A Hike To Celebrate

On Saturday I took a six mile hike up Towsley Canyon to celebrate two years of having healthy,  replaced hips. I feel so fortunate that I can do this kind of physical activity again.  It's a gorgeous hike, but it's challenging. The first part goes up the mountain. There are several switchbacks. It really makes me out of breath, so I stopped to rest several times. I was glad that I had packed two bottles of water.

Once I got to this shady spot, I sat down on this log, and ate my lunch. The wood was so nice and smooth. The view was gorgeous. I could feel my heart beating hard in my chest, so I let myself relax and recharge. I ate some peanut butter and celery, leftover homemade Hungarian plum cake, and a peach. The last time I did this hike I didn't bring any food or water. I made a mental note not to do that again. It's too strenuous.  It was much nicer with a light backpack filled with  food and water. It felt completely different. I like being prepared.

After lunch, I started the descent down the mountain. I met some very nice, friendly hikers along the way. I stopped and talked with a couple of women who looked to be at least my age. I was surprised to see women over fifty doing such a difficult hike. I'm noticing that many people in my generation are still very into fitness. The ladies I met were very pretty and outgoing. We all enjoyed the scenery and took photos.

The last part of the trail was flat. Whenever I see this gate, I know that  I'm  entering the home stretch. The oak trees and the dappled shade were beautiful. It felt so good to spend time in nature. I came home and finished knitting the scarf I've been working on for my friend. I have one and a half skeins of yarn leftover. I feel like it's  been telling me that it wants to be knit into a baby sweater. I found a really sweet pattern on Ravelry. I'm so excited to get started on  it!

This morning I woke up to an Etsy order. I still get such a thrill when I make a sale. This one was from a new customer in New York. She wanted two goat's milk soaps, and two shea butter goat's milk soaps. I wrapped everything up, printed out the packing slip, shipping label, and vintage stationery, and mailed it off at the post office. I just love selling what I make  from home. It's so rewarding. I think I'm going to make another batch of goat's milk soap tomorrow. I have a feeling things will pick up with the holidays approaching. I am going to make three hundred bars of soap. I want to be able to fill every order, and soap takes time to cure. Wish me luck...