Monday, April 20, 2009

False alarm in Chipewa National Forest

Quinn flew up to Minnesota for the weekend to visit us for the weekend and he brought the baby backpack. After spending the whole first day visiting Dad in the nursing home and cleaning his house, the second day I knew we needed to do something fun. We pulled off the highway where it said we were entering Chippewa National Forest and swtarted our hike.

The trail was blanketed in rotting leaves and circled a small lake. We followed the little wooden bridges over the swampy parts. It was so full of life, it was like a Northern Brazos Bend. I was kicking myself because every time I come to Minnesota I lose my camera, and this was no exception. I would love to take a picture of the beaver lodge on the edge of the lake, covered in ice that was turning grey and melting on the edges. There in the water under a bridge was a branch with teeth marks made by a beaver. I love beavers!

We gazed across the lake, enjoying ourselves, when we saw a truck pull into the parking lot alongside our car...it was a tow truck!

We didn't notice any signs saying that we needed a permit or needed to pay to be there. They couldn't just tow our car and leave us in the middle of the freaking forest, could they? Quinn unbuckled the backpack and handed Calvin to me and sprinted back to the car as fast as he could. I followed, much slower.

Luckily the tow truck drivers had just pulled in to look at a map and it had nothing to do with us at all. I wonder whether people react to tow truck drivers like that all the time.

The beauty of hiking without a baby

After hiking all the time carrying a 25 pound baby, it can be incredibly refreshing to get out by mysef. It was especially true a few weeks ago when I went to my running club one last time before going on a trip to Minnesota to see my dad.

The club is made up of four of five stay at home parents who get together to take turns taking care of the kids so that we can run.

When it was my turn I ran along a trail that went through the canyon along North Mesa. It was so good to just enjoy the feel of my arms swinging free and my legs pounding along the dirt trail, and running up the cliff without worying about another person.

I had enough on my mind. I was seeing my dad because he has terminal lung cancer. I wasn't sure what to expect or when I would come home. My emotions had been wound up as tight, and the run at least loosened things up.