I am not one for doing something spur of the moment. I like to think through my actions and my options and plan what things I want to do, when.

So the fact that I had two evenings in a row of last minute plans pretty much knocks me over.

I got home on a Thursday and Jay had taken Owen to baseball. Jordan and I were eating dinner and he says to me, ‘I want to show you the trail I made today. Do you want to go see it?’ He is in grade 10, and his outdoor education class is their Physical education equivalent. At a local hiking mountain (more like a hill), they have spent two weeks going on the bus and making some new trails.

Outside of school hours, generally, Jordan is just interested in video games, or getting together with friends. So I knew this offer came from that rush of pride at the completion of a project and needed to be accepted immediately. The interest may wane. So we set out right after we ate.

It was a 30 minute hike in. The ‘difficult’ rated part of the trail. And around the North side, we could no longer hear the road. We could no longer hear anything. This Thursday afternoon no one else was out in that area of the trail. It was just us and the trees, and the birds. And the silence between it all. I loved that.

Jordan showed me what sections he cleared, where they had to move a tree, where they had to shovel and flatten. Where they had to make drainage areas. Where he flagged a tree to mark the curve in the trail.

It was the best hike, spending it with Jordan. Then we went and got a milkshake.

The next night, I was doing my daily workout in the afternoon, with Owen. We finished the workout, and he says, ‘I want to go to the Victoria Royals (hockey) game.’ Jay walked over at that moment and said, ‘I want to go too. Should we go? We would have to leave now.’ We hadn’t been to a hockey game since before Covid. And being the game that decides if the team continues the season or is knocked out, I realized there may not be another chance. ‘Sure,’ I was surprised to hear myself say. Who am I? Agreeing to something within 5 minutes of having to leave? Especially considering, I was midway through a 4 week gluten free nutrition plan. We hadn’t had dinner yet, going to a place with just concession foods.. I had a kale salad mix, some cooked shredded chicken, which I quickly threw into a container and ate on the drive. I brought an apple and my protein shake as well for after the game. Total win. It really helps to have prepped foods for spontaneous events such as this. I must be this prepared more often.

We had a really fun time at the game, it’s such a great atmosphere, and the Royals won.

I can’t say I will always agree to spontaneous things… I like to be prepared and do the things I commit to doing ~ It’s a good thing I had already done my art post of the day before the last minute hockey game was presented to me ~ But when some special things crop up, sometimes you just have to jump at the chances available.

Sending Love,

Devon