So. I led Kathy and Linda up Glacier Peak trail in the Cascade Mountain foothills. We hiked over five miles with a thousand feet of elevation gain (and loss).

Karen, my favorite hiking partner, is moving 115 miles away. Karen's husband died in February 2021. Karen is moving to be close to her grandchildren. I will miss her.

New Hiking Group

To my delight, I was invited to join a women's hiking group from Cascade Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The group email chain is confusing. Kathy is my neighbor and friend. Last night, Kathy forwarded an email from Janna saying she was not going join us on today's hike. I thought this meant Kathy was bailing. No hike for today.

This morning, as I pruned roses in the backyard, Kathy knocked on my door. She tried the doorknob and the door opened! Alerting Linda, the two carefully searched for me.

"We looked in the shower, your car, beside your bed, everywhere... no Kathleen!" Kathy explained later. "Your car was there. Your purse was there. We saw your pack and hiking boots ready to go. Where were you? I called you and your phone rang on the table! We were worried you had a stroke, got kidnapped or something terrible."

Linda glanced out the window and spotted a woman (me) pruning roses. But Linda and I had not met yet. They left for the hike. A few minutes later, I walked indoors and saw Kathy had called. Called her back. I was out the door in five minutes.

Driving uphill on an extremely steep, curving gravel road, I tried to zoom like a racecar driver. "We saw your blue car shoot by," Kathy said. They had stopped at the lower trailhead.

Sitting on a hill for lunch, we shared funny adventure stories. Black storm clouds loomed threateningly. But it didn't rain.

"Your place was neat and organized," Linda reassured me. Kathy gave me guff for not making my bed. I laughed. "I throw back the covers to let them dry out," I replied. "Dust mites proliferate in damp sheets."

We had a wonderful time.