I carried Benjamin back down the mountain. Nevertheless, Joseph was still insistent that I carry him. So, Dave actually had to run down the mountain while holding Joseph and simultaneously raspberrying Joe's stomach so that he would stop crying about his momless state. Dave's hip is not hurting.

This is Joseph who either wants to see the picture on the camera or wants up. Probably both.

Benjamin - I don't know what he is doing. But let's pretend he is eating wintergreen because later on Grandpa found some and we all tasted it and said, "Hey, this tastes just like wintergreen gum." Out of touch with the land?

A somewhat imposing picture of Dave. Always smiling. I am sitting, thus, the angle.

A towering Grandpa. His attire is testament to his efforts to leave behind any vestiges of his professional career as an accountant. And, by the way, it's deer hunting season. This explains the orange vest. The rest of us are not similarly attired because we are expendable... No, actually the men to whom Grandpa gives permission to hunt on the mountain are fundamentalist Christians and don't hunt on Sundays. Therefore, the day of the Lord is somewhat safe on Blueberry Mountain.

Hannah, who, even if there had been an orange vest for her, would have refused it for fashionista reasons. Hot pink is just as good.

As you can see, Hannah successfully dodged the wearing of the orange toque. Her brother didn't.

High up on the mountain there is a beaver pond. Grandpa is pointing out the beaver house and Dave is about to save Joseph from an icy plunge.

Me, while no one was looking, taking pictures of myself. Note the kids are catching up with the under eyes.

Ahhh, this one's better. It's only taken 32 years to lose the pudgy baby face.