Mt. Pisgah

For the record, I think it's silly that of all industries education is making people take furlough days. I mean really. Are our priorities that messed up? As it is teachers make less than babysitters wages and are put through the ringer about test scores and perceived accomplishment. So much of the good that happens in a classroom is not measurable on a little piece of paper. Now we're taking school days away from them and the kids.... But enough of that.

Squirt didn't have school today. In fact she doesn't have school next Friday either, or Thursday and Friday two weeks after that. It seems October will be filled with opportunity for adventure. Today we I decided to go to Mt. Pisgah.

From the beginning, Squirt was not so sure she was excited about this. (Actually the expression is more a result of the fact that this was self-portrait number 4 or so because I forgot to correct the light balance on the camera.) She loves to be outside like this but sometimes I have to just make her do it so she remembers that.

The moss is incredible. It was such a perfect morning!! Walking up the trail in the ever-present mist, surrounded by trees literally dripping with lichens. It struck me that this is the feeling we try for when we stretch those crazy fake spiderwebs all over everything. It seems like the perfect place for some mystical photography and I thought immediately of this photo shoot by an old aquaintance. Even though it's totally not the same.  At. All.

In places the trail is completely flanked by trees. This is all still somewhat new to me and it's fantastic. Squirt's preference was running down the trail. We actually did not complete the trail, turning around about halfway up. At our stopping point we ran into a fellow student in Squirt's class hiking with her family. Squirt liked that but mostly liked that they had their puppy with them. Then the running began. In that sense she is just like her mother... only unlike when her mom was a kid running down trails she hasn't ever bitten it at the base of a hill ripping open the bottom of her chin or leaving behind half of an arm. Yay for improved coordination across generations!!!  

She was a little happier about the experience once we were back at the beginning! Having seen a friend, a dog, and getting to run a little is responsible for that...

When given a chance to decide where to eat, she'll inevitably choose McDonalds. Then when McDonald's has been vetoed by the adult in charge she picks either Ihop or Denny's. Today it was the latter. Hot cocoa and breakfast. What could be better? 

Except possibly all the street vendor food for sale at the University. We went to visit His Hotness for a few minutes and walked around the street fair going on (talking to his mom - awwwww). After walking around all the delightful smells I am totally craving a Philly Cheesesteak sammy and have added it to our menu for the coming week. 

We stopped at the bookstore for a treat, bid farewell to His Hotness and ventured home again.