on christmas day in the morning

So I was fortunate enough to combine hanging out with a friend and a hike into the same morning. We picked my favorite place, the Holy Jim Trail near Trabuco Canyon, CA. I used to hike it every other weekend when I lived here and really missed it a lot after I left. They (sorta) named it after a man called Jim Smith who went by the nickname "Cussin Jim". He lived there in the late 1800's and was a beekeeper. The trail was officially named "Holy Jim" instead of "Cussin Jim" when it came time to list the place on a map. I guess they did that so it wouldn't offend anyone. I'm also guessing that Jim's original nickname was presumably because he did just that whenever he was stung by the bees he kept. That's my educated guess since the history on it is scarce. I digress.

This was just what we all needed given how much we were eating over this last week. My schedule has been a continuous parade of work, spending time with family, spending time with friends, and sharing meals with them all. Funny how things change while you're away because I saw minor improvements and tweaks along the way in. In summation, it was a beautiful day lined with good company and conversation. And now it's picture time ...

Bridgette
Leader of the Lewis and Bark Expedition

This took hours to cross.
Mostly because it was scary to me.

Strangers in a strange land.
We were frightened, very frightened. No really!

In the end, this is what we chased.