Riggs Lake

I celebrated my birthday yesterday. One of those significant ones, and certainly the last birthday I intend to acknowledge. Getting older freaks me out, frankly. I just cannot understand how I can still feel like I did at 30, look my age, and fear I only have a "limited" time to experience what all is still out there. Enough of that.


I usually do something memorable on those significant birthdays. At 30, Dan and I hiked the Timberline Trail around Mt Hood. At 40, we went scuba diving in Hawaii and I found a beautiful cowry shell on that day. At 50, we came to Grapevine Canyon Ranch to find out whether horses should be part of my life (and 5 years later we moved here because we fell in love with Arizona). I was at a loss as to what to do for this birthday (can't say the number). People spend good money to come and vacation here: why go anywhere else?


So I voted to go to Riggs Lake at the top of Mt Graham, my favorite "neighborhood" spot for a picnic, with Linda, Dave and Barbara, Dan of course, and Emma. It was also suggested that we go on a hike while on the mountain. The hike made the day memorable as we lost the trail, had just a minimum of water of water with us, leave alone something to eat or a GPS, and wandered around for a couple of hours. Most of it was uphill between 9,000and 10,000 feet. This is the lookout at Webb Peak, elevation 10,290.


We made it to the Riggs Lake picnic site at 2. Linda had concocted a beautiful and delicious dish that was devoured, accompanied by homegrown melon, yummie brownies, and homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes. Linda and I still made the hike around the lake and threw sticks into the water for Emma. All in all we were gone for 11 hours (poor Shawna, who stayed home). A memorable day, indeed.


I was honored by everybody who remembered my birthday, and Dan's which is today, even though I usually miss theirs. Thank you for your good wishes.