Hiking again - January 1, 2015

     It has been a long time since my last post.  Sorry about that, but my new years resolution is to do a better job at posting on my blog.  A lot has happened since Thanksgiving, but the time has just flown by.  My wife's mother, who is in poor health, has spent a couple of weeks with us.  She had been staying in Birmingham at Amy's brother's house.  Amy, and sometimes myself, go over every Tuesday and Thursday to stay with her.  We have been doing this since October.
     We started a new Christmas tradition.  Amy and I and our moms ate Christmas hamburgers on Christmas day.  This was the first time we did not spend Christmas day with any of our kids.  Our daughter Emily and her family (Craig and Kale) when to Indiana to spend Christmas with Craig's parents. Our other daughter, Katy and her group (Scott, Kinsley, and Cooper) spent Christmas day with Scott's mom and her family.  Our son, Jason and his wife, Shelley spent Christmas with her parents in Ashland.  Therefore we began a new tradition by cooking Bubba Burgers on the grill.  After lunch we took GoGo, Amy's mom, back to Birmingham.
     Katy, Scott, Kinsley, and Cooper did come to spend a week with us.  They will be returning to Virginia in the morning.  It is always great when they come to visit.  Jason and Shelley came over this past Saturday so we could all get together for lunch.  That was a really good time.  I forgot to mention that Baxter, Katy's dog came too.  Also Jason brought his dog, Brooks, a chocolate lab that is as big as a horse.  It made for a full house and a fun time.
     Scott wanted to do some trail running, so I dropped him off at Adam's Gap on the Pinhoti Trail.  I parked at the Cheaha trailhead and was supposed to meet him somewhere on the trail.  I walked the Cave Creek trail and ended up missing him at the connector with the Pinhoti,  I knew I had walked 4 miles when we finally got communication on Scott's walkie-talkies.  I should have turned and gone back the same way I had come, but I decided to continue on the Pinhoti back to the parking lot.  My cell phone went dead after 8.4 miles, which was still about 2 miles away from the parking lot.  Needless to say, I can hardly walk today, but there was no problem with my knees.  I had forgotten how rocky and steep that portion of the trail was, and decided to go really slow to protect my knees,  I finally finished after the sun went down.  A lot farther than I had planned, but a really enjoyable hike.  My legs were begining to cramp a little at the end.

Scott after we met up.

This selfie was taken from one of the views on the Pinhoti.

Scott was ready for another run today, but since I can barely walk from sore muscles my hiking is done for a couple of days.  He will have to wait for his next visit to do more of the trail.  For me, I am going to start my weight loss program tomorrow.  Today it's time for football games and one last big meal with blackeyed peas and turnip greens.