I just experience that frantic emotion- only in the woods...
I am so thankful for his getting me to experience every second of every season
but sometimes
sometimes I would really enjoy if the boys would walk the dog
but...
kids may yearn for a pet
but nothing compels them like videogames
I guess we should have gotten an electronic dog
what a beautiful day to be in the woods
these photos do do not lie
FANTASTIC DAY TO BE IN THE WOODS!
it had been TOO long since I had taken the boys mountain biking
too too long
soccer and such sucks up the weekends
I myself have not been doing all that much mountain biking
so Sunday I made it happen... we went to Meadowood in NOVA to check out the new boardwalks and such
we were not let down
well... I do have some hesitation about the winding boardwalk... I fear that the risk to reward is not such a great balance
but... over time it will be a developed skill for some
then a trip to the hospital for others
we left Didg at home so I could focus on the boys
I am not all that familiar with the trails and do not like to take the dog to the woods that are not my home court
the drive to Meadowood was AMAZINGLY painless
short and sweet... no traffic
there were no vacant parking spaces
but in the time it took me to suit up and take the bikes off the car a rider finished his loop and we had someplace to put the Element
my thought was that we would take a loop as a group... then hit the interior man made technical sections
then loop things at our own rate
well... lofty ambitions... foolishly lofty ambitions
we started off with ten year old Grant setting the pace
we did a lap that took us to "THE BOSS" trail
our objective... the reason I dragged my kids across the bridge
the boys hit THE BOSS TRAIL a number of times
I could hear Grant screaming in pleasure as if he were riding a roller coaster
then after a few times on the Boss Trail we were back on the South Branch Loop
I could see that Grant was fighting to keep pace
so... I offered to split off
I would ride with Dean and Grant could finish the loop and rest at the car
well... one issue
The Boss Trail dumped up out further on the South Branch Loop than I thought... we were already past the turn for the small parking lot
this is where the real riding started
Dean and I did a lap and after that lap we discovered our error
we looped back and checked the parking lot
NO GRANT
then we went back to the woods and we each went opposite directions
then we went back to the woods and we each went opposite directions
again... NO GRANT
oh man... oh oh man...
back to the car... I put Grant's hat on the antenna so he would see that I had been back to the car
then left back into the woods
I was panicked... lost my kid panic...
but now since I sent Dean looking for Grant I had lost two kids instead of one
sure enough...
they found their way back
another rider who I had asked if he had seen them had shown them the turn they missed
and ran into me a second time
ah... relaxation
then off to Cactus Cantina to rest and recover