Sunday, September 7, 2014

Looking down



Moselito loves going for long walks and replied with yes yes yes and a broad smile when Ellena suggested to go up to the top of L'Aiguille and look down to Val-David village.  His pottery  and weavery workshops are located in that village. 

Little did he know how slowly Ellena would make it up to the top.  He does not know that she suffers from  'window shopping syndrome' .  She walks a bit and needs to stop a bit. 
Consulting a specialist about the soreness in legs confirmed that carotid arteries are fine and that fixing the leg arteries would be as risky as leaving them alone.  So, Ellena reduced her long and up the hill walks to short walks for the past 2 or more years but, decided to try one more time to do what she always did.    


Moselito patiently waiting for Ellena


In this area of the Upper Laurentians we live on the oldest rock on earth and this is one of them rock pieces.

"Moselito...out of breath... wait for me.......out of breath...... not so fast!!!"


Each time someone passed us on the trail I asked how much further the top was or I stepped to the side and made gestures that invited them to pass.  
Moselito and I snacked, he went back to the edge where he could look further away and I stretched out on a bench and closed my eyes.  The tap on my shoulder was not Moselito's hand.  It was Guillaume, a young ranger, asking if I needed help. No thank you was apparently not enough for him to hear.  He decided to leave me his walking stick for just in case.
Guillaume caught up with us on the way down.  I laughed when I saw him coming and his reply, when I said that I was not surprised to see him again, was "and this time I'm staying with you all the way down".   And he did - with a helping arm from time to time, a friendly smile during our conversations, pointing to an easier trail towards the end of the descent and........also with a smile "you two are a double I can't remember the kind word he used, I suggest you bring a walking stick, you carry a cell 'phone, you teach Moselito how to dial 911, you register in the book at the entrance to the parc and you sign out on your way out".  
I wonder if someone reported this old lady on the trail, huffing and puffing.
I am so proud of myself and feel very much alive and am looking forward to seeing Guillaume when signing in next time.     

7 comments:

Halle said...

Yes, there is a good sort of exhaustion Ellena, but I am very glad Guillaume was keeping an eye out for you and gave you such good advice for the next time. :-)

Sabine said...

Thank you, I enjoyed your outing from afar.

Tom said...

That was beautiful, so beautiful. Suddenly, comments you have made over the months seem to come together to create the 'you' I enjoy reading about. That was not well expressed, for I too stumble for the right words on occasion. Let me just say that the image-through-words is steadily becoming more and more a person. And I like what I see.

marja-leena said...

Oh dear, Ellena, I admire your determination to keep enjoying those challenging mountain hikes with your dear son! And I'm glad that Guillaume was there to help and advise you on how to keep it safe when your health might be compromised.

I wish I could join you on such a hike but my poor knees can no longer bear it.

Lucy said...

Lovely indeed. Sounds like you had a guardian angel there. Glad you feel good for your hike!

Ellena said...

Halle!
Yes, and sometimes I think that it could be Moselon't have access toito who is looking out for me him being in a space that we don't have access to.

Sabine!
As much as I enjoy yours?

Tom!
And I like what you wrote. Merci.

Marja-Leena!
That's what I thought about my legs.
Yes we can but it is not easy.

Lucy!
Wish you would have been with us! I saw a few things that you would have captured beautifully with your camera.

STAY WELL ALL OF YOU.

Rouchswalwe said...

Ellena! What a view! Wow! I remember when I used to be able to skip up the inclines in western Japan. Those days are long over, I thought to myself. But you have inspired me! (And perhaps I too will meet a kind and caring ranger like Guillaume).

Moselito is an excellent climbing partner, for he eggs you on. Always a bit ahead. Bravo!