Today feels like it has lasted approximately 47 hours already, and it’s barely 3:30. Probably because I got up at 5 a.m., dropped Tara off at the airport exactly one hour later, and then drove an hour+ to Spearfish for a 7.5-mile roundtrip hike to the top of Crow Peak and back. And then I drove home, but not before stopping at Safeway for our weekly grocery run. All of that, and I was back home just a little after noon.
I arrived at the trailhead at 7:15, figuring I’d be the only one there, but…nope. There were a few other hikers, all of whom must have realized, like I, that these 75-degree November days won’t last forever.
The hike was amazing; the weather on the way up perfect, though it was pretty warm by the time I headed back down. Windy near the summit, as you would expect, but this time of year there were no mosquitoes or flies. The trail was a nonstop steady incline the whole way, gaining 1,600′ in elevation. Well worth the effort though, because the views from the top? Spectacular.
I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country. The mountains and prairies make for endless vistas. It truly is the perfect place for an outdoors enthusiast like me.
On the way down, I got a text from Deb, my friend and former coworker. She was letting me know that Pennsylvania had gone to Biden, putting him over the top and ending days of speculation that really were nothing more than the lead-up to what I have long felt was a foregone conclusion. Seriously, I have spent months being a source of emotional support and positivity leading up to the election. I never had a single doubt that Biden would win; just ask Tara. I chalk it up to my unfailing optimism, but really, Trump was such a walking, talking disaster from day one that America had no choice but to repudiate him. I know he’s got a large base of supporters, but they were never in the majority (thank god). There was simply no way in my mind that the country as a whole would grant such a racist, egotistical moron another four years.
Thank you, America, for not letting me down. This time, anyway. We won’t talk about 2016. Now, let’s fix all that was broken these last four years and return this country to greatness!
Still not sure if I’m writing every day this month…
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