Who knew

Who knew a simple Sunday hike could be such an adventure? Maybe "adventure" is the wrong word..."challenge" may be a better one, as we are consistently reminded that our previously "normal" activities aren't quite so normal now.

Two weekends ago (yes, bad Mandy, catching up on posts) we had gorgeous weather--fall seems to have arrived just on time this year and it is by far my favorite season. That Sunday we had one of those perfect fall days...sunny, cool and crisp and clear, but not cold. We decided to go check on the house we're babysitting in Bayview, mostly an excuse to see the area, which is by far my favorite bay on Lake Pend Oreille. Plan A was to quickly check on the house and then head to nearby Farragut park and have a picnic lunch. Plan A was quickly foiled when we had a diaper blowout just as we were preparing to leave the house...to the point that clothes had to be changed. Thankfully, this house is Grandma's house and is well equipped with the appropriate supplies, so Plan B was put into action, baby was changed and while I was feeding her we had our picnic lunch on the porch overlooking the lake. We had a few visitors while we were there--a doe and her twins.

After we all finished eating, we packed up and went and grabbed our day pass and took a look at the park map. Unfortunately, the museum was closed for the season, but we decided to look for a trailhead and take a several mile hike out to a lake overlook...Plan A. After driving around for a bit to find the trailhead, we got there...and had decided to try our traditional front carrier (an Infantino), rather than the Moby wrap I had been using. This was not a success and after some time of fighting with it and Mom completely losing her patience, we gave up and decided to use the Moby. Slight problem...it was time to feed the hobbit again and almost dark on top of it. Time for Plan B, where Mom sits in the Jeep and fumes a bit, feeding the hobbit. Unfortunately, Mom was tweaked enough that she forgot her precious water bottle (a must-have in usual circumstances, but indispensable since I started breastfeeding) was sitting on the bumper and when we finally drove off in favor of a shorter hike, it was still there. Apparently the nice looking old lady that came to walk her dog at the same trailhead while we were there wasn't so nice after all, because it was gone when we came back...I hope her little dog pees in her shoe.

Plan B. We did finally find a nice, short hike just off the day use area that we could squeeze in between feedings and before it got dark. We found some heirloom apple trees and sampled their fare...ripe, still a bit tart and wanting that first frost to sweeten them but still perfumy and delicious. We also found an old abandoned building of some kind (too bad the museum was closed, or I could probably tell you what it was...next trip). Not sure if this was a homestead or part of the original military installation, but the chimney was still standing on all that was left of the foundation and very striking. There was more trail to go, but...you guessed it, time to feed the hobbit. We drove off into the sunset with a new appreciation of those many lazy Sunday afternoons we took for granted in our days as D.I.N.K.s. But she's such a sweetie pie, what are we really missing anyway? ;o)