Yowza, what a morning!

Our morning walky turned into a marathon, as it sometimes does. We worked our way through a "which way do you want to go, boys?" course that ended up on one of the peaks of the big ridge. On the far side of the ridge is a huge plateau that covers I dunno how many square miles, so you don't have to go down anywhere near as far as you just climbed up. A friend has been wanting some good examples of a particular kind of rock, often used for decorative purposes, which while not uncommon around here is usually found in tiny weathered shards. I'd promised to keep an eye out for some good examples, so since we were already there we headed out onto the plateau where the terrain looked promising.

To my pleased surprise, within minutes I'd discovered a couple of really fine pocket-sized specimen. I was feeling pretty good about myself, and we were actually on our way back to the ridge when I saw another...and then another...and then a really big one...and I realized we were standing in a field of the stuff! And not just the tiny scraps you find so commonly on the slopes, this was a mother lode! It was beautiful, it was mind-blowing, it was...impossible to carry home. The nearest navigable road was on the other side of an impressive canyon. What...I going...to do?

Oh, my aching plastic leg. I've got some backpacking in my future. Well, I can always use the exercise.

I also got an email from my daughter, with some excellent news. I've been trying to get her and Ari the Husband to come visit me for two years, but scheduling conflicts always interfere. It seems they've found themselves with some freed-up mutual time during a period when they're not completely broke, so they're coming to visit! Superior! I'm very excited.