What to do?

Returned from PT this morning feeling really, really good about my knees and overall health. The session was demanding and yet rewarding. Today is a beautiful sunny day, just screaming "COME OUT AND PLAY".  But, not today there are other things to do. Tomorrow will be a good day for a short hike, when I complete  the hike I'll share the experience..

Years ago when I started hiking one thing I didn't do was carry water with me. Why not? Don't really know, just didn't think about it.Today I try to always have water with me, it does a body good! For day hikes use a day pack and carry your water and snacks in it. I also would drink out of streams and creeks, which today is a big no no!  "Always carry water with you."

Gracie. You've not meant Gracie yet, she is a big part of my hiking experience.We have been together for over 13 years, good years. She is a Yellow Lab, a water dog if you will. She was maybe three months old when we were hiking on a old logging road on a hot summer day here in the mountains . Nice quiet afternoon,just the two of us. We cross a small stream and Gracie does not drink or even stop too smell the water, I sit and pull out my water and drink. Gracie wants my water! That is not going to work, she is just a dog, stream water is good enough for her. What to do?  I put my water away and we continue the hike. What to do? As we wander along-"All who wander are not lost"-I read that somewhere! As we wander along we come upon a much bigger stream, at least six feet wide at it's widest point with a pool of water maybe eight or twelve inches deep. What to do? The light bulb goes off over my head- today it would be one of those curly haired things, and not near as bright as one would like, but back then it was a bald headed light bulb.What to do? Only thing to do; show her how to drink out of a natural stream!

No one around, that I can see, hope no one can see me! Gracie won't even get in the water so my first step is to get her to want to be a water dog. What to do? Show her how to get in the water. I don't want to get my clothes all wet soooo I strip bare butt naked. Gracie sits on the side with a look on her face. 
           Are you for real?
I crawl into the water, two hands, two feet. lower into the water, AHHHHH!!! no words describe the cold of a cold mountain stream on a lily white naked body! Gracie perks both ears up, thumps her tail.
           He wants me to do that?
I stick my nose into the water and start lapping,. lift up the cold blue body and shake back and forth."Gracie look at me, this is how you do it." I drop back into the water and roll over waving all four frost bitten stubs in the air. [Where is my manhood?]  Gracie jumps to her feet,-do dogs smile?
           This is good!
I drag my cold wet self on the leaf covered forest floor and try to stand. Pick the leaves off me. Using my stiff hands I unsuccessfully wipe water from a goose bumpy body and dress. Gracie walks into the stream, laps up some water, squats and pees!
            It doesn't get better then this!
Carry your own drinking water.

Back soon,

Turtle