Nature Heals All

At our house this morning, things were kind of gloomy.  The girls have had too much of one another for the week, and I was having one of those lonely-feel-sorry-for-myself mornings. Even the dog was being a pest. As I was starting to feel more and more tense, I looked outside and noticed how incredibly blue the sky was. It was supposed to be chilly, but I thought, if you're hiking, it's not so cold.  And I did spend Earth Day at the mall yesterday. So I remembered a state park we didn't get to hike very well this fall, and packed everyone up.

Turns out, it wasn't that cold.  After the hike (because I forgot and posted the pictures backwards) the kids played at a playground in a picnic ground and had a snack.  Anna even shed her fleece jacket and hat.
We took the Cliff trail, because first of all, it looked like some of the lake trail was under water, and my kids are much better behaved when rock scrambling.  Look how gorgeously clear the water is - can you see the logs under the water?  See, I'm in Central New York where lovely glacier lakes abound - how could I allow myself to stay in a funk?!
Molly's photo of Anna, Biscuit and I headed up some rocks.  Biscuit has to be first.  I guess once he starts getting those little legs in motion, he can't stop or he'll get stuck.
Stopping for a scenic pose on an outcropping.  Yes, my dog needs a haircut.  And I had to hang on pretty tight to oblige Molly and keep him in the picture.
In the middle of this scrambling up the rock trail pose, Anna started slipping.  That's why her mouth is open.  She's yelling "I'm slipping!"  

It was a beautiful day for a hike, and the perfect remedy for us.  Plus, it is the last weekday of Spring Break.  We were glad we went.  We've talked Daddy into coming home a little early and grilling too.  Which is only fair, since he's headed out tonight for a guy's night with work friends.