Mother's Day

Mother's Day started with a bit of reflection on my part. First, I thought about my kids.  I could not love them more or be more proud of them.  They have both taken their God given gifts and have  tried to make the world a better place.  Their youth and idealism have helped make me a better person.  I admire their bright positive outlook and it helps to quell my cynicism about the state of things.
 I also thought about so many of my friends who are also mothers.  I know just how hard some of them have worked just to keep their children fed, clothed and comfortable.  Some of them have been left to raise their children and they have taken on the challenge with all they have.  Kudos to you ladies. To my fellow Army/military wife moms, YOU ROCK!
 I thought about my Granny Pierce and my Aunt Cindy who were so important in my life.  They took care of me and made sure I knew I was loved.  My granny was tough but she was fair and my Aunt was just good.
  I also thought about my own mother.  We have not had a very good relationship over the years but today, I felt sad for her.  She has faced what no mother ever wants to face.  A Mother's Day in which she has outlived one of her children.  So, even though we have a tough row to hoe in our relationship, I am sorry for her sadness on this day.

On a much brighter note, I had a freaking awesome Mother's Day!  I could not be with my children but they are happy in their lives and that does it for me.  My fab husband and I went for an amazing trail run this morning.  We are camped near the Blue Ridge Parkway and we drove just a few miles to a trail head called Otter Creek Trail.  It.....was.......amazing!  We ran along Otter Creek.  There were small creeks to cross via stones and trees across the trail.  Steeps and narrows.  It was just perfect.

                                                             OTTER CREEK POND

                                                           AWESOME SOFT TRAIL

                                                               HERE HE COMES!

                                                TINY BUT MIGHTY WILDFLOWERS

We spent about an hour on the trail and then hustled back to Lewis to clean up and go to brunch.  Rob made a reservation at a place called The Crown Sterling and we had a delicious brunch.  It really hit the spot after our run.  Great Job Hubby!!!

The girls were waiting for us when we got back and we changed clothes and headed out for a few hiking trails.  We returned to a different section of Otter Creek Trail and Penny Lane was in heaven.  She had many chances to go for a swim in a beautifully clear creek.

  Miss Annie wanted nothing to do with it but was more than happy to walk the trail.  We left that trail and headed to The Peaks of Otter Lodge to check out a potential hike for later this week.  There was a nice trail/path around the lake.  This path was the first trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway to meet the standards set forth by the ADA.  We walked around the lake and found the trailhead for Sharp Top Trail.  We hope to try this later in the week.  Nothing like the fourteeners in Colorado(peaks at 14,000+ feet) but a good hike.

                                                                    OTTER CREEK

                                         OTTER LAKE AND SHARP TOP MOUNTAIN

                                                                CASCADE FALLS

We finished our recon of the Sharp Top Trail and headed back in the direction of camp.  We decided to stop at Cascade Falls trail and take ourselves and the girls on one final adventure for the day.  The trail started downhill and did not stop until we got to the bottom of Cascade Falls it was not too long and definitely worth the hike back up.

We returned to Lewis tired and happy.  Everyone was ready for food so I took leftovers from last night and added a bit of something to them and that was dinner.  We are now happy and content.  The sun is setting to the tunes of Simon and Garfunkle and Neil Diamond's greatest hits.

Another great day in this thing we call life.

PS  I have many more pictures but I have battled the limited bandwith all that I care to for this evening.  I will edit with more pictures tomorrow.