We are slowing getting closer to our daily 20 miles we will be walking in the SGK 3 day. The training calls for 12 miles on Saturday and 8 on Sunday, figuring all those 9-5 Mon-Fri folks only have time for that kind of mileage on the weekends. Leslie and I have have weekends that get full - her with family functions and me with work and usually a trip to see Glenn's Dad. My favorite days to do a back to back are Friday and Saturday. So yesterday, being a Friday, we planned our 12 mile walk.
Leslie is a full time MOMMA and her adorable children have the Summer off. 12 miles is 'too far" for my husband Glenn to walk. He says his limit is 5. It's too far for most people. It certainly would have been out of the question for our daughters at the same age! But for Leslie and her kids, we have the definition of Road Warriors.
The forecast called for sprinkles so I asked Leslie if she wanted to reschedule... and the answer was, wear a jacket. When I met them at their house all four were bundled up in their jackets and bucket hats. They had the stroller ready to take on the snacks, the "Coastie", water and other paraphernalia. They also had a new puppy to say goodbye to .... Katie Mae. Then it was off to Sebastopol for our 12 mile walk to Forestville on the West Regional Trail.
Jack and Olivia have been "in training " for awhile now, but Joe has been in school. Joe is the older one (all of 7 years old). This walk was seemingly simple for the younger ones, but Joe was tired and his leg hurt straight out of the box! (I am guessing it could be growing pains - because he hadn't gone far enough to be much else). He got to ride int he stroller longer than the other kids, who kept pace with Leslie and I often running instead of walking.
The Coastie wound up to be more of a passenger the the kids. Trying to find how to bring it along was a challenge.
Then Leslie came up with this plan.....
Joe took a tumble somewhere in the few miles. (Both Jack and Olivia have done that before....)
The mules along the trail provided a great distraction from the growing miles....
Much of the grass along the train had sticker and foxtails in it so we search for something edible for them. One of the mules reached up to grab a branch of the tree overhead so Leslie took to stripping the reachable branches. The mules and the kids were delighted.
We made it to Forestville where we had Tacos. YUM and the kids had a $6 milkshake. Can some one tell me why milk shakes and chocolate milk are expediently more expensive than anything else in a hispanically owned restaurant?
On the way back I think all the kids were a wee bit more tired. I was glad we would be able to see those mules once again. We also were able to stop at the Berry Farm buying some fresh picked berries from the sweet elderly couple who wait for customers.I think it cheered up their gray day to see those beautiful children filling their cheeks with big juicy blackberries.
So running and play followed on the way back to the car. But being somewhat tired, Olivia took a tumble and scraped up her shins a bit. Leslie promised her when they got home that she could have a band aid. (It was fairly minor...)
So when we all piled into the car we had a couple of extra scrapes and three tired but GREAT kids. They convinced me Mr. Youngling needed to come have pizza for dinner and later that night that's what we did. Olivia came in with a couple pf pretty ridiculous looking gauze bandages on her shins. I asked Leslie if she really was a doctor?! She laughed and said there was a lot going on right then.... yea I think there was, her hair looked great!!!
There are a lot of ways to walk 12 miles. I have walked that kind of a walk by myself, with my girlfriends, with my daughter and with three kids, a "Coastie" a Mom and a stroller. I wouldn't change a thing about any of these days. Each of these walks are a gift. They each form a memory I am so grateful to have been blessed with. This 3 day walk thing.... what an adventure it is. What's next? I can hardly wait to see.
EARLIER this week at an office meeting I had a couple of fellow agents model my aprons. They look pretty fine don't they?! They (the aprons) and many more things are available by auction at www.pinktiniandpopcorn.com
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