Nature is constantly destroying and renewing itself. In autumn, the leaves fall, break down, and become food for other living things. Then those living things grow and die and continue the cycle. So, what better way to say farewell to the old year and hello to the new one than by visiting nature in all her splendor, to view the gentle destruction and grand creation in person.
Continuing a tradition I started last year (though, I suppose having done it only once I can't really call it a tradition, but I will anyway), we went on a hike near where we live. This year we went to a place we'd never been (not hard considering we've only been living here since April) called Deer Park. It's a multi-use trail for walkers, joggers, mountain bikers, etc. The entrance was behind an old school, so of course we had to stop at the playground for a few minutes so Goen could play. But, once we coaxed him away, we finally got to our hike. You know the thing about hiking on a winter afternoon, though, is that it gets really cold really fast. A few hundred feet in and my shutter finger was starting to feel numb. A few hundred feet more and Goen started asking to back to our car. Ah, well, at least we tried. And it's really the thought that counts, right? Well, as we started back, Goen decided to jump into a muddy puddle and promptly slipped, landing bottom first into the brown water. And so ended our second annual "Take a Hike" hike.
So long, 2015. I'll miss you and all that you brought us.
If you'd like, you can check out last year's hike here.
