Sometimes You Don't Reach the Top

I climbed Mt. Saint Helen's recently with my family.  We didn't go all the way to the top for various reasons.  I have climbed to the top before, but the conditions then were not as variable.  We started a bit late, 9:30 a.m. and planned for rain.  Luckily it just misted.  The major obstacle that we found was being able to see from one pylon to the next in the boulder fields, as the fog and at times clouds prevented us from easily following the route.  I mentioned to my family that it was kind of like life.  God only allows you to see so much and no more until you get a little closer to it or you really focus your vision on it searching for it.  Sometimes you have to wait for your eyes to adjust to the fog.

I always tend to second-guess myself thinking, man we should have just taken the extra 3 hours it would take us from the point we were at to go to the top.  In the back of my mind though, I was nervous about coming down and wondering if the weather was going to hold out.

There is always next year. 

Down and Out

It seemed like the most horrible weekend.  I came down with a cold, mainly coughing and sneezing.  On Saturday, I spent most of the beautiful autumn day in bed.  I was not happy about that.  I put my robe on and decided to sit on the front porch to drink my lemon tea with honey and soak up some mid-morning rays of sunshine.  I placed my cup on the side table and noticed that there was a small, hairy spider doing the same thing-sunning himself.  I retrieved my black flat and proceeded to try and smack it.  It darted underneath the table.  I didn't have the energy to try and get him.  I threw my shoe back in the house.  After a little while I moved to another chair on the porch.  After a little while the spider came back out in the same spot-as if to mock me.  I actually found it entertaining.  You win today, spider.  I am going back to bed.