And now from the Fingerlakes...

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A while back my sister, Camille, posted this on her blog. It might be the funniest SNL skit I've ever seen. These fine ladies are from the Fingerlakes region of NY, which I'm happy to say is just a little hop skip and a jump from us.

In celebration of these lovely ladies (not really), Trent and Lillian and I took a trip up to the Fingerlakes area and completed a fabulous hike.


When we arrived, we feasted on some good ole vegetable sandwiches (my invention. Quite tasty, I must say) while Lillian finished her car nap. Then we gently woke her and put her in the Bjorn. She blinked several times in silence. I think she was wondering how she landed in the garden of Eden.

I love hiking. The best hikes are those that remove you far enough away from the daily grind and put you back at one with nature. It's impossible not to feel a little closer to God when you're that immersed in His glorious creations.





The other best thing about hiking is that there are no distractions. What I mean by that is, there are no ipods, no blackberries, no telephones, no computers, no cars, no grocery stores...nothing to distract you from what is most important. Nothing except the sound of the leaves above you rustling in the wind and the crunch of the ground beneath your feet. You walk and you talk and as you do so you find yourself gradually letting go of the cares and concerns that weigh you down.

Trent and I reveled in each moment. We talked about issues both deep (How do you think you've changed since moving to NY?) and shallow (Should I give up on hairstylists and go back to my natural color?). We pointed out pretty views to one another and entertained Lillian. Trent patted the trees and assured them they were doing very well. Lillian patted them, too.
Then it was singing time. We sang every song we could think of and Lillian joined in with an "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh" sort of trill.

We stopped at the overlooks and let them take our breath away.


We paused under Lilac bushes bigger than a house.


And when we got home, joined in a BBQ with dear friends and played a little tennis. Then it was bed time for Lillian and a soak the hot tub for us. We climbed into bed, exhausted in the best sort of way.

Remember Emerson and Thoreau and their insistence on nature being a means to finding ourselves (and the divine)? I think they are right.

Comments

Camille said…
Many many many things to say....

Watching that video makes pee my pants a little. HAAAAAAAAAAA!! It's so funny. Lillian and her hat and her open mouth are equally funny and way cuter. I just wanna bite her. In a good way. Seeing Trent hiking with her on his belly brings the biggest smile to my face. That gorgeous Lilac tree! ohhhhmyyygosh! You kissing her with that cute hair and cute pink shirt... tooo much.

You're so lovely.
May 26, 2009 at 9:18 PM
Diane said…
Ditto what the Forney Four said. Everyone is talking about hiking. I better go on one so I can be in the groove.
May 26, 2009 at 10:26 PM
Anaise said…
Yeah, those days are the best days. We schedule "wild days" into our routine on purpose--hiking, walking, picnicking, whatever it takes to be sure we get close to plants and animals and natural beauty on a regular basis.

And the lilac bush--amazing!
May 27, 2009 at 8:22 AM
Dangcutekids said…
What great pictures of you all, and the scenery is stunning!
June 1, 2009 at 11:08 PM
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