HEY HON, WANNA GO TO THE CLIFF???

Because of my career, many men have been under the impression that in order to make me happy, in order to impress me, in order to win me over, they need to wine me and dine me. Now, I admit, like any other woman, I love getting dressed up, going to a great restaurant with fine ambiance, and enjoying good conversation...but I don't need that all the time. Truth is, my best dates have been doing things unexpectedly and as long as it's new to me, and I have fun, I love it.

So, I got a phone call from the Quiet One.

"Hey, hon. It's a really beautiful day! How about we go to the cliff?"
"Really?"

I talk about the cliff to many people in my life, and I've even blogged about what I call My Cliff. I am happiest whenever I am around nature. There is something therapeutic about hearing the leaves being kissed by the breeze; seeing all the green all around; noticing the trees that have been in existence for almost an eternity; and the idea of a possibility of seeing the forest's creatures. All these things turn me into a little kid. I did indeed take the Quiet One to the cliff in the beginning of our relationship...all we did was stand there and talk. The Quiet One remembered. He remembered how much this little place means to me. The idea that he spontaneously suggested it thrilled me. So he picked me up, and there we were. I showed him the trails that are there - there are two. One marked with red on the trees and the other marked with blue. He spotted a turkey vulture. I looked up, waiting to see it soar. But he pointed straight ahead, and there it was walking along the woods. Cool. Turkey vultures are not exactly the most beautiful of birds, but I LOVE birds of prey. Just the mere sight of any bird of prey fills me with adrenalin. We began to walk the trail marked in red, but we quickly realized we were not wearing the appropriate clothing, or type of shoes for the rocky landscape. He suggested that the next time we came to the cliff, we should make a day of it; pack a bag, blanket and snacks, and go.

So the following week, The Quiet One picked me up. That particular day, for some reason, I wasn't really in the mood. But the sun was calling out, reminding me that soon it would be further away. Soon it would be too cold to visit the cliff...this was the day. So, he drove me there - knapsack, blanket, snacks, water and all. We had our hiking shoes on too. We chose the trail with the red on the trees. Last summer I had attempted that trail, but I was forceed to stop dead in my tracks because there was so much brush growth, it completely denied me access. But on this day, with the Quiet One, it was completely free. There was a sign posted: 440 Foot Descent. I don't know what the hell that means - 440 feet? I just know I was determined to do it. And so was the Quiet One. And so we began to walk down.

It was wonderful because for two hours we were completely alone, almost as if no one else existed. As we walked, sometimes in complete silence, we saw chipmunks, more chipmunks...and more chipmunks. We found a large rock that to me, looked like a love seat. We sat for a moment and took in the awesomeness of the forest. And then we continued to walk down, even passing the area where I was stopped last year. Finally, at the very bottom, we had reached the river. It was GREAT! It was so quiet, so private and extremely peaceful. We found a large tree and sat for a while. It was perfect. It was even romantic. And all I kept thinking was how sweet he was to do this for me. Although he's never told me, I get the feeling that nature is not really his thing. But he entertained me with something that I love, and it makes me love him that much more.

It was time to go back. Oh. I forgot. The entire return trip would be entirely uphill. Uphill onto rocky terrain, over broken trees and sometimes unsteady footing. The Quiet One was so manly - he sometimes walked in front of me to be sure I wouldn't step on something unsteady. He sometimes walked behind me, claiming he just wanted to see my butt, lol. Silly. Either way, half way up, I was huffing and puffing...and sweating. Excuse me, I mean I was glistening. He was not. Damn, I really need to get into better shape. Perhaps Zumba isn't enough. Three quarters of the way, I HAD to STOP. I needed a little break. We rested about a minute and proceeded. "We're almost there, honey...you got this!!" Aw, he's so supportive. LOL...in my mind, I was thinking, "Yeah, that's easy for you to say, Tarzan!"

Just before we reached the end, the Quiet One pointed out the cutest deer. I love deer. Some people see them as nuisances on the highway, or creatures harboring lyme-disease carrying ticks, but I see them as sweet, docile creatures. In Native American folklore, they are considered to represent innocence and child-like naivete. Either way, the Quiet One saw something that he knows I love...

Looks like the Quiet One is the Good One too. I have to tell you that so far, I have nothing bad to report. As we ge to know one another, I have learned that he is easy-going, attentive, romantic, affectionate...and he can be quirky too. One of his quirks, my favorite so far, is that when he really likes a song, he will sing it passionately, but a split second faster than the tempo of the song. As a singer, it used to make me cringe, but now it makes me smile!!!! It was nice to see for once where the trail led to...it was nice to finish what we started...it was simply - very - nice.