Danny went to Milwaukee on business for a few days last week. The girls and I enjoyed exploring Stone Mountain, Ga., and all its natural treasures. We hiked and hiked. We fed ducks, ran screaming our heads off from bully geese who came to harass the ducks (and to hiss at us) and stood in awe at the relief carved into the granite.

After Danny got home we joined forces with college friends and munched Tex Mex because Chuy’s is now in Atlanta! I wore my baggy shorts so I could do justice by our favorite eatery. A couple days later they took us to the Fernbank Museum and we hugged and laughed our way through its halls and grounds. It’s so good to catch up with loved ones and they’re homeschooling right now, too so we picked each other’s brains and shared stories galore.

I finally understand why people are always singing about Georgia pines. They are the stately, green soldiers that guard the entire state, so thick and tall. We stood above them when we climbed straight up Stone Mountain one evening. It is one mile each way and I know that doesn’t sound like much but it was very different hiking than we are used to in many respects. We basically scrambled over boulder after boulder chasing these elusive, pale, yellow dashes someone painted 876 years ago. Half way up, Paige started begging to stop and if it’d just been the girls and me, we totally would have headed back to the truck that instant for a post-hike Oreo or eight but no, Danny was with us so there was no turning back. “There’s no crying in mountain hiking! There’s no crying in mountain hiking!”

Her solution was to sprint 20 yards ahead of us, collapse on the flattest rock she could find and pant until we got even with her, pulled her up and pressed her back into climbing. Let me tell you, when they say stone, they mean stone. It’s all granite and there’s a lot of it. So when it’s wet, it’s super slippery and there’s nothing to grab on to as you fly over the edge. That didn’t happen in real life but my imagination is very active and I was pretty scared most of the way down.

The views from the top despite the frost bite, chapped lips and hair tangles? Worth it. I’d do it again but this time I’d bring the Oreos with me instead of leaving them in the truck.