Hiking

Saturday we went to the woods. 

We were looking for blackberries, but it turned out they aren't ready yet and we didn't find anything to pick.  We did find lots of raspberry brambles, which scratched us up pretty well, reaching across the paths as they were.  

The kids and a dog went with us, and we hiked through maybe a mile of barely-trail before reaching a field with an actual trail which eventually led to a road.  Now, we could have gone back the way we came, through the brambles and all, but the road was sounding pretty good compared to that.  We didn't know just WHICH road it was until we'd walked far enough to find an intersection with a sign on it.   The cross road was the one we were looking for, and looking at the sun told us the direction, so we walked for another good ways before we found a gathering of people.   The electric company was working on a line, and 5-6 people and a couple dogs had gathered around to watch and chat, as one does in the country.   Any excuse for a gathering, especially on a holiday weekend.   

  The lady across the street let the kids get a drink from her houses outside spigot, we chatted some and she said had seen our van and told us it was just up around the bend now.    We meandered on, up a hill, round a bend and down a bit, and there was the trusty minivan waiting for us.  

The walk ended up being a good hour and a half.   The dog managed to bring home half a forest's worth of burrs in her fur.

Also, today was the first day since Tryst that I dared to wear a tank top in public.  There are still scars on my back and arms, and one faint bruise, but no one asked or stared.  I figured they look more like bug bites (or raspberry bramble scratches) than anything more suspicious by now.