The Adjustment Phase

And so, begins the next chapter in our lives.

I’d say we are still in the adjustment phase of this emptynester gig. We are back to being novices at both the things we used to do and in the new things we are anxious to try out.

As we try on our independence again we realized we let ourselves get rusty.

The weekend trip without responsibilities, well kind of

Mr. Fantastic and I headed out on a weekend excursion to Sun Valley. We wanted to do some hiking and some just plain old getting away. The weekend was full of stellar fall weather – crisp air, bright sunshine, blue skies and changing leaves. The only downside was that earlier in the week it had snowed, and the overnight lows were in the 20’s. So, what used to be old hat (hiking above tree line in winter conditions) meant we needed to err on the side of caution. (Currently, we fall in the fair-weather hiker category).

We were able to get in a couple of lower altitude hikes. Not, the mountain summit I would have preferred, but it was still beautiful.

This trip did cement my “winter sports-ing” attitude! I am not going to let the cold , dark days of winter get the best of me. I am going to be out snow shoeing, snowboarding and trying out cross-country skiing!

Friday night after we arrived we were particularly blown away by being able to see the stars! Come to find out the Sun Valley area is in the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. How cool is that?

Our weekend trip ended with our need to get back to other Sunday commitments and to pick up the dogs from the kennel.

Chasing Sunsets, Volunteering, Plays and our own time-table

This past weekend we spent some time exploring new places, doing some good, being entertained and the thing we are good at – eating and drinking.

Late Friday afternoon we set out to Dedication Point. I wanted to scout the area because it is a dark sky location and I want to see more stars.  Dedication Point is located on BLM land and overlooks the deep canyon of the Snake River.  This area also provides habitat for one of the greatest concentrations of nesting raptors in the US. We were a little early for sunset (my new thing) but were able to take in the views and plan our return for when it’s dark.

Next, since we had to go through Kuna to get home and we’ve heard all the rave reviews of  Enrique’s Mexican Restaurant that was our dinner stop. The food did not disappoint. There didn’t seem to be any vegan or vegetarian options and luckily I am a bit flexible, so I went with the fish tacos and they were AH-MAZING!

Saturday morning, Mr. Fantastic and I headed up to help with the planting of sagebrush in the foothills. After a fire several years ago, Boise is restoring native vegetation. Native plants are best for fire mitigation, wildlife habitat and natural beauty. And honestly, in our landscape they look so much better than the plants that grow in wetter climates.

After a quick shower we headed downtown to the Boise Contemporary Theater for a little culture and entertainment.  We enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. Having read the book, I was not sure how it would translate to the stage. The cast did a phenomenal job engaging us and making us feel all the feels.

Next up, more eating and drinking – we’ve got this activity down. We are actually trying to branch out.