Sixty-Five Plus 5 = A Great Combo

Turning 65 was something I wanted to keep kind of quiet because everybody just thinks it's old when you say you are 65.  Well, I don't feel old.  As a matter of fact, I actually feel better than I did when I was in my 40's.  So...

On Thanksgiving Day this year, we visited my young niece and her family.  She has two 5 year olds and an 8 year old who are over the top.  After we finished our incredible meal, I asked the 5 year olds if they would like to go on an adventure with me.  They didn't even think twice and we were in my car before I could blink (so fast we had to turn around for a bathroom trip).  

There was a destination in my mind.  A college friend of mine, over 40 years ago, had taken me to her parents country home which was on a lake in this area.  It has been on my mind to revisit this lake for years, just to see if my mind had expanded the experience. 

My niece and her family live in the countryside just west of St. Louis and south of Highway 64.  Even though we have been to her home before, we got lost.  The directions can be rather vague when you are doing off the highway navigation and one wrong turn can get you miles away from your destination with no cell phone coverage.

The scenery south of Highway 64 is actually quite nice.  It dawned on me that we travel all over the world and don't really check out our own backyards.  The roads reminded me of some of our trips in Colorado in the mountains.  Now, don't get me wrong, they weren't that steep, but they are very curvy and have steep drop offs.  

The Meramec River winds through this countryside and periodically there is a bridge to cross with a creek-like river running below it.  There are horse farms scattered throughout with the white fences you see in pictures of Kentucky.  There are signs that say you are in a town but the sign is the only evidence of the town. Just driving this road (and getting lost because I was taking direction from 2 five year olds) was like being on an adventure for all of us.  

The girls just chattered away in the back seat.  They found an umbrella in the backseat of my car and asked if they could use it when we got to the lake, to keep them warm they said.  In looking through my trunk I found another and the umbrellas turned out to be the perfect accessory for 2 five year olds to have whilst tromping around a private lake on an adventure.

It totally turns out that the lake from years gone by was a little bit less than my mind had remembered but still beautiful.  It was a perfect location to feel like we were on an adventure.  We were able to trespass a bit and found a trail that has been established in between the trees along the lake's border.  We were able to stop and pick up pine cones.  We were able to stomp in mud puddles.  We were able to cross little bridges and walk out on the public dock and listen to the ducks. We even met 2 little girls who joined us chatted to us about the pluses of living on this lake.

It was a beautiful way to work off the calories from a huge Thanksgiving feast. This 65 year old was able to keep up with 2 very active 5 year olds and take them on an adventure they may choose to revisit when they are in their sixties.  

It awakened in me several thoughts:  65 + 5 is a GREAT combination, the best things in life are certainly free, a photography trip to some of the off roads outside St. Louis MO is on my agenda of things to do several times in 2012.  

And best of all - 65 is absolutely NOT old.