#but she's so not a match for lavon!

[terrainofheartfelt]

okay the real bee in my bonnet about this hart of dixie mayoral race, is that lavon had a really great argument he never used??

ruby says repeatedly that if she loses she's just gonna leave, and as a voter, I say that is some bullshit! oh, so you'll just leave? because you don't actually care about the place the office is supposed to be serving you only care about the title???? ruby! you don't deserve to be a mayor if you give fuck all about the good of the town?

lavon had a top notch rhetorical argument that would have destroyed his opponent's claim for the seat and he just? never said it? except as a romantic hindrance?

and that is why lavon is excellent at governing but horrible at politics

[alonewithmylovetoyou]

TV Quiz Questions:

Choose 6 of your favorite tv shows and try this out :

1. Shameless

2. Grey's Anatomy

3. Modern Family

4. Élite

5. Hart of Dixie

6. The Hunger Games (no TV show but I don't care)

The first character I fell in love with:

1. Mickey Milkovich

2. Izzie Stevens

3. Cameron Tucker

4. Omar Shana

5. Wade Kinsella

6. Cato

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

1. Mandy Milkovich

2. Lexie Grey

3. Alex Dunphy

4. Carla

5. Lemon Breeland

6. Finnick Odair

The character everyone else loves that I hate: 

1. Debbie Gallagher

2. Derek Shepherd

3.  Maybe Lily, but I wouldn’t say I hate her, she’s just a little bit annoying

4. Samuel Garcia, Marina Nunier, Mencia Blanco 

5. George Tucker

6. Katniss and Gale :D 

The character everyone else hates that I love:

1. Steve Wilton

2. Izzie Stevens 

3.  Dylan :) 

4. Phillipe von Triesenberg (but there was some bad writing)

5. Dr. Brick Breeland maybe, I don’t know if everyone hates him..

6. Cato *_*

The character I would have sex with:

1. Mickey Milkovich, but he is gay; so I choose Carl Gallagher *-* 

2. Alex Karev (but I although wouldn’t say no to DeLuca and Link)

3. Ok Hayley Dunphy because she is hot :D 

4. Carla and Patrick (a girl and a gay boy, perfect match for my straight ass, but  Christian could get on the list, too)

5. Wade Kinsella

6. Cato, again :D 

Five favourite characters (in order):

1. Mickey Milkovich, Mandy Milkovich, Carl Gallagher, Kevin Ball, Sandy Milkovich

2. Izzie Stevens, Alex Karev, Lexie Grey, April Kepner, Cristina Yang

3.  Alex Dunphy, Cameron Tucker, Luke Dunphy, Gloria, Hayley Dunphy

4. Carla, Patrick, Rebeca, Christian, Ander

5. Wade Kinsella, Lemon Breeland, Lavon Hayes, Annabeth, Earl Kinsella

6. Haymitch Abernathy, Finnick Odair, Cato, Clove, Johanna Mason

Favourite minor character: 

1. Sheila Jackson (or Kevin Ball)

2. Joe the Bartender

3. Shorty

4. Nano Garcia (is he a minor character?, but I just love him, without any particular reason)

5. Dash Dewitt

6. Tigris or Pollux 

A pairing that you love (romantic and non romantic):

1. Romantic: Mickey Milkovich x Ian Gallagher (SURPRISE); Non Romantic:  Mickey Milkovich  x Carl Gallagher (actually Mickey and the whole Gallagher family) 

2. Romantic: I would have said Alex Karev x Izzie Stevens, but they ruined it in so many ways so I say Lexie Grey x Mark Sloan; Non Romantic: Alex Karev x Meredith Grey

3. Romantic:  Gloria x Jay Pritchett; Non-Romantic: Claire x Manny as siblings :D 

4. Romantic: Carla x Samuel Garcia; Non-Romantic: Lu x Nadia 

5. Romantic: Wade Kinsella x  Zoey Hart; Non-Romantic: Wade Kinsella x Lemon Breeland  (best friendship ever)

6. Romantic: Cato x Clove (SURPRISE);  Non-Romantic: Haymitch x Maysilee Undersee as allies

Favourite season:

1. Season 3

2. Season 5 

3. Can’t tell - not finished yet

4. Season 2

5. Season 2

6. Book and Move 2 - Catching Fire

Favourite episode:

1.  Season 10 episode 12 or Season 3 episode 11

in both episodes: Mickey gets married :D :D :D 

2.  Season 2 episode 27 or Season 5 episode 24

I just loved emotional storylines with Izzie...

3.  Season 1 episode 9  “Fizbo”

4.  Season 1 episode 8 

The murder of Marina, it was very a good setting

5. Season 1 Episode 22 - Zoe and Wade finally together 

6. yeah, sorry it’s a Book / Movie :D shame on me

Character you would kill off:

1. Debbie Gallagher 

2. Derek Shepherd (already dead, but I think his death was a good decision, if I must kill a living person - I would kill owen hunt, because I hate him, too)

3.  It’s a Comedy :O Pepper or Sal XD 

4. Ari Blanco

5. George Tucker

6. Gale 

The character that I think the show ruined:

1. Veronica Fisher

2. Without a doubt: Izzie Stevens; I loved her so much and they ruined it with her being selfish and totally not her anymore

3. I don't know. Nobody? Maybe because it's a sitcom...

4. Omar Shana - he cheated on Ander with his sister's boyfriend and in season 5 he was such a dick most of the time. In the first seasons I loved him so much, it was so sad seeing this development.

5. George Tucker again. Even if I didn't like him from the beginning there would have been some potential.

6. Katniss Everdeen herself, I hated how she treated Peeta when he came back from the Capitol and all of her self pity.

The most attractive male and female character:

1. Male: Mickey Milkovich; Female: Dominique Winslow

2. Male: Alex Karev or Link or Andrew DeLuca; Female: Jo Wilson

3. Male: Dylan; Female: Haley Dunphy

4. Male: Ivan; Female: Carla

5.  Male: Wade Kinsella; Female: Zoe Hart

6.  Male: Cato; Female: Clove

The character death that was the worst:

1. Frank Gallagher

2. Lexie Grey !!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Professor Ringmaster Al Uzielli

4. Polo

5. Nobody dies

6. Finnick Odair

The character that is the most like me:

1. Amanda

2. Miranda Bailey (?)

3. Alex Dunphy (Not my words, the words of my husband)

4. Rebeca

5. Zoe Hart (?) (would rather be like Lemon Breeland)

6. Johanna Mason (maybe I just wish to be like her :D and nobody would have got me to say Katniss even if it could be a little bit true)

The characters that deserved better:

1. Mandy Milkovich

2. Lexie Grey !!!! (and April Kepner) 

3. Luke Dunphy (sometimes)

4. Guzman

5. Annabeth Nass (something better than George Tucker :D)

6. Finnick Odair

The 4 least favorite characters (in order to the most hated):

1. Svetlana, Debbie Gallagher, Trevor, Samantha Slott 

2. Catherine Avery, Preston Burke, Owen Hunt, Derek Shepherd 

3. Lily, Javier Delgado, Sal, Gil Thorpe

4. Samuel Garcia, Marina Nunier, Mencia Blanco, Ari Blanco

5. Zoe Hart, Candice Hart, Magnolia Breeland, George Tucker

6. Katniss Everdeen, Gale, Glimmer, Peetas Mom

A character I am indifferent about:

1. Trevor

2. Maggie Pierce

3. Jo Pritchett

4. Cayetana

5. Don’t know one :D

6. Mrs. Everdeen

A ship I have never been able to get into / shouldn’t have happened:

1. Ian Gallagher x Trevor 

2. Jackson Avery x Maggie Pierce and Izzie Stevens x George O’Malley

3. Haley Dunphy and every too old man she dated

4. Samuel Garcia x Ari Blanco 

5. Zoe Hart x George Tucker

6. Glimmer x Cato (What was that ??? There was nothing about that in the original story.....)

A ship I have never been able to get over:

1. Ian Gallagher x Mickey Milkovich *__*

2. Izzie Stevens x Alex Karev 

3. Jay Pritchett x Gloria

4.  Samuel Garcia x Carla

5. if friendship counts it’s Lemon Breeland x Wade Kinsella, but as lovers it’s Wade Kinsella x Zoe Hart

6. Clove x Cato (SURPRISE)

A cute low-key ship:

1. Mandy Milkovich x Lip Gallagher

2. Jackson Avery x April Kepner

3. Cameron Tucker x Mitchel Pritchett 

4. Nano Garcia x Rebeca (I know there never happened something and they talked only one time but my fantasy brain loved the thought about it soooo much I can’t get over it)

5. Lemon Breeland x Levon Hayes

6. Finnick Odair x Annie Cresta

My favorite storyline / moment:

1. In season 1 when Ian visits Mickey in jail. “Say that again and I rip your tongue out of your head” There were so many perfect Gallavich moments but that was the first one which catched me! 

2.  When Mark told Lexie about their future and that they were meant to bes while Lexie was dying. It was so fucking sad and unfair but so emotional.

3. Every quote from the  Phil's- Osophy

4. Carla and Samuels Macarrones Scene

5. When Wade and Zoe finally got together in the night George wanted to marry Lemon. The sexual tension was fucking incredible and Wade was so fucking hot.

6. When Clove died and screams Cato’s name and Cato came too late and only found her body and cried. (this scene ist only from the book). But I liked the story of Haymitch’s games, too. His alliance with Maysilee. The idea of him being a hot and smart young guy that couldn’t handle the memory of the games and the loss of his loved ones is so emotional and sad.

A storyline that never should have been written:

1. The break up of Ian and Mickey in season 5 only because of Ians mental health. Mickey tried so much to help Ian and Ian blamed Mickey without any reason. I was so furious.

2. Alex leaving Jo for Izzie and Izzie having kids from Alex sperm ???? This was a fucking joke. Yeah, hated the last Alex and Izzie break up and I would have loved seeing them stay together and grow as persons and lovers. I rooted so much for them. There was so much potential and I have to admit I prayed for her coming back and saving the relationship. Even years after her exit because of all the open questions but I never thought they would do something so bad like this. Him leaving Jo and all his life / friends [MEREDITH] only with a letter ? That has nothing to do with the Alex Karev he had become. It destroys his whole character development. I wanted Izzie back not Alex leave.

3. All scenes Jay disrespects Mitchell and Mitchells sexuality. Yeah you can mention this but sometimes it’s presented as funny and there are many stupid cliches. It’s sad even if it’s only a sitcom.

4. Carlas Dad causing Christians injuries so that he can’t talk about Polos fault. That was too sick.

5. Zoe's relationship with Joel. Not surprising. I kind of liked Joel but what the fuck? There was a love triangle with George why another one?

6. The way Katniss acted in Mockingjay. First of all she was a kid, why the fuck did she think she could make her own thing and kill snow without any plan? And it's written as if she is a war hero and not an abused kid. On the other side I hated how she treated Peeta and she is so self-pity, it's cruel.

Stole the questions from @gelalovesbuddie! Loved it!

[useragarfield]

wade & zoe for character game??

i quite literally got three asks to do this for wade and two for zoe so this is gonna count for them BOTH. I hate doing these on mobile but it seems i have no choice.

1: sexuality headcanon

they’re both bi as fuck. in another world lemon and zoe are together - and george and wade are dads together too. i said what i said. i think wade was a lil insecure about it in hs but just came to a point where he aesthetically sees men as attractive (see “Lavon IS fine” and “golden boy George”) but is more sexually/emotionally attracted to women. there is no way that zoe hart did not kiss girls in college - maybe even high school because new york!! but repressive parents. 

2: otp

zoe and wade. obviously. as if there was any other pairing. as i’ve yelled about before, SHE HAS A PHD AND HE BARELY FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL!! THEIR CRAZY MATCHES!! SOMETHING ABOUT THEM FITS SO PERFECTLY!! no matter what wade was never going to love anyone the way he loves zoe and zoe simply could not, no matter how hard she could try, get him out from under her skin. i love their sort of romantic defeatism in s4 where they’re like yeah i’m gonna be in love with them forever :/

3: brotp

zoe and lavon (ZAVON PLATONIC SMOL TOL EXCELLENCE BESTIES HE’S DEF THE GODFATHER TO HER SON AND SORTA ADOPTED HER HUSBAND) and then wade and lemon, obviously. wade and george is also special to meeee and ab and zoe <3

4: notp

zoe and my golden boy george were too similar to EVER work they were always meant to be besties but in all honest, JONAH FUCKING BREELAND. MY ENEMY. THAT LITTLE BITCH.

[tvandenneagram]

Hart of Dixie: Lemon Breeland - Type 1w2

Lemon is poised, elegant and traditionalist. She is hiding hidden depths beneath her Southern Belle persona.

At her best, Lemon is selfless and deeply caring towards the people she loves. She puts her own needs aside so that others can be happy.

At her worst, Lemon can be manipulative and hypocritical. She knows that her actions are wrong, but tries to hide it from others. 

Lemon is a very traditional person who tries to follow the expectations of the Bluebell community. She pictures herself with a certain life and she works hard to attain it. Lemon convinces herself that she wants this picture perfect life, but is ultimately dissatisfied with it. For example, at the beginning of the series Lemon had been dating George for a substantial amount of time and they were the town’s golden couple who were heading towards marriage. Lemon was seriously unhappy in that relationship, but tried her best to convince herself that it was what was ‘right’ and tried to fix the flaws within their relationship.

Lemon also shows that she is very organised and capable. She is leader of the Belles, which requires a lot of planning and organisation in terms of events. Lemon dedicates herself to the Belles and feels like it is her legacy and duty as a Southern woman. She puts in a lot of effort towards the Belles and at times, has to do things that she finds unpleasant or that she disagrees with to advance in stature with the other Belles. Lemon eventually realises that she is unfulfilled doing this and she shouldn’t stay with the Belles just because it is how she thinks her life ‘should’ be. She finds herself pursuing new opportunities and finally doing things that actually make her happy.

Lemon can come across as a bit of a control freak and is extremely perfectionistic. This manifests itself in different ways throughout the series, but we mostly see it in her work with the Belles and later restaurant ventures. Lemon has a very particular idea of how things should be and wants them done her way. At times, this can affect her relationships as this may lead to disagreements. For example, when she opens a catering business with Annabeth the two clash as Lemon is bossy and controlling. She wants everything to match her ideas and was not receptive to any of Annabeth’s ideas that may have conflicted with her own. There are similar trouble spots with Wade when the two own the Rammer Jammer together.

Lemon’s relationship with Lavon shows many of her good and qualities. The two complement each other well and bring out the best in each other once they are officially together. We find out in season 1, that Lemon and Lavon had an affair while George was living in New York. Lemon formed a strong bond with Lavon very quickly as he was there to comfort her when she found out that her mother had another family. Lavon showed her understanding and support that she simply wasn’t receiving from George. Lemon felt very strongly for Lavon, but all throughout season 1 she tried to repress these feelings as she felt they were ‘wrong’. She was ashamed that she had an affair and was very keen to hide this wrongdoing from George and the rest of the town. 

We see that Lemon really cares about Lavon for the whole duration of the show, even though they do not officially get together until the final season. Lemon is often selfless with respect to Lavon and wants what is best for him, which sometimes means sacrificing her own happiness. In season 2, she wants to try and form a relationship with Lavon but does not want to sabotage his happiness with Ruby. Similarly, when Lavon and Annabeth begin to form their own relationship, she initially is very against it but chooses to let them be happy together.

Lemon is afraid to be vulnerable and tries to project a icy exterior to the world. She harbours a lot of insecurities, especially regarding her mother’s abandonment but does not want to show this. Lemon finds herself more open as the series goes on and I think that part of that is due to Lavon being a safe space to confide in, free of judgement. 

Lemon shows her wing 2 as she is more people-oriented and extraverted than a 1w9 would be. 

Tri-type: 1w2 - 6w7 - 3w4

Some quotes to describe Lemon’s traits and motivations:

“I mean I still hate and I'll hate you until your dying day”

“Do you have any idea what it was like to grow up without a mother? Sometimes I would pretend that you were dead so I didn't have to live with the fact that you chose to leave us.”

“You may be a snobby New Yorker with horrible fashion sense but at least you have a career”

“Annabeth we're not animals, we can control who we do and do not sleep with.”

“I know that you will be a good mother, Zoe Hart. A really good mother because you are tough, and you are kind, and you are smart. And if you tell anyone that I said that, I will deny it.”

“Lavon, I've been waiting for the perfect moment, and I certainly didn't think that it'd be a time when I am covered in alpaca droppings and mud, but I just cannot wait any longer because I love you.”

[foreveralwaysanauthor]

To Start Anew

Monthly Prompts Day 12

August 12th - Army Brat (Like me lol)

AU Used: None

Characters: Miles (current OC) and Cassandra “Sandy” Fischer (future OC)

Notes: This takes place about a year before my current story. This is a bit of a backstory for Miles and a preview of Cassandra. Cassandra is a character I’ve been working on for a few months now. I haven’t written anything out story-wise for her, but I do have a project I plan on doing soon. Part of this prompt is most likely going to be a section of the story once I start working on it.

As many people in town knew, word around Big Momma’s never stayed secret for long. Big Momma herself, however, knew firsthand what the news would be that week. Her niece, seventeen-year-old Cassandra Fischer, was visiting for the rest of summer or, that was, until her father would get his next assignment. Most of the teenagers that frequented Big Momma’s restaurant knew Cassandra as she had gone to school with them until her father’s transfer to Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Cassandra had only been gone for four years, but those that knew her, missed her.

The twelfth day of August arrived and, if the roar of a 1961 Corvette Stingray pulling up in front of Big Momma’s restaurant was anything to go by, so had Miss Cassandra Fischer.

Her license plate, emboldened with her nickname “Sandy” glistened as the car was parked and turned off. Cassandra took one last look in her rear-view mirror, slinging her purse over her shoulder as she made sure her lipstick - which matched the color of her car - was as clean as could be. Giving herself a smile in the mirror, Cassandra opened her car door and headed inside the restaurant. She ignored the stares of those around her, choosing to approach her aunt before anyone else.

Cassandra placed her purse on the counter, seating herself directly in front of the cash register so her aunt would see her as soon as she came out from the kitchen. Cassandra pulled off her driving gloves and sunglasses and set them atop her purse with a sigh as she relaxed into her bar stool. She rhythmically tapped her nails on the counter to the beat of the song that was playing from the jukebox, resting her chin on her free hand as she stared longingly at the swinging door her aunt was behind.

She had wanted to make a good impression on her Aunt LaVon, heck, she’d even managed to get her hair into a faux beehive so her curls wouldn’t be in the way. Sure, it took all of the bobbypins she owned and nearly two bottles of hairspray that she was sure wouldn’t come out for at least four washes, but it would all be worth it to make her aunt see that she wasn’t fooling around. At least this was better than having her parents breathing down her neck, negging her to either get a job off-base or start going to college.

She had only one goal in life; to get out of the life on-base and explore the world around her. And, as she always retorted to her parents, it was 1962 and her options were limitless.

It wasn’t until she received a tap on her shoulder that she realized somebody was behind her. Acting on reflexes her father had taught her, Cassandra reached for the pocket knife she kept strapped to the side of her purse, spinning her chair around to find herself face-to-face with a tall brunette in a leather jacket. Keeping her hand over her knife, she gave the man a look.

“Can I help you?” she asked firmly, taking on a direct tone she’d heard her dad use.

The biker ruffled his hair lightly, shrugging at her in return. Boy, did she hate when people left their hair all messy like that on purpose. “That depends,” the man started, Cassandra took notice of a faint accent of some sort when he spoke, “can I have my keys back from under your purse?”

Cassandra’s confused look must’ve told the man something as he simply lifted a finger to point to her purse. Cassandra lifted her purse with the hand that had been resting on her knife, feeling in very little danger with her aunt just one room away. There, resting on the counter under the spot her purse had occupied, was a set of keys to an Indian motorcycle and a single house key, a fading keychain with the view of Myrtle Beach attached to the set.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir,” Cassandra started, taking the keys off the counter and holding them out for the biker. “I never even noticed them.”

“It’s Miles, not ‘sir’.” Miles stated as he took the keys, pocketing them as he moved to sit in the seat next to her. “And maybe you should be more aware of your surroundings.”

‘Ugh, not another one,’ she thought to herself as she straightened her back and turned back around to face where her aunt would, hopefully, be coming from. “You just sounded like my dad.”

“Ouch,” Miles claimed, acting almost wounded. “Is he military like you?”

Cassandra lifted one eyebrow, peering over at the brunette from the corner of her eye. “I’m not military.”

“You sure act it,” Miles scoffed cheekily. He moved to mimic the way Cassandra was sitting, reaching over and sliding her purse in front of himself and placing a hand over where she had kept her pocket knife. “So, if this behavior doesn’t scream military to you, what does it say?”

“Well, first of all, it says, ‘give me my purse back, you buffoon,’“ Cassandra snapped, yanking her purse, gloves and sunglasses back to where it had been. “Then, I believe it says, ‘I’m an army brat, don’t screw with me.’“

“I knew it!” Miles exclaimed, turning to face the table his friends were seated at. “Butch, you owe me ten bucks!”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summer always seemed to go by so fast once it was over.

“Do you really have to leave?” Miles asked softly as they watched the sunset from the hood of Cassandra’s car.

“You know I don’t have much say in the matter.” Cassandra replied. “My dad’s being stationed in California in a few weeks and I need to go with them.”

“Do you think you’ll be back?” Miles questioned in return, turning his gaze to the curly-headed girl next to him. “I mean, this can’t be the end of us, can it?”

Cassandra sat up, moving to sit on the edge of her car’s hood. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, Miles. I want to travel the world after I turn eighteen. Besides, I don’t want to hold you back from loving someone else, someone better than I could ever be for you.”

“Sandy, don’t say that,” Miles insisted, moving to sit with her. “You’re the best person I could ever be with and you know it.”

Cassandra looked to Miles with a watery smile. “I know that I make you happy and that this has been the best summer I could’ve ever asked for. I know my leaving you like this, isn’t fair. None of this is. But I know, deep in my heart, that this,” she gestured between the two of them, “this was just temporary. I know that you know it too, Miles. Somewhere inside you, you know there’s someone else you belong with.”

Miles had to force himself to look back at the sky once again. He didn’t want to think about being alone again, but he had known for quite some time that this wouldn’t last. He had known from the moment she told him she was a military brat. He knew she’d be gone sooner or later, but made himself believe otherwise in some vain hope that she’d end up staying.

“So, what?” Miles began, feeling his throat constrict around every syllable. “Is this the end?”

“Oh, Miles,” Cassandra sighed softly, taking Miles face in her hands and making him look at her. “I think this is just the beginning for you.”

[thesylvalining]

I recently told a friend of mine it’s been hard attempting to stick to the high road lately. Apparently, all I really needed to do was hop the pond, land in Italy and go for a hike in the Appeninos with Lisa! After that, the fabulous Universe would provide all the essentials (food, water, wine, great friends, amazing scenery, adventure and — post hike — very cute boys) on this wonderful, unpredictable journey.

Day Three: San Benedetto in Alpe – Mt. Lavone

Morning broke spectacularly sunny and warm, spiriting us straight from bed in San Benedetto with smiling faces. Downstairs, we made quick work of walnut cake and coffee, then hightailed it upstairs to pack.

It happened to be Sunday, so we found much of Toscana and Emilia-Romagna (the two provinces sandwiching this section of the Apenninos) out for a jaunt, too. Especially on the first 4.5 km to the gushing waterfall at Acquachetta — because, of course, spring is prime time for checking out waterfalls and finally, the weather seemed to agree. So, we trailed countless families traipsing in jeans, hiking groups and teenagers infested with hormones leaping off rocks at each other and us like sugared out kangaroos.

We had an ongoing joke that it was un miracolo (a miracle) we ever made it anywhere with all the frequent stops to take pictures and/or pee. Both of us apparently have bladders the size of antique espresso cups… Before today, we would literally squat next to each other like two over-caffeinated frogs in the middle of the trail or wherever, not even pausing our conversation.

Now, there were people everywhere and trying to pee and avoid being spotted was harder than picking out the ground beef in a pile of tagliatelle al ragu. It was impossible in fact, but Lisa harbors a fear that she’s gonna run out of H20 at any moment so she chugs it like a college student doing a keg stand. And I gulp water as if I were still living at the bone dry elevation of 9,000 feet except also in 150 degree weather. Sorry if it’s TMI for anybody, but welcome to hiking, where the world is your toilet and watching each other leap around tree trunks, panicked, yanking up shorts/skirts because a(nother) school group fast approached was better than anything trending on YouTube.

Anyhoo, we took our chances and arrived at Acquachetta with empty bladders. At the intersection where the trail diverged from the crowds (and went straight up) we shed our packs and hiked around the waterfall for a different perspective. There, we had a mini Contemplation Hour, just meditating on life, watching the water flow from wherever so much water flows…

DCIM101GOPRO

DCIM101GOPRO

DCIM101GOPRO

And then, as I said, Up was the keynote speaker at a conference on multi-day hikes. First, we went up through increasingly quiet forests, past trees still laden with blooms despite the recent wind. Then more up past ruins leftover from the numerous hardy folk that lived in the mountains pre-WW2. As we followed a more than picturesque stream up into mossy, green forests, Lisa reminded me of how guerilla fighters also hid out in these woods during WW2.

One of the many choice elements of hiking or biking in bella Italia is the frequent attendance of potable water. Unlike the good ol US of A, people have lived in this country and its forests for millenia. As such, there are remnants of life throughout, even in more “remote” (compared to the vast expanses back home) areas like the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campiga — the National Park in and around which our hike took place. Lisa filled up her bottle at a spring after we never found the supposed fountain at Acquachetta; I was too chicken. Despite Lisa’s reassurances, I couldn’t quite gulp untreated water straight out of a mountain. Not after managing to thus far avoid giardia or any slightly less hellish bacteria/virus from Colorado or elsewhere on the planet.

By the time we crested the first major ridge, we felt accomplished — but some of the good feelings melted like nocciola (hazelnut) gelato in the sun when we saw the trail’s trump card: a route straight up the next impossible spine.

DCIM101GOPRO

DCIM101GOPRO

By the time we made that ridge our b*tch, it felt as though our calves might explode like squeezed, ripe grapefruits. But we kept ourselves together and transitioned to a treed section of relatively, thankfully flat trail, with deep duff that took pity on our knees. Just ahead was Mt. Lavane, our highest point of the day and trip at 1247 meters (4091 feet).

Suddenly, we popped from the forest into a meadow where a natural gas pipeline stretched as far as we could see. And — just to taunt us — a gravel road gleamed in the sunshine with a red Fiat Panda parked at its end. Hiking in Europe is different from the Us, but nonetheless fantastic; rewind back to my more married days and 2009, when Tyler, our friend Pete and I haunted il Parco like pasty, foreign ghosts. They’d mountain bike and I’d try not to get lost, following peppermint-themed signs through the same forest, different valley… And I’d have the same finale: hiking for hours in The Nature, high-fived at the end by a road and/or a car.

Obviously, the uphill battle had us ravenous, so Lisa and I skirted the Panda to a viewpoint and destroyed leftover ravioli and tagliatelle al ragu from the night before. We discussed our sleeping options — ahead, there were two huts, the first of which might be (and was) in the stand of trees a ravioli’s throw up the trail.

After spotting it, we didn’t even bother checking out the second option:

Inside a giant stack of wood and a fireplace put the exclamation on a particularly emphatic sentence about not freezing our asses off at night!

A dampness lay about the chilly innards of the hut, which would require a fire sooner than later but first: Contemplation Hour!!!!

We spent the next three or four hours stretching, napping and taking turns reading my novel aloud to each other on the Sunniest Bench in the World. In the glorious spring sun, I folded my thoughts around the theme of acceptance like a piadina (a Romagnola-style tortilla) around squacquerone (a soft white Romagnolo cheese that pairs perfectly with piadina and a little arugula).

Only since I departed Dillon and cast off the mantle of familiarity have I truly accepted and embraced joyfully my freedom! Tyler and I are finished — and the world lies ahead of me, ready to be devoured like an orb of piadine e squacquerone. Now, my heart and head are standing on the same shore, ready to depart. What a process… and it’s not as if my heart doesn’t still feel pain, or that I don’t feel lonely or angry. The difference, my friends isn’t pissing in the wind: it’s a sort of calm acceptance I’ve been able to develop of wherever I’m at, whenever I’m there.

And so I sat in the sun, not exactly without a care in the world, but with diminuitive cares and out in the world. Glorious!

After Contemplation Hour came fire and smoking ourselves out of the rifugio repeatedly. I assumed a helpful Smokey the Bear attitude — not only preventing forest fires but also the accidental preserving of ourselves and our eyeballs like wild caught, sockeye salmon. To date, all my camping paraphernalia still wreaks enough to bring back poignant memories of my firefighting days. Even before figuring out the delicate balance between smoke and oxygen, we had to take a break for the sunset:

Eventually Smokey nailed the smoke-air algorithum and the rifugio was comfortable enough for more book reading, more leftovers and later, a comfortable night’s sleep.

Day Four: Back to the barn, Mt. Lavane to Faenza

In the wee hours, both of us heard great footsteps around the rifugio as if the giants of our dreams sniffed about, gazing at the abundant stars. After we arose, the mysterious footsteps were revealed: a herd of horses grazed in the meadow below, with four foals in tow, two of which looked positively new to the world.

With the last trickles of our water, we made espresso in Lisa’s little bialetti and broke our fast with pears and cheese.  Throughout, we watched the horses lay down, get up, graze, whinny and romp around. As Lisa pointed out, watching horses in normal life wouldn’t be magical; but under the bluebird sky, in the moment, it was.

The wind fairly blew us down the mountain — then back up, because we managed to miss a few of the pepperminty signs. Then down again in leaps and shoves, through meadows, fences, forest, down the ridge, down, down, down.

A couple hours later, thirsty and with aching shins, we met up with a gravel road in the metropolis of Campigno. A handful of houses quietly watched as we excitedly approached the town faucet, set — as most of them are — into a stone wall.

“It’s off,” Lisa said, the disappointment in her voice matching the dryness of my mouth. She called to an older man emerging from his front door — was there another fountain? Maybe down the road, he said. Do you need water? Come fill up inside.

So we climbed the steps and were positively assailed by hospitality. An older woman inside said oh, if you’d come sooner, you could’ve had lunch! A second older man in a red sweater said, in a thick accent, how about some wine? How about vin santo (a traditionally Tuscan desert wine)? We acquiesced; this vin santo turned out to be homemade and positively delicious. Lisa and the other three conversed; I tried to keep up with my fledgling Italian skills but I was soon happily lost in a dehydrated vin santo buzz, parked next to a fire. Soon enough we were also being offered coffee — why not?

Outside the sky blackened just to offset our light moods. We reluctantly left the warmth and hospitality behind to tackle the next climb over to Crespino. Just in case it rains, said the older man who first invited us in, there’s a mill in the valley, somebody lives there, but you may be able to hide out.

Shortly, we reached said mill and the skies cracked. We knocked on the door of a large house in the drizzle; no answer. After deciding we were doing nothing wrong — in case we were “caught” — we popped into a large metal building full of rabbits, guinea hens and farm equipment as the sky unzipped itself. As we waited to see if it would stop or continue, we heated up water for instant soba noodles and read some more book. I’d really gotten Lisa hooked now 🙂

Really, the rain was there to stay, like a clueless houseguest. Despite wanting the hike to never, ever end, we threw the towel in because it was, apparently, a very wet towel. Instead of a soggy, muddy scramble over to Crespino where we may or may not be able to sleep indoors — the jury was out til we got there — we opted to retunr to Marradi on the road. In Marradi, we could catch the train and return to Lisa’s warm, dry castle.

However, we’d spaced an important detail: Monday, May 1 was an Italian holiday. Therefore, when we arrived at the train station, we found tiny symbols next to all the trains we could catch sooner or later… the *which denoted, with quiet power, those trains did not run on holidays. Currently, it was 1600 (4 p.m.) and the next train was at 1852 (6:52). Nothing to do but hole up in a bar and warm up with coffee, take the hungry edge off with Nutella gelato, then move on to Spritz and the assortment of salty snacks that make the experience aperitivo. Viva l’Italia!

Back at the castle, we managed to still be hungry… so we ordered pizzas, unpacked and Lisa got ready to leave on tour in a couple of days. On the train, we’d made a pact to adventure together every year — on bikes and/or foot.

Ole! Let the adventures continue!

Over the River and Through the Woods… Again I recently told a friend of mine it's been hard attempting to stick to the high road lately.