Leavenworth from a Peak‘Whew! It is very cold,’ our editor exclaimed from under her blankets as we decided on the day’s adventure. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ we answered, ‘you’re allowing the name of the hike to cloud your judgment.’ Mind you, we’re thinking that the winter names don’t make a whole lot of sense in summer. How about those road signs that one sees all the time.
‘Watch for ice on the bridge’—in 95 degrees weather , one really has to be an optimist. A person can end up waiting months.
‘Watch for falling rocks’—we wonder what to do if a boulder comes rolling down a mountain while we are in the car. We suppose watch.
Mountains don't burnWatch for distracted narratives. Pardon the interruption. Back to convincing our editor that although the temperature dropped overnight it was still in the low 60’s. The hike was a delightful one although the weather did not allow the camera to capture its essence. Statistics: Over six miles with an elevation gain of 1800 feet, including sharp concentrations of steepness. The hike was close to the town so we had a view of Leavenworth and the river on the one side, the mountains and the snaking river on the other. The path was on the outside edge the whole way, a favorite style of ours, so we enjoyed exposure throughout.
There she goes againIt was a day that allowed us to ponder the great issues of the day. We are grateful that Ben ‘Bambi’ Bernacke is running the show. He wants more inflation and here we are thinking that no inflation should be the ideal. But what do we know? Our medical insurance premium went up 30%, tuition fees rose 20% in the last semester, food and energy are rising fast, the dollar reflects this and is dropping like a ‘drunk’ third world currency. Raw materials are soaring which will result in further price increases. Fortunately, Ben says there’s not enough inflation so we’re pleased we got it all wrong. Imagine how fast living costs would rise with inflation. Shows you how confused we really are. We are not qualified for a government position, obviously.
Lunch again? But we had it yesterdayWe find ourselves sitting on top of the mountain and thinking of what makes the world go round. We read about the ‘world-fixers’. This sounds very impressive to us because we are just locals. Imagine that. People whose aim it is to fix and change the whole world. Sometimes they think they can do it with a piece of legislation, other times they use a bunch of guerillas or militants. At first glance, we are bowled over by such high-mindedness. We know that it is our job to repair the world. However, we think it may be a bit ambitious. Therefore, we try to work on fixing ourselves before we tell everyone what to do. We have our work cut out for us, that’s for sure.
The ‘fixers’ are very passionate about their causes. We admire such passion as it creates energy and enthusiasm, usually good emotions. We hear of those who sometimes take very powerful, unilateral actions. They kill, maim, injure, wound , explode, taunt, provoke and destroy anyone or anything that stands in the way of their fine cause. They will do anything for their noble outcome. We don’t have that passion. As we mentioned, we need to work on ourselves. We think that is the route to world peace rather than we decide what’s good for others. Nevertheless, we love peace, too, perhaps even more. Who doesn’t?
Our Peak
We don’t like to trivialize such an important concept. However, we see the ‘fixers’ joining all and every cause. They even tell us we eat badly. We thought it was our responsibility to make decisions about our stomachs and health. Now they want to change our diets. No more fat, salt, out with fast foods, even eggs and milk. If they want real anger; try take away our Diet Coke.
Their Peak from Ours
So, we sit and think and become irritated. Our editor reminds us why she likes us to remain focused on hiking and climbing. ‘When our minds stray, we become agitated and before long, we’ll become “fixers of the fixers”,’ she says. We don’t know that we understand her fully but she’s usually correct. We stop thinking about ‘fixers’. ‘Let’s get back to our own problems,’ she reminds us.
‘Do you think I should pop this blister? I also need the pummel stone for the corn on my toe. ‘Wait a minute’, she answers, ‘I have to put disinfectant on my cuts; these mosquitoes are killing me...’. The world is going to have to wait until at least tomorrow…we are too busy fixing ourselves.
Icicle Ridge? Brr...Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
PS Wishing you all a great Shabbos and/or good weekend.
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