Monday 3/30/15 was to be the day of our annual trek. Son Greg and wife Tricia and their three boys have their cattle ranch that joins the V6 to the east and each year the family and friends hike to the waterfall. But first there is an Easter egg hunt that for most of my grand children are getting a little old, but old traditions die-hard.

When the hidden eggs were all accounted for it was time to get ready for the main event. This year I wanted to have a little input about the direction that our jaunt would go. Knowing that we always go to the waterfall some three hours hiking time over some pretty gnarly terrain.

My suggestion was to hike in an easterly direction that was a much more ‘user friendly way to go’. Well you should have heard all the new names that I had to wear. ‘Sissy’, ‘Whoosy’, ‘Weak Heart’, “Come on Grandpa you can do it and if you don’t make it we’ll haul you out!”

“Yea Grandpa all that hiking you’ve been doing you can make it!”

Okay, Okay I guess I’m ready so let’s go.

Driving to our jumping off place my demon appeared on my left shoulder and took great delight I’m sure by bringing up the ‘what if game’.

What if I wimp out? What if I over heat? What if I die?

But what if I make it? I’m almost 80, what a testimony to Zee’s and my Daily two-mile hike?

Upon arrival I took couple of deep breaths, slipped my hands into the leather loops of my ski poles that make great hiking sticks, seeing as to how we didn’t get enough snow to make use of them this year or last. I told my demon to go take a hike and that I was in control. Seems like a lot of preparation for the simple process of putting one foot in front of the other, but I felt much better and the thought came to pass that, “You can do this Jack!”

About halfway to the waterfall I was starting to get a little hot but I could see that the creek was starting to run so by sliding on my backside I did a most ungainly entry into a pool of water, but I didn’t care, as it sure felt good. After filling my hat with water and dumping it over my head I was ready to journey on. Have you ever noticed that hiking in rough country, a person doesn’t get to see much of his surroundings as you spend most of your time watching where your toes are going?

We’ve been hiking now for about an hour and a half and as I glanced up from looking at my shoes, there it was; an almost dry Waterfall. But upon closer inspection there was a little dribble that made a small pool of cool clear water. I opened my shirt and poured some water over a grey hairy chest and let it run down to my potbelly.

As I was savoring the coolness, my grand daughter Kathryn looked over and said, “Grandpa that’s gross!” But I knew their was a lot of love in those words. so much for, ‘children should be seen and not heard’.

We lounged around for a while while my thoughts took me to how tasty a hard boiled Easter egg would taste, and if I was home it would be the last thing I would eat. Somebody yelled, “Its time to go!”

Well at least it’s all down hill, and that can also be said about getting older.

See Ya,

Jack