Linville Falls

I was finally able to add the Linville Falls sticker to my Yeti. Yay! I had never been to Linville Falls until Saturday.

I’ve driven around the Linville area when my kids were little and we stayed at Grandma’s house on Grandfather Mountain, but had never hiked to the Falls. I’ve always wanted to go It was such a beautiful hike! I only wish I had gone when my people were little.

It was a fairly strenuous hike to the plunge basin, but the views were well worth the effort. Ghost proved himself to be quite the hiker yet again. He jumped over fallen trees, climbed over rocks and had a great time. After our 5 mile hike, he crashed in the car until we got to Starbucks where he sat straight up for his Pup Cup!!

Something I’ve learned in the last 6 years is that I need to get out and live life. I need to do the things I want to do before I can’t climb over trees and over the rocky terrain. My goal is to be able to bend over and tie my shoes when I’m 80. I figure if I can keep hiking these trails, I might be able to reach that goal.

My youngest continues to struggle with substance abuse. All I can do is pray. I believe he is a tortured soul like my brothers all were. I just keep reminding myself that I cannot control the actions of others. I can only control myself.

I keep saying that I am going to write and blog like I used to, but it becomes increasingly difficult when my heart and brain hurt over his circumstances so much that I cannot put pen to paper, so to speak. I think my mind just keeps going in circles. I cannot understand what makes people turn to drugs. I just pray that he can turn away before it destroys his beautiful mind and we lose him forever.

I’ve always wondered why my brothers couldn’t find joy in God. I find God in nature and in every aspect of life My brothers struggled with God – and I think my youngest does, too. He told me once that he was closer to God than I am. I think his drugs make him feel like he is having a divine experience, when in reality, it’s just satan tricking him into sin. Instead of finding God in His Word or at church, they think the psychedelic experience satan gives them through drugs is a perceived spiritual experience where they *think* they are experiencing God. It’s so sad.

So many lives have ben ruined by substance abuse. My only living brother (he’s probably dead) can’t hold down a job and years ago, his biggest concern was getting home in time to watch Scooby Doo. Drugs fry brains.

Not sure where I’ll hike next weekend. Planning my outdoor adventures gets me through the work week! I work hard to earn kibble for my pups!