Track Season at an End

Track season ended a few weeks ago.
Hannah really enjoyed it and was able, despite her elbow injury, to run in the last two meets.

The last meet was at a school in a town called Goldendale.
We've driven past it many times on the way to Portland, Oregon.
I know there's a stopping point nearby on the highway where you can get out of your car, and if the weather is just right, you can see the tops to four different mountains...Mt. Hood in Oregon, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens (doesn't have much of a "top" anymore).

But look at this amazing view of Mt. Adams that these students get to see EVERYDAY!

The picture just doesn't do justice to how gorgeous and imposing it looked from the bleachers.

I'm sure they're pretty used to it...probably don't walk outside in awe each day...
But what it if wasn't there?
I created a duplicate just for fun and removed the mountain by overexposing the photograph...

Pretty boring huh?

I know my kids are probably going to grow up taking for granted the fact that they live in a place so amazing.
We all get used to what we see everyday.
But I talk about it a lot with them when we are out hiking or skiing or exploring...probably to the point of annoyance, but I want them to look carefully at the place where they are fortunate enough to live.
A place where, not far off, the mountains meet the ocean.
A place where you can drive for a while and watch the high desert change into majestic old growth forests.
A place where you can still climb 10 feet snow banks in the summer.
An amazing place.


Now...I thought I was talking about something else...
Oh yea!
A track meet!!
So Hannah did fantastic this meet!
She did a great job in her individual heats and I was proud to watch her end the season with a great effort.
I think she felt lighter and almost carefree knowing she wasn't doing hurdles anymore.

When school starts up again in the fall, we will be ready for sports and after-school activities once more, but for now, I am ready for the summer and its relatively lazy and unstructured days.
(and please remind me I said that come late July...)