Trip-time is rapidly approaching, so I’ve been looking over my information and quizzically pondering some of the suggestions. As a result, I went to the outdoor store to buy water treatment tablets but became confused because there were so many to choose from. Then, as luck would have it, I ran into a drop-dead handsome mountaineer who could have sold me hot butter in the sunshine. Suddenly, I knew how to solve my dilemma. Using deductive thinking, I made my purchase based on his recommendation: “He looks good, so the product must be excellent.”
After returning home, I looked at my list again, and here is where the “quizzically pondering” part really kicked in. An umbrella is recommended for “extra privacy during pit stops on the trail.” Moreover, trekking skirts are said to, “give women a bit of privacy for off-trail pit stops.” So here I am, wrapped in my long underwear, with my hiking sticks and lifted skirt in one hand and my umbrella, braced for action, in the other. My body is clearly paralyzed by the daunting task of maneuvering my props into a position that will attain the sought after “bit of privacy.” "Guess What?" "I'm clueless!" If you are one of my writing students, you’ll get ten extra credit points for a “Process Paper” that leads to the successful completion of this challenge. Life is a puzzle!
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"The Gorge" was a breathtaking "10" on Saturday’s training hike, but in my next life, I am going to make friends with hikers who have short legs. My hiking buddy, Tami, is a 
shoo-in for a "Dancing with the Stars" finalist, and she led Ron and I to the top of Wakeena Falls with the same foot to the metal approach she uses to back out of her driveway. To add to the day’s challenges, we decided to return by way of "barricaded" Multnomah Falls. We risked getting $300 fines for slithering past the "Closed due to Icy Conditions" sign posted by the Forest Service. Now, Ron and Tami have tap danced their way out of paper bags while I, on the other hand, have had my wages garnished for an innocent crosswalk infraction during a police sting operation. Therefore, I timidly followed them with visions of my $300 Tibetan Carpet lying on the hearth of the Multnomah Falls Lodge. As luck would have it, the rangers missed us as we slid across Benson Bridge and quickly climbed around the stoic barriers before silently blending into the crowd of onlookers. Following our breathtaking risk, we ate at the lodge, reviewed our experience and refected on the scenic wonders of The Gorge. The day truly was "a perfect 10."
Peggy, Judy and Emily,
