Hiking and Happiness

We have had unseasonably warm weather lately. and have been fortunate to have little to no rain in the last few weeks. This is fortunate for us who love to be outdoors and walk in the woods. This morning was one of those mornings as my little guy, husband, dog and I ventured out to the Sandy River Delta to explore and stretch some muscles.

But, seeing this is Oregon it was a very muddy trail, albeit very fun. Lucy has so much fun on these hikes that it really is a pleasure to take her walking. She gets to be herself: a happy, excited and cheerful pup as she smells scents, marks territory and greets other dogs in the off leash area.  Husband and I had a long and lovely conversation as we walked through the woods and the little guy got to take in the smells of the woods and all the different dogs.

This was our second time using our hiking pack and I think its a winner! This pack has gone through two cousins and is now on its third toddler. My brother and his family had it first and it took a long journey from California to our lovely woods. It is so nice to not push a stroller or have the heat of my body mixed with his as in the carrier. He loves his backpack and all the advantage of the field of vision it gives him.

I love being able to walk in the woods and really sink in the wintertime greens, the bare branches, the muddy trails with puddles. Also, you get to see so many different birds that just flitter and fly as you walk into the glens. The Sandy River delta is open and grassy with many, many miles of gravel paths and dirt trails. There is even a bird sanctuary and a path to the mighty Columbia River.

The inlets of the Sandy River inhabit small fish, frogs and salamanders. As you wander through the paths you can hear the croaking of frogs and barking of dogs, the occasional cricket chirping and your own thoughts. The wind rustles through the trees and you can smell the Gorge: the fresh, grassy, leafy smell of the woods. The smell of rain and water and moss, the smell of nature. As we found the entrance to the river, of course, Lucy found any possible puddle and inlet to swim and had one heck of a time.

If the weather holds maybe we can do it again next weekend!