The ADVENTURE continues!!!

Last spring a group of coworkers decided that hiking the Appalachian Trail was on their bucket lists. Determined to go, and inviting me to join, we researched what we needed and made a plan! 

This year all of us felt a little as though we were forgetting something important- thankfully we weren't! The major difference was that last year it was all brand new and it required a lot more planning, reading, and researching. We researched equipment, maps, food, clothing, and picked the brains of folks who had hiked it. We learned as much as we could before getting our feet muddy. You can read all about it here. 

Prep this year was waaaaaaaay easier. I knew how to prep the clothes I already had to prevent ticks and pests from bothering me. I could base what foods to pack and how much I needed on notes from last year. I was ready to air out my tent for waterproofing. Yeah! I could do this! WE were DOING this! Again!

Food packing looked like this. Each meal was labeled in a bag and put into a larger one labeled "DAY 1", and so on. This kept things tidy in my pack and easy to get to when I need it. The goal was to have enough calories and protein without the food itself weighing too much. With home renovations making messes all around me, it felt good to have something tidy and controlled for a change.

I laid everything out to make sure I had all I needed and to see what I could possibly leave behind. Every single thing packed adds weight, and those tiny little comforts add up quickly. I read "The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide" by Andrew Skurka last year, and skimmed bits of it as a refresher this year as I prepped to pack. It was extremely helpful in my prepping, purchasing, and packing. 

We set out by car at 4:30am! My pack weighed roughly 29 lbs this year, very close to last years weight. It's not ideal, but for me there are comforts that are worth the weight to carry. 

Last year we hiked from Palmerton, Pa. to Eckville. It was tiring, it was difficult, but in the end we felt accomplished. This year we picked up where we left off and hiked 43 miles to Bethel. 

On our first day we ate our lunches at Pinnacle Rock in Hamburg. We met a lady lunching there, airing her feet, socks and shoes as she lunched as well. We are always intrigued by what inspires folks we meet to start on this journey. She shared that she quit her job to test out a possible new business venture, making her own ultralight meals for backpackers. What better place to test out such an idea than the AT?! She's a "flip flop thru hiker". These hikers begin their journey at the midpoint of the entire trail in Harpers Ferry, WV. They travel north or south to the end, then return to the midpoint and hike in the other direction, eventually hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. 

The Pennsylvania portion of the AT is known for its rocky terrain. 

When you tell hikers you meet on the trail that you began your AT adventure in Pennsylvania they are genuinely surprised that anyone would choose such a difficult stretch as a starting point. As "section hikers", we attempt to hike small bits of the trail each year. It made the most sense for us to stay close to home, especially since none of us had ever done it before!

Hiking is hard, smelly, and often uncomfortable. Once you accept that that's how it's going to be for awhile, you can focus on the positive. 

There are beautiful things everywhere around you.

The trail you're hiking changes quickly from mud to rocks to boulders and back again. 

The woods you pass through change from thick and full to low and covered in ferns. 

Last year water sources weren't reliable and we were thirsty. Thankfully this year we found several streams to refill our water bottles in! 

When terrain gets extra rocky you walk with your eyes to the ground for safety. While walking I often look for heart shaped rocks and puddles because it makes me think of people I love. 

My husband loves fonts, old things, and metal. I thought of him when I saw this on the trail.

We hiked through a controlled burn area. Everything low was black and charred. 

You can see the burn date was from May of this year and already green was reclaiming the forest floor. 

When you chat with other hikers they often warn you of what is ahead of you- lots of rocks, beware of snakes, no water for so many miles, etc. One hiker told us to look forward to some "trail magic" and shared that a man living close to the trail would let you stay at his cabin for $5 a night. He'd feed you, you could shower, and it was awesome! We weren't interested in hiking 2 miles out of the way for this, but for those on the trail for days longer than our trip it was a pretty big deal. 

"Trail magic" is an unexpected act of kindness that helps hikers in their journey. Several miles after hearing about trail magic we found this! The cabin man we'd heard about also leaves two coolers, one filled with water and the other with snacks (granola bars, hummus, cheeses, and Werther's Originial candies) on the edge of the trail for thru and section hikers only! Two garbage bags hung from trees to collect the trash hikers are packing out (you never litter when hiking, take out what you take into the woods). We didn't take anything, but we left with smiles. Such kind gestures truly do mean a great deal to hikers. 

We've set up camp in several "campsites" along the trail (the ground is flat and there's a makeshift fire pit), but this one was my favorite. It was spacious (most are very small). Water was close by. The trail went through the middle of the site. It was beautiful. 

After setting up tents it was time to build a fire and rest our feet!

Not every evening ended with a warm fire. We had rain more than once that made fires difficult to make so the idea was often abandoned in favor of hot food and sleep. Our group included 7 people last year. We shared supplies, including cook sets. This year we hiked with just 4 people. Half of the group used a Jetboil portable cook set, and I shared my tiny Esbit set. The fuel is lighter and smellier, but it's perfect for my needs and pack weight. 

This is what's for dinner each night on the trail! I buy them at Walmart in a variety of meal options, but this is my favorite. During a cold and stormy night dinner in my tent I decided that the folks on the package definitely were not hiking the Appalachian Trail together. While dining I thought about the lady we'd met the first day at the Pinnacle. I follow her on Instagram and will be watching for her ultralight meals for hikers next year!

Crawling out of a tent in the morning before the sun has time to warm things up isn't easy, even with the hope of a warm cup of coffee and some hot oatmeal for breakfast. 

But when you open the tent and see how gorgeous the woods are in the morning....

..... it makes it easier to get up and moving. 

And keep moving!

At the end of our hike we drove by all that we'd just spent days conquering to pick up our other car. It felt strange to see it all from the road, so we stopped for a picture! We drove in 30 minutes what had taken us 4 days to hike. Very strange....

We learned a lot our first year, and we learned even more our second. Already looking forward to the next adventure!

Until then, I'm going to do my best to enjoy this summer!

what I'm working on #4: The Glitter Trail Mystery

My grandmother was awesome. She was smart, she could sew, she was creative, she loved learning new things, and she was always up for an adventure. She was my favorite person. When I was younger she lived downstate and would often travel north to visit. When she saw me, instead of cupping my face in her hands and telling me how pretty I was (I was a nerd and a tomboy), she would ask me what I was reading. She wanted me to know things, to do things, to read things. She'd save The Mini Page for me to read from her local newspaper and would often bring a book along on her visits that she thought I might enjoy. During one such visit she brought a few Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, on loan from my Aunt. 

The books were old. There were slight signs of wear from being previously loved, and I couldn't wait to dive in. They did not disappoint! I fell in love with Nancy Drew stories! Thanks Gram!!! I rushed to the library and was thrilled to find they had a complete set on the shelf for me to enjoy! The cover art was dated but dynamic, the binding was yellow (easy to spot on the shelves) with a Nancy Drew logo and the number of the series, and they were SO COOL. Were? They're STILL cool! As a kid I never had a complete set of my very own, but whenever I find them at a book sale or yard sale I snatch them up to add to my shelf. If I find that I've got duplicates, I share the wealth and gift them.

Well, we collect children's books and, as with anything collected, our shelves were bursting at the seams! We decided it was time to let go of the books we've outgrown. Our children asked if they could have a book sale to raise money for a game they've had their eyes on. Yep! Entrepreneurial spirit, goals, dedication, work, of course we'll encourage that! While they arranged, sorted and sold, I set to work painting in the grass behind them. (Focus on the adorable little entrepreneurs and ignore the landscaping, we just ripped out the shrubbery and haven't replanted yet!)

The project? The book theme for my classroom door this year. The book? Why, Nancy Drew of course! Rather than copying an existing book cover I made my own version with a personal twist. I've been known to use glitter from time to time. Surprised? Well, whenever there's glitter anywhere in the school I'm usually teased about it. My solution is to suggest that perhaps the glitter trails are caused by another shadowy figure that may or may not resemble a certain football coaching music teacher I know. 

What? It could happen... Just keep painting, just keep painting....

Oh! And glitter! Don't forget the glitter... Our music teacher LOVES glitter. See?!

I used a few metallic paints and in certain lighting you can really see the shimmer. The image on the left is with the lights on, and the image on the right is in natural lighting. This was a lot of fun and working on it brought back many fond memories. I hope my students have a sense of humor and enjoy this cover! I hope the music teacher has a good sense of humor as well! Finishing the project made me feel like I'd just finished reading a good book, and it's time to start another!

On the road again...

We are an adventure loving family! Yesterday we were invited to join two other families for a day trip to Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg, Pa, and we excitedly accepted! Travel with kids can be dangerous if they're bored. Boredom leads to making bad choices that drive people crazy in small spaces (like a car), and I value my sanity too much to risk it. Normally when we travel the kids have several Calvin and Hobbes books to read. I pick them up for a buck or two at yard sales and book sales, and they are treasured in our household. They're carefully planned and drawn beautifully, they're adventurous and funny, and they're packed with big new words to expand the vocabulary of my children! We discuss words they don't know, and it's great. Bill Watterson, the creator and author of Calvin and Hobbes, is brilliant. 

We also take art supplies for doodles. You never know when you'll see something that inspires an idea. I take my moleskine sketchbook EVERYWHERE. I mean it, it goes everywhere with me. The Appalachian Trail, the dentist office, faculty meetings, car rides, it goes where I go. It's the perfect size for toting around, it has a secret pocket in the back to store anything that's relatively flat, and a stretchy band easily wraps around the front to keep it closed so it's not all loosey goosey in my bag. The paper quality is great for mixed media sketching- ink, watercolors, colored pencils, etc. Plus, my favorite pens seem to really love this paper too. Well wouldn't you know that for this drive we forgot our go-to entertainment stuff for the kids?! What to do?!?! We played an animal version of 20 questions, guessing what animal someone was thinking of. Does it have feathers? No. Does it have 4 legs? Yes. Does it live in water? Sometimes. You get the idea...Randy loves to drive, which is perfect because I don't. Driving stresses me out. So while he expertly drove and we played 20 questions, I sipped coffee and sketched fish! We both try to squeeze in sketch time whenever possible, and car rides are perfect for sketching when the scenery is bland. 

My time is valuable. There never seems to be enough hours in a day to conquer the many projects, develop all of the ideas, read all of the blogs, articles, and books (last on the list is housework, that's not going anywhere). So my goal each day is to make the most of my minutes! Yeah, yeah, I know. Easier said than done some days, and the same is true for me. Our family is BUSY, so it's a personal goal that I look for ways to make the most of any free time I have. Carve out time to invest in yourself and your family. Fight for that time, it's important. 

The car ride wasn't the most exciting part of our day, of course. The roller coasters were!!! BUT... we had fun in the car on the way to our adventure making the most of our travel minutes! 

Let's go fishing!

Yesterday was hot. HOT. Dry, thirsty hot. Our county is experiencing a severe drought, even after a bit of rain, and the plants are feeling the burn. The grass in the yard crunches under your feet. So, what to do when the sun is out, the grass is crunchy, and the kids want to play?! Go fishing!

Matt took his trusty fishing rod from Uncle Gregg, Clare grabbed a net for catching butterflies, dragonflies, minnows and crayfish, everyone put on some shoes for water wading, and we were on our way!

There's a quiet place to explore near the base of a local dam, and the kids love it. The boys walked off together to fish, so Clare and I enjoyed some girl time and I let her lead the way! 

Clare would make an excellent tour guide. She thoughtfully warned that the water was cool before I took a step into it, but that it'd feel really nice on a hot day. She was right! She showed me that if she walked like Godzilla through the water (while demonstrating slow deliberate steps) that it created brown clouds in the water that looked like nuclear mushroom clouds. 

She showed me how to kick the muck off my feet, and giggled when it plopped into the water. "That was fun, right mom?" Asking "right mom?" occurs at least 20 times a day, and I love it. She's looking for me to say "right Clare", to let her know she's on to something, she's had a good idea, and it makes her proud. 

There was so much to explore! We discovered these tiny rocks arranged together and decided that it looked like an arrow. Where did it come from? Why was it there? It was a great opportunity to use our imaginations and clues to form a hypothesis and develop a story. Sometimes our stories get a little silly and may involve aliens, mermaids, or frog dance parties. You just never know, and that's part of the fun. This looked like the work of frogs pointing to their dance party, obviously.

The tall grass was full of excitement. Dragonflies ranging in size and shades of greens and blues dashed about and kept Clare busy in her attempts to catch them with her net. The girl has balance! She didn't slip once on those slippery rocks, and I was impressed. 

After tiring of dragonflies we decided to look for crayfish. They're fast! Any movement in the water caused a swirl of brown ick that cloaked the crayfish long enough for them to find shelter under a rock. It was like playing hide-n-seek! You knew they were under a rock, but which one.....

Boy were they fast! But Clare was faster and she caught one!

There were other neat-o things to notice in the water too. We found another heart rock for my friend Joan! Joan would have loved playing in the water with us...

We thought the shadows in the water from this leaf resembled the dots on the tail of a redfish! Uncle Gregg would be proud!

There were fossils. Some had the markings of tiny seashells. How did that happen? We don't live by the ocean. Great conversations can be started from the questions of children. 

Do you see shell imprints?

A few weeks ago we noticed someone had created rock balancing sculptures along the rocky hillside at the top of the dam. We decided to give it a try. How hard could it be? Just stack 'em up, right? It looked easy enough. Well, it's surprisingly a lot harder than it looks. It toppled over several times, but the splashes were refreshing in the heat and we had a lot of fun.

When we needed a rest we sat on a big rock with our feet in the water and looked around. There were seeds floating about that would land in the water and slowly glide along the top. We practiced our aim and tossed rocks at them, using words to described the sound of the splashes, like "kerplunk", "blup", "plop", "bloop", "splish", "swoosh", "splosh", and many many more. Bigger rocks made bigger and deeper sounds. 

Matthew returned to his fishing so Clare and I continued playing with rocks. We worked together to find rocks to form a mermaid in the water. It was like making our very own puzzle! Clare did a great job using tiny rocks to make the scales. We brainstormed ideas for how to make her hands and hair. There were all sorts of things we could have used, but decided to stick with rocks only. We experimented with making faces and decided she looked better without one. Wouldn't it be cool for someone else to find it while they're out exploring? What a cool surprise!

Rocks also make excellent desks and chairs. Clare pretended she was an artist working on signing her name with wet muck from the water. Resourceful! It took a couple of tries. The sun was so hot it dried up her letters before she could get to the "e" at the end of her name! Can you believe that we forgot to take water along with us to drink?! Crazy, right?! A truly terrible plan. So, we decided to stop for a Gatorade treat on the way home and chatted about our favorite parts of the day. There were A BUNCH of favorite parts! Had we remembered to take water, the day would have cost only a bit of gas to get there and a few hours of our time. A day well spent, an investment in our children worth making, and a fun day all around.