[at-l] Beautiful morning

[buchanan@gtcinternet.com (Susan Buchanan)]

Hey POG!  I know exactly what you mean.  I still do that (and probably will
continue to do that) as I drive around my new home area in the Whites.
Yesterday was a day off work for me, so I went hiking (climbed Mt Monroe -
and ran into two NOBOs that were at the shelter with us a couple of weeks
ago on the first night of Jan & Clyde's LT hike!). Incredibly clear and warm
day up on the high summits (hit 62 on Mt Washington - and yeah, I remembered
the fleece (which I didn't need) but forgot the sunscreen, so am now a very
nice shade of red). I've been socked in by the weather on a lot of my hikes
up here so far, but yesterday you could see forever. And it was so warm that
I couldn't help myself and had to take a swim halfway up the mountain in the
beautiful pool under the waterfall at The Perch.  Cold, cold, cold!  But oh
so wonderful.  Drove home, and the evening was superb - the light went from
that wonderful slanted late afternoon sunbeam to the soft evening glow, and
as the mountains changed colors with the light I found myself once again in
that wonder of "I live here!"

And I've been so much better about actually taking two days off work each
week now - too often in the past I've hit the point where I'd think "you
know, I've not had a day off in . . . 3 weeks??" - but now there are simply
too many trails and mountains a-callin' and I remember to tell myself to
take those days off.

Yeah . . . life is good!

suz

----- Original Message -----
From: <KarenS62@aol.com>

> Have I mentioned lately I love living in Asheville?  I had to go down the
> Blue Ridge Parkway into the mountains this morning at dawn and it was just
> gorgeous. The sun was just peeking over the mountains and the valleys were
> scattered with wispy clouds. The ride home from Pisgah Inn made me want to
> stay in the mountains and blow off work altogether.  Next time, maybe I
will