Medical Updates and A Hike with the Boys (Pisgah Forest, NC)

Today is Saturday.  Debbie drove her face into the gravel last Sunday.  Not surprisingly she is healing just fine.  She couldn't bring herself to go to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Vanity is a powerful emotion!  We were off Thursday and Friday.  She returned to work today.  She looks MUCH better and everyone reassured her repeatedly.  Thank you folks.  Her vanity is still a little fragile but she is handling the challenge like a big girl.

On a smaller scale, my little finger is fine.  I removed my own stitches yesterday.  Debbie freaked some.  I recall some comments about sanitation?  I had an appointment back in Charleston but I didn't want to drive 5 hours each way for a 2 minute appointment.  Ardi, our retired RN friend, tells me the finger looks good.

So, we (I) worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  I spent the first half of Thursday cutting grass.  We are required to cut the grass around our campsite.  It's not a large area but once I got started I decided to cut everyone's space.  That took me a couple hours.  Then I spent the remainder of my day cleaning the outside of the camper.  It's a BIG box!  One of the great challenges of cleaning a camper is the dreaded black streaks.  As rainwater runs off the roof and down the sides it often leaves black streaks.  Their removal requires mega elbow grease.  The finish product looks good and I don't have to do it too often.  YEA!!

Friday we played.   We went to Chimney Rock State Park.  It was privately owned until the last couple of years.  The park is adjacent to Lake Lure.

View of Lake Lure from Chimney Rock

All this is just over an hour away.  Initially we were not going to take the" boys".  But as we prepared to go they "told" us that they really wanted to be a part of the outing.  They danced from foot to foot, smiled and pleaded.

How could we resist these faces?

From there on out all we had to say was "get in the truck."  They don't know it's a car but we're going to teach them the difference.  They travel like champs and they travel in style.  We also carry treats for them as well as a collapsible water bowl for hiking.

The primary focus of Chimney Rock is, act surprised, a LARGE rock.  The park also includes hiking trails a waterfall and impressive shear cliffs. 

Chimney Rock

Duane and the Boys on one of the Chimney Rock Trails

HA!HA!

Hickory Nut Falls (mostly dry) 

We spent about five hours there hiking trails which included hundreds of steep wooden steps.  Lots of hazards for the dogs but they did great!  Not surprisingly, we speak of the boys as if they're our children.  So we often spoke of the fact that they will certainly sleep well on the way home.  They did. 

Bo and Laska in the backseat with their "blankies"

(they were asleep in minutes) 

As we headed for Brevard we picked up pizza, bread sticks and bruchetta, oh yea and brownies.  I can hear our arteries slamming shut.

Life is good!

Duane