Full Moon and Mountain Brook Hike

After 3 nights staying with Mark & Jan while our countertops and tub/shower were getting done and buying some accessories we are now finished with our renos for the year.  

Whoa there Bruce.  Not so fast.  This project went so well lets do the bathroom.  And oh by the way I started tearing off the ugly bedroom wallpaper and it came off so easy  the bedroom now needs to be painted.  Besides we are socially distancing this year and hopefully next year we are back to a full list of activities so this is the year to get 'er done.  

Thats the word from the boss and I can't argue with her logic so we are taking a little hiatus this week and next week I start painting the bathroom.  At least its only painting and not major construction.  Should be easy.  Famous last words right.

We went on a couple of hikes this week already and I am going again on Friday.  Amazing how quick one loses their aerobic conditioning after a week of inactivity.  Mondays hike to Mountain Brook was pretty easy but it left us huffing and puffing.  Our intended destination was packed with hikers due to the MLK holiday plus we were a little late getting started as we had to wait for the plumber to hook up our bathtub.  Mountain Brook is just up the street but while we have walked over there from the Park we have never hiked back into the hills.  It was lovely and turned out to be a good scouting trip for our planned full moon shoot that evening.

So here are a few pictures of the daytime hike and a few more of the full moon rising over the superstitions.  

Saguaro skeleton.

They have a saying down here:
When the mountain is pink.  Its time to drink.
The mountain gets pink a lot. 

Smog does provide for a colourful sunset

We were hit with a bit of reality this week as we got word that my Uncle Ed passed away after a short illness.  Covid was certainly a contributing factor.  He was 96 and lived a full life and was a great father.  After losing my father at age 79 they are truly fortunate to have had so many years with him.  I know they aren't feeling that right now but the happy memories will slowly start to surface and those memories, not the pain, is what will last.  Although as I write this the tears are flowing.  

If that wasn't enough we also learned that a good friend of ours from our curling days at the Fort Rouge Curling Club passed away suddenly from what sounds like a heart attack.  Christine was our age and while we haven't seen her for a few years as our winter vacations south have taken us away from our curling family our hearts are heavy knowing we will never see her smiling face again.  Her husband, Jim, is in our thoughts and we know his large circle of friends and family will be there for him to help him through this very difficult time.

Sorry to end on such a down note but life is what it is.  A bowl of cherries most of the time.  All sweet and juicy but the pits are a reality that can't be avoided.