Chief Mountain

We both had the day off today so we decided to go for a hike. We went up to Chief Mountain which is about an hour drive from our place. We passed this little prairie on the way and I just loved it. It looked so peaceful and pristine.
This is the view from the top. It was a bit windy and chilly up there, but the view was spectacular.
I was really entertained by these tiny little trees that were no bigger than MacKenzie. If it had been December one of those little guys would have come home and been her own Christmas tree! ;)
I love this photo of MacKenzie because it looks like she is having a conversation with me- I'm just outside of the camera's view. She is looking so intently at me. It cracks me up.
It was a nice, clear day and we could see for miles. It was awesome.

After the hike, we headed home to clean up. We were nasty, sweaty messes after that climb. This evening we hit up a sale at Express (thanks again for the gift card, Susie!) and went to dinner. We played ball with MacKenzie and the other neighborhood dogs before heading to the driving range. I had not been hitting balls when we went to the driving range because when I was in school I needed to focus on my studies and not golf. Now that I'm free, I will spending a lot more time on my game. For being extremely rusty, I hit a few great shots. Other than that...well, we will not go there.

Finally, in honor of my Aunt Phyllis who passed away today (you read about her in the "I'll have a hot fudge sundae" post), I had a hot fudge sundae. I know that you're in a better place, Aunt Phyllis so I only allowed myself about 30 minutes of tears. I am actually going to be in Indiana for Aunt Phyllis' funeral so I will get to pay my respects in person. Please keep her family and friends in your prayers. I know that her passing was expected, but it is still never easy.