Luck and horseshoes.

On Sunday morning the family set out on a hike with our friend/neighbor and her son, along with another family they knew. We didn’t know our destination until we arrived to pick them up, and when she told me Gans Creek trails, at the end of Bearfield Road, I thought, how ironic! You see, we had just been checking out a rental on a road walking distance to this trail the day before (we are still in the process of checking it out, btw). The location was completely unknown to us until this point — seems like the stars were aligning a bit, but who knows?

The hike was lovely. The air was crispy and cool as we set out onto the trail; 5 adults and 5 children noisily bustling ahead. Close in we discover the remains of a crumbled foundation and set out to explore. We balance beam our way along the rocky establishment, mapping out the floor plan and speculating about the era it was built. We find a connected root cellar underground.

I wandered about with my camera, pointing and shooting where it willed. Through the lens I see an old rusty horseshoe, stuck up on a limb of a tree. After some maneuvering with a fallen branch, Chris managed to retrieve my prize and I was totally enamored with this corroded treasure and the stories it told me. My lucky horseshoe.

Nearby I discovered an old electric pole, with little metal house numbers (possibly?) nailed on. I didn’t take the numbers. (But I wanted to.)

The rest of the hike was beautiful. We ended on an expanse of deciduous trees whose turf was rich and mulchy with deer droppings and fallen leaves.

The kids found fairy homes and an all natural jungle gym.

And we found Verity a future husband:

All in all, I’d say it was one very successful outing.