Last week I was inspired by an old college classmate to go hike the ridge above my valley. It turned out to be a stunning place and now I just keep wanting to go back.
I went on Saturday morning again with a friend, her dog and my dog. We had a great time and the weather was great. She summed up the experience best... She said that outings like that remind her of why she lives where she lives. I completely agree.
It is really amazing how nice of an area I live in. Sometimes you just get so into the grind of things that you forget to take the time to enjoy what you have. This inspired me to write a little about where I live and why I like it here.
I love the silence and seclusion of my valley. I love the trails and the wilderness that is around me on all sides. The creek that flows out of this valley into the Shenandoah River is as gorgeous as anything I have seen in the Rockies. My neighbors all around me are friendly and nice folk. We also have a great mix of people in the valley and they all add to the fascinating fabric. The wildlife is abundant and we are surrounded by untouched National Forest. The weather is always interesting and can make some mornings just breathtaking. On clear nights I can stand out in the yard and see a shooting star gauranteed in 5-10 minutes no matter what. You can also see the milky way very clearly and most of the major constellations. The pond is great and is so nice to swim in during the heat of the summer. During the winter when the weather is right, nothing is better than pond hockey. All in all, it is truly a wonderful place.
That isn't to say it doesn't have its struggles. We have frozen sump lines sometimes in the dead of winter. Gnats invade the valley in the summer and are annoying. To get ANYTHING not available at the general store it is 20 minutes minimum. We have zero cell service within 15 miles of the house.
But, all of these seem pretty minor when you are sitting up on that cliff hundreds of feet above the narrow passage below.
Well, that is my happy "rant" for the day.
And don't forget the nice warm furnace to keep us toasty warm even on the coldest winter nights. :-)
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