and by “green” this time i do in fact, mean green

reason #3,214 why i thoroughly enjoy living in Cleveland is not just the great things about this specific geographical region, but it’s proximity to other wonderful places, for instance, MOHICAN STATE PARK…

This beautiful park is a recreational destination for so many people doing a wide variety of activities. The specific activities leading us there yesterday were MOUNTAIN BIKING for my honey and HIKING for me.  I was hoping to get in a good hike and still have a little time to do some sun bathing but 4th of July weather was not particularly conducive this year, man, it was actually a bit chilly there!  The lack of sun inspired me to hike a little longer than I originally planned.  I did a 6 mile round trip and it was perfect!!  by the last mile, i was very aware of the fitness aspect of my hike! 

I am sure one of these days i will also be trying out mountain biking, it doesn’t scare me really, i like the challenge and know it would be an exhilarating workout, but for now, the hiking is a nice alternative to cycling the towpath (ya know, just for varieties sake).  As I hiked through this winding path, i loved how there are such distinguishable looks to the forest, i mean, from afar it all sort of looks the same, but as you wind through deeper and deeper into it, you become sort of hyper aware of all the transitions it goes through, from a fern-covered floor to open and grassy to all pine needles, from dense cover beckoning the memory of Lord of the Rings, to the open fields of Swiss Family Robinson.  It is easy to see how one could discern ‘landmarks’ and even read a map of the forest (something i admittedly have never really done and was skeptical about)…I walked through imagining how the experience would all be so different on a mountain bike (not better or worse different, just different).  I thought about my survival skills, or rather, lack thereof while on my hike as well….what exactly am i supposed to do when confronted by a bear?…act like a statue or run like hell?  i don’t recall, i will have to watch more of that survivor-guy show on what i think is the Discover Channel…speaking of survival, it wasn’t until after the walk did i get confirmation on the safe/not safe berry situation:

another important thing one MUST consider when going on a hike, is the soundtrack…i think that the music you listen to when immersing yourself in such an isolated activity as hiking alone in the woods really shapes your entire experience…admittedly, i put ZERO thought into mine, but it ended up working out great. i brought my ipod, but forgot to turn it on the first 10minutes or so because i was focused on making sure i picked up the right path and stayed on it, as i could here russell’s instructions in my head as i entered the forest: ” DO NOT LEAVE THE PATH…FOR ANY REASON “…but once i got going and knew i was on the correct path, as well as which direction i started from, i got my ipod out and put it on shuffle, the first song that came up was Madeleine Peyroux and i immediately stopped the shuffle and just listed to her album, Half the Perfect World, which was the perfect kick off to my solitary walk…when this album completed i then knew right away what would be next, Neko Case’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Album, which is one of my all-time favorites…during this album i fully embraced knowing that i was totally alone out there ( and by ‘totally’ i mean until a mountain biker comes around the next bend or whatever, but that only happened in the last mile of my entire hike), anyhow, knowing i was “alone”, i completely belted out each song on the album as if i was singing for an arena tour, which come to think of it may have thrown off the entire eco-system of Mohican Forest, considering my utterly deficient singing abilities.  (eek!  no wonder why i didn’t see any deer and Russ did!).  After Neko, I listened to Bob Dylan’s Blood on the tracks, a classic and felt a little more comfortable singing along to him than i did neko, but oddly enough i sang him much more quietly, perhaps, because this was the stretch that i came across the mountain bikers…

Well when we left Mohican and drove back thru Loudonville, we were lucky enough to have stumbled into a little antiques fair, so of course, we stopped, did a little antiques shopping, walked down main street and even had some food at the fair.

great day!!!