Simba’s trail

I’d just like to say I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and Passover. This is the time of year that always we begin to remind ourselves of seasons prior. Seasons of joy, seasons of love, seasons when you and your best furry friend just get out into nature and enjoy life beneath the trees.

Many of us have  many memories such as these of a most beloved pet who came into our lives and brought us so much laughter, warmth and happiness, not to mention totally zany times where we find ourselves in places led only by their talented and curious noses.

This Easter weekend we remembered someone, and I render him in this way because Simba was human. Yes, this delightful Golden Retriever was a “son” to my cuzzy, the best son to ever walk the earth because he gave nothing but love, support and spontaneity beyond words.

In the midst of darkness and sorrow he was there… with just a mere lean onto your legs, you just knew you’d be okay.

So what better way to honor him than to release his ashes into a magnificent place where, as a pup, he reveled in his first swim.

I had never been to Bear Town State Forest, but found it to be breathtaking even still with patches of winter starkness and not in full bloom.

After a lovely dinner, four girls (family) loaded themselves into an SUV with a six pack of Michelob Light, all the good intentions in the world and a tin container decorated in floral paint.

We were doing it for Simba – our golden hero.

As we drove in past the sign to lead us to our destination, we found a locked gate and the road up laden in snow. So what are four gals to do?

We had no idea how far up it is to that magical, sparkling and serene lake (this is how I pictured it would be), and it didn’t really seem to matter, because the mountain was beckoning and so was Simba… so out the door we went, heading up the hill and let me just say, “Wow!”

It was a really good work out for those hamstrings. Hello, legs!

I don’t know what it is… could it be the soft blue sky, the feeling of the universe sending its energy and you just want to soak it all in, perhaps the spirits of nature? But there sure is something to be said when out in the middle of it, far from civilization; it seems thoughts get clear and sometimes the clarity brings tears of unspoken honesty.

As we made the trek giggling, we knew not how far we’d be going. The wooded fragrance in the air was refreshing and cool and made the beer taste like fresh baked bread.

The farther up and in we got, the more scarier it became as animal prints of mountain lions and bears showed themselves in the snow, some with long and pointy nails, and, okay, so sue me, I’m afraid of an encounter with any of the above.

My sister said, “This is like one of those horror movies where you keep saying to the actors, what are you, stupid up there?”

And it seemed Jason might jump out at any moment.

But with our fisted arms in the air we shouted, “We’re doing it for Simba man! We’re doing it for Simba!”

A flock of geese agreed, honking in flight.

And eight miles up, we did it in the rain, the wind and the damp cold, with darkness setting upon us; we did it.

On that bridge as the cleansing waters flowed, my niece’s eloquent poem was read. We made another memory, the last with our dear golden friend forever. There on that glimmering lake with majestic mountains enveloping us, we said goodbye.

These are the precious moments in life we treasure, moments we wait for, moments to make us feel – all the gifts of an open heart.

Ciao Bella

Posted by Janel M. Harrison on April 11, 2013. Filed under Columns,Girl-2-Girl,Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry