Protocol Be Damned-ing, Part II: The Quickening

Today when I awoke the first thing I asked myself (after, Why are my cats such assholes sometimes?) was, Self, you went shopping yesterday. What else don't you usually do? To which Self replied somewhat shame-facedly, Hiking. (The shame derives from the fact that two years ago, I was immensely fond of hiking & engaged in it often. Then I kinda skipped hiking last year.) I slapped my knee & said, Self, that's even better than shopping.

So I went to Shenandoah National Park & hiked my out-of-form ass off. Though I cringed as I paid my $15 vehicle fee (next time, I'm ponying up the $30 for an annual pass), forge on I did. Skyline Drive is 105 miles of Enormously Gorgeous, though I was glad to endure only 15 miles at the 35 MPH speed limit. First, I went to Hawksbill Mountain, which is the highest point in the park at 4,051 feet above sea level. And immediately discovered that, um, I need to hike more. My uphill endurance is nil. Sheesh. However, upon completion of the 700-foot ascent, I was rewarded with an absolutely AMAZING near-360-degree view. A falcon caught my eye, & luckily I overheard my fellow hikers' conversation with a gentleman who was kind of parked on a rock. Apparently, five peregrine falcons had just been released into the wild - they are to be fed through the end of July, & he was keeping an eye on them. Upon leaving that pinnacle, the downhill mode was in effect, thankfully. And I was so stupid happy to be hiking again, finally. I had this goofy grin on my face the whole time (as long as I wasn't going uphill). 'Tis a pity my digital camera's battery compartment went kaphlooey, but alas! there was precious little to be done about that today.

So completely happy was I that upon reaching the denouement of this 2.9 mile circuit, I was sad that it was over. Never fear! I had a map which told me that not more than 3 miles down the road was another circuit, of 4 miles in length. It followed along a creek & there were some waterfalls & whatnot. I happily flounced downhill for 2 miles, pausing here & there to sit on various rocks in the midst of the creek & read some of Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies,which was so unbelievably perfect an experience I don't think I shall attempt to read Rilke far outside such settings again.

Of course, what you may have noticed is that I was going downhill for 2 miles. On a 4 mile circuit. I'm sure you can imagine what's opposite of downhill, which is what I experienced over the next 2 miles. But that's of little consequence now - I hiked & I'm happy & I got all sweaty & definitely worked off that beer of which I've been a bit too fond lately & I communed with nature & saw CHIPMUNKS! (which are so much cooler than squirrels) & loads of centipedes, which are really fun to watch & even a deer nonchalantly nibbling on a tree branch on the roadside. And I came home & oh my god took the most bee-you-tee-full bath EVER & put on my new girl clothes & yes even the heels (don't know how long I'll last in those).

In conclusion may I say: Shopping = Good; Hiking = BETTER. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.