Gentleman

One never knows what the day or night will bring.  After a semi-sleepless night I was up early enough to blip a sunrise!  Well, there's a consolation!

This evening near dinnertime we went to Holbrook Hollows for the first time in quite a while.  There was only one car in the parking lot.  When we reached the furthest point in the woods, I happened to check and did not find the car key that I was carrying.  We decided to retrace our steps.  Not far along, we ran into Vladimir (who I've blippped twice before) and his dog Vega (a Portugese Water dog).  He asked if we drove to the park and said he found our car key on its red USB carrier.  He put it on a branch across the path way back at the beginning where I had dropped it so we wouldn't miss it.  We would up talking and walking back to the parking lot somewhat together but apart.  We learned that this will be his last year to go mountain climbing in the Rockies.  He's 81 and he feels he's getting weaker and his memory is failing a bit.  We noticed he was brushing sticks and branches off the path.  Then he pulled out hand pruners and was trimming shrubs on the side.  It seems trail maintenance is something he does when walking as a service to the next walker.  He said most experienced climbers and hikers always part with the words "stay safe."

He thanked us at least 3 times and he found our keys! Thank you Vladimir! 

Stay safe everyone!