The weather was lovely yesterday, so we decided to go for a long walk at Kanawha State Forest.  We took Peter and Caroline’s neighbor friend, Matthew, along with us. 

Shortly after we started walking, a teenage boy and his dog caught up with us and asked if we could direct him to the overlook.  He had a map, but since he had erroneously started off on the wrong side of the paved road that goes through the park, he was on the wrong trail altogether.  He decided he wanted to return to the picnic area, but he wasn’t sure how to get there, either.  Alexander, who knows the park quite well since he frequently jogs there, tried to give him directions.  The boy seemed confused, so Alexander invited him to hike with us.  The trail we were on would eventually lead us back to the picnic area.

The boy and his dog decided to join us.  We live in a small world here in Charleston, West Virginia. Everyone either knows someone personally, or knows someone who knows someone — we just keep asking until we inevitably discover that mutual acquaintance.  As it turns out, this boy attends the same high school as my cousin Anne’s son, and although they’re in different grades, they’ve had at least one class together.  Most of our conversation centered on the boy’s dog, which is supposed to be a Rottweiler.  It looked like a miniature version of a Rottweiler with standing-up ears, but since it is only 6 months old, it probably still has some growing to do.   

We hiked for about three hours, then the boy and his dog left us when we reached the picnic area.   When we arrived at our car, the kids waded in the creek for awhile.  We also ate watermelon and bread with dipping sauce that Alexander brought home with him from a Bravo! restaurant in Louisville.

It was a fun hike, but am I ever sore today!  We must have walked about 5 miles (maybe more).