Enjoyed another vigorous day of hiking with my D.D.s yesterday. Ellen and I met Alison in charming little Chatsworth (about a 40 minute drive) at 11:00 am and she drove us to Atsion Park. We left the car by the side of the road, then entered one of the trails. Ellen had said she wanted to climb the fire tower at the top of Apple Pie Hill, so A. led us the mile or so there. We were pleased to find about 30 members of A.'s outdoor group having lunch on the hill. They had come from the opposite direction--about 4 miles. While Ellen went up the tower, not quite to the top, we chatted and enjoyed the view of the surrounding pinelands. Just from the hill, it was beautiful; you saw nothing but the tree line all the way to the horizon, with a deep blue haze far away.
A. then took us Tabernacle, another tiny village, and the girls got deli sandwiches at "Nixon's," the general store. I had brought my lunch, but was out of lettuce, so packed some good ole (cooked) broccoli, a hard-boiled egg, and a bunch of grapes. I was so hungry the cold broccoli tasted wonderful and so did everything else.
Now A. took us to Osego Lake--yoicks!
Years ago, Pat, Patrick, and I had been there kayaking with A. and Mike in the summer, but yesterday was very overcast and this was just a bit scary. We drove way, way out into the forest, then walked partly around the lake on an unpaved road, full of deep holes, mud, and water . It seemed completely deserted for miles around, and by this time, the overcast sky had darkened and rain started to fall. We entertained ourselves by coming up with lurid headlines:
"Three women walked into the pines on Wednesday and no trace has been found...."
We did see and hear a whole flock of magnificent trumpeter swans across the lake, but after I slipped on the red mud and almost covered my shoes, we walked the mile back.
It was a wonderful day, rain and mud notwithstanding. Alison and Ellen said their goodbyes and E. and I drove home about 4:00.
After dinner, we tried to call/webcam Mike. He wasn't in yet, but called us back. Ellen and I talked to, and saw, him and adorable little Vivian for more than an hour. V. showed me the presents I had sent, holding up and explaining each one. She then kept running off to get other toys to show us, including an odd-looking doll she named "Luka." Finally, she appeared in a pretty dress-up dress, pink with chiffon and sequins. Of course, we told her how lovely she looked and she ate it up. What a little sweetie!
In the meantime, Alison's Mike was connecting her web cam and we were able to talk to her, but not yet see her. I'm sure he'll have it finished soon.
Went to bed at an ungodly hour for me--10:00 pm. Now I have the sad task of taking Ellen to the airport. It's been so good to have her here--I hope, hope, hope she might be able to come back in the summer.