One of the tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. ~ Dale Carnegie

It’s been an odd summer in my neck of the woods. The combination of an epic wildfire (which closed many of my favorite hiking spots) and unbearable heat has meant the dogs and I have been a bit lacking in our outdoor adventures.

Not last weekend.

We hit the road and headed for the hills. The destination: somewhere I’ve wanted to hike for years.

Luka eagerly led the way while Sadie waited for me to snap the picture.

The woods eventually opened up.

Luka enjoyed exploring.

He especially liked climbing on the huge rocks.

Sadie was fond of the cool stream water.

As for me….I enjoyed the scenery.

As we neared the summit Luka (finally) started to look tired.

And Sadie appeared to take in the view.

Finally we reached the summit.

The dogs rested

and I took in the view.

When we returned to the car the dogs immediately settled in for the ride home.

By the time I stopped for a snack

the sounds of snoring were coming from the back of the car.