To Wagner Butte and beyond!

I recently went on a 10 mile hike with a group of my friends. I'll be honest: The morning of the hike, I was dreading the first half, knowing it would be almost all uphill. However, being surrounded by good friends and nature made the agonizing pain in my hips and left knee (don't I sound old?) bearable. It didn't hurt that since there were so many of us there was constant encouragement. I've come to realize that I NEED to be pushed by other people. Often I can't find motivation within myself, so it helps when it comes in the form of a friend. This is probably why I struggle getting to the gym and staying there for more than 20 minutes.



Thanks to the help and encouragement of good friends, and the desire to see the view from the peak of Wagner Butte, I made it to the top! We all made it! And what an amazing sight it was. To our right we could see Mt. Ashland and Mt. Shasta. Down below we could see Emigrant Lake (near Ashland) all the way to Central Point, where we could barely make out the Table Rock formations. If we looked straight ahead, Mt. McLoughlin could be seen.



On our way down dark clouds were beginning to roll in, and the day after our hike, Wagner Butte was surrounded by voluminous clouds so thick that it could be not been from Talent. It looks like we picked the perfect day for the hike.

On a different note: between Facebook and blogs, a lot of people have been posting things they are thankful for. I really like that. I'm going to attempt my own list, and hopefully continue to add to it.

Things I'm Thankful For:
1. Darren and I's recently aquired love (and borderline obsession) of chess.
2. Sushi. Sushi. Sushi. How did I go my whole life without divulging in the delectable deliciousness of white rice, raw fish, and seaweed?
3. Fall, the season. I LOVE LOVE LOVE autumn colors. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Brown. I also love the crisp air, the cool temperatures, and comfy sweaters. And how could I forget Pumpkin Spice Lattes?
4. Acoustic guitars.
5. Good books.
6. Sharing laughter with friends and family.