Peace, contentment, and walking in the rain.

So yesterday when I woke up...it was raining.  It rained the majority of the day, actually.  I was frustrated with this because I wanted to go for a hike. 
In the morning, I went to the farmers market despite the rain....its fairly covered so I really didn't have to worry.  I enjoyed it....I was happy with my purchases of homemade pasta and my Honey Crisp apples.
I returned home and it is still raining.  Bummer.
Sam returns home from work around 1:30pm.  I notice it has stopped raining and the sun is peaking out!  YAY!!!!!!  I put on my hiking duds and my still cool new hiking boots and off I go!  My Nalgene is full and I have everything else I need.  I check out my map of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and choose a trail that I have yet to discover. 
Twenty minutes later I am at the trail head.  I'm walking along and for some reason, I'm just not happy with the hike....I feel like its constricting me in a way.  Its weird and I can't explain it.  It has a cool, Little House on the Prairie-ish covered bridge, and its running along the Cuyahoga River....but its just not exciting for me.  Perhaps because it is so close to houses that I can see through the trees??  Its close to a road and I keep seeing cars drive by.  I don't like it.  When I hike, I like to be out in the middle of nowhere....with the prospect of getting lost.  THAT is exciting for me!!!  Not that I would really get lost but the IDEA of it is exciting to me for some reason.  I feel like I'm truly on an adventure if I can't see civilization.

  So...I turn back and return to my car.  I see on the map that there is a different trail head not 2miles down the road.  So....I carry on to that new trail head in hopes that I'll be happier with it.
Once I turn into the trail head...I am relieved and happy already.  I check out the trail map and there are 2 to choose from.  I choose the trail that is 5 and half miles.  The Sun is still out and I have been waiting all day for a hike.  I set out and am so happy with this choice.  Right away I love the "feel" of the trail.  It is super peaceful and I can't see ANY houses or civilization...or any other hikers for that matter. 

About a mile into the hike I come across this beautiful pond...and it almost reminds me of the pond or lake that is in the Friday the 13th movies.  Yeah...I know that's weird but it looks almost exactly like it.  However...it is not a scared feeling I get.  I get this peaceful feeling come over me...I am content.
There is a bench right near the waters edge and I have a seat.  There is not ONE other person around.  I just sit and take it all in.....and I really don't want to leave.  However...I realize that I need to finish the rest of the 4 miles before it gets dark.  So...sadly, I keep moving to see what other cool sights this hike has for me.
Well...there is plenty of sights that I am enjoying and exploring...but I suddenly realize that it is no longer sunny.  As a matter of fact....its darn right cloudy!  When did that happen??
All of a sudden...I'm hearing thunder....and seeing flashes of lightening!  This storm came out of NOWHERE!!!  I hurry my pace to just short of a run........and then.....it is POURING!!!!  I'm not talking about a slight drizzle, or sprinkle.  It is raining SIDEWAYS!!!!  Already I am soaked all the way through.  I am running now because the lightening has me worried.  I am still about 2 miles away from the trail head and stuck in the middle of a booming thunderstorm. 

For the first time on this hike, I see this man running through the woods holding flags.  He isn't on the trail and he runs up to me.  I was a little scared at first until I noticed he was a volunteer of our Metro Parks. He was out there teaching a class on how to read topographical maps.  Anyway..he tells me to follow him that he knows of a short cut back to the trail head.  I am leery at first but choose to follow him.  He cut off about a whole mile and a half and gets us back to the trail head a LOT sooner!!  I was very grateful to him....and happy I was back to my car.  It is still storming....and it is still pouring.  Raining so hard, actually, that I can't drive right away because even my fastest wiper blades isn't showing me the road.

I sit in my car for a bit until it lightens up.....and then I go home.  End of story....until this morning when I wake up and realize I am covered in poison ivy.  Once again.  yay.  It had to have been when I left the trail to follow dude to my car.  I was running through mad undergrowth and didn't even realize it was the evil, 3-leafed plant.  It wasn't just poison ivy of course...but there was enough there for it to affect me.  Oh well....I will continue my hikes....on Sunny days, that is!