Christmas is too far off for me to think about right now as I slog my way through these summer days. For now I'll (try to) keep cool by going back to images of places like Heather Lake, on the Mountain Loop Hwy, near my former home in Washington. The summit of Mt. Pilchuck, and its old fire lookout, looms over this little alpine body of very cold water (not too cold for a summer dip though), with lots of large boulders scattered around for kids (and adults still kids at heart) to climb and scramble around on. The second picture is my hiking partner, when he was a bit younger, contemplating his surroundings I'm sure (or likely just wondering when he gets the M&Ms I may have mentioned bringing along). I surely miss those days, as he now prepares for his first year of college, but am looking forward to when he and I can hit the trails again.
4951