Those lyrics played back in her head driving up to the trail head..
"Yeah I'm chilling on a dirt road,
Laid back swervin' like I'm George Jones,
Smoke rollin' out the window,
An ice cold beer sittin' in the console
Memory lane up in the headlights
Has got me reminiscing on the good times
I'm turning off the real life, driving, that's right
I'm hittin' easy street in mud tires"
She came to this place many times growing up to find some peace and solitude, but now she finally had someone with her to share it all with. She thought to herself, someone exactly like her father would be the only man who could EVER handle her. Someone understanding, patient, kind, giving. Someone with a spirit for adventure, who wanted to be feisty, wild and silly.
Suddenly she was snapped out of it as he asked pulling in, "Is this it?" ... "Yup!!" She exclaimed with excitement for the only time in her life she would share this with someone.
"Why don't you grab the packs and I'll grab the fishin poles? I gotta put on my boots."
"Alright mama, you da boss" he said with a big excited kiss.
She pulled over to the cut off and turned off the truck while he hopped to the back and lifted the stuff out with his strong arms.
Looking in the rearview mirror, she thought to herself "Mmm good thing I can get these cloths as dirty as I want today!! Usually he likes everything all prissy. Now's my chance to show him just how much I prefer to get messy instead. So much easier." She chuckled to herself.
She reached back to get her shoes and started to put them on. Walkin back to front cab of the truck he saw her bending over, tying up her boot laces and noticed a bit of her plumy butt was showing. He bent over to tickle her a bit and straighten her out like a lady.
She immediately shot up and hit him on the shoulder laughing "You mutt! Go fetch a stick!" He laughed at the big grin on her face. She still liked it though when he did that. She didn't realize how much he looked at her until he started touching her more as of lately.
She grabbed the fishin gear and came around the side of the truck and laid it by the big boulder with the other gear.
"Alright, we're all suited up," she said "Let's have a smoke before" He replied "That sounds like a fine idea, pretty lady"
She had stopped smoking and started enjoying a healthier feeling lately. Plus it helped with the deep breathing she would need. But he was still in between. It was alright though because she still enjoyed the sweetness of the Clove vape, and secretly she still enjoyed the feeling of the big, slick, hard glass of her weed pipe all up in her lips.
He grinned at her again, knowing what was going to make her randy for the next few hours.
"So where's this fishin spot?" He asked. "Its down by the river. We have to go off trail and hike to it. Ready honey?"
She gently bent in to kiss him, tasting of cloves after taking a puff of vape. He licked his lips and bent in for a deeper kiss, pulling her closer. This time with tongue. She teased him a bit and sucked on it before saying "You'll just have to wait for more," winking "Let's go!"
*****
It was a cool afternoon with breaks in the clouds for sunshine. Not bad for an early fall. The coldness of the air bit at her lips and egged her to keep on going. They had just started.
Ava heard the crashing of the waterfall in the distance, like a representative of her mind. Humming quietly in the distance, but always moving. Soothing
Shaun was right behind her. She knew he was checking out her cute butt in those comfy, tight yoga pants as usual, but she was too distracted by her thoughts of setting up camp when they got to their destination. She hesitated for a moment, trying to remember if they brought the two rifles.
She turned her head back and saw Shaun had his for smaller, more experienced game. A Ruger 10-22 classic fixed stock rifle. It's reliability and accuracy are legendary, and there are more accessories for the rifle.
She reached back to feel down the side of her pack for hers. It was for bigger medium game. A Marlin 30-30. Its slow to load, its slow to reload, but the 30-30 is compact, its easy for just about anyone in the family to shoot, its pretty accurate out to 100 - 150 yards and it has plenty of penetration power. One aspect that is often overlooked, the 30-30 shoots a 30 caliber bullet. Something to keep in handy for bigger critters and being a little lady. She laughed at herself a bit.
Shaun asked her "What ya thinkin mama?"
"Remember the first time I tried to hold a shotgun? It was too big for me and I couldn't clear corners in the house. What good is it if I can't even aim for a horse with a shot gun?'' They both chuckled a hearty laugh.
He said " Good thing you got that hunters safety and pulled tags. Now maybe we can start practice and eat new grub!!''
She nodded agreeing. "I got some new ideas reading up on some big game we're aiming for. We'd have to bring the ATV's. I read White River is a great place to test hunting skills. If you're looking for Colorado elk, that would be the place you finally manage to find and harvest a bull. White River is a beautiful mix of wildflower meadows and rugged mountain cliffs."
"Wow" he said "I'm game! Are you sure you really want to do this? I mean, do something so big for your first trip?"
Quickly she exclaimed "Of Course! The smaller game seems to be harder, and that's what we're practicing this trip, including fishing. I think it would be a honor to hunt big game the first time with you and learn about how to prep the meat and skin. And no, I won't cry." Ava said rolling her eyes.
"The only time I do that is when the world is being stupid with each other. A man's still gotta eat."
Ava could understand why he was asking though. She was always a sensitive person. The down side and up side we're one in the same. Being sensitive, you pick up on everything. It'll expose deep truths, and allows you to notice details. But It's easy to get overwhelmed, and there's no way of simply "turning it off".
She felt the same way about sex. There never was an off button for that either, she laughed. She was always in heat, but it sure did teach her who people really were.
At that point in her life she was experienced dealing with people, but never really had the time to enjoy and develop herself. Like her writing or dreams of running her own refurbishment business. Maybe even hemp farming. She had always been too busy living for some body else, either out of trained habit or force. This is why she loved her freedom and being wild woman when she got the chance.
She was 30 and had her two, and only final children, from different men. She had tried all kinds of birth control, but there were always complications to her health. It didn't help that the men she'd always been with lied about being responsible or mature, letting her down in different ways usually screwing her over.
What she needed was an emotionally mature man who could respect what she had to do for herself, including taking her own time. That and use condoms since that was her only option due to her medical complications.
That was something Shaun did. He finally got a vasectomy for her Mother's Day gift, something they gladly partook in!!
But it didn't stop them from taking their time to still enjoy falling in love with each other and appreciating the finer moments together.
Her father did try to raise her to be a proper woman, after all. Maybe a bit too proper, repressing her somewhat. It did teach her though to be strong and consistent. Something she greatly admired about him, and something else she saw in Shaun too. Shaun was good for her...
And Ava's mother? She was very private and composed, but with a dark sense of humor. Mom never wanted to do much, so from an early age Ava got used to handing things on her own, leading to her strong willed independence. Something her mother felt bad about, but the past was the past. She was focusing on the future. Besides she had her mother's sense of humor... She was just happy to get away from the kids. Ha-ha. All things Shaun lovingly accepted about Ava.
"Yeah, I got the gun," he said, reading her actions.
She replied "I was about to say, I'm not coming on this trip about to do nothing!!" She laughed.
He said "Yeah, with any luck I'll be the one getting my hands dirty" he smirked.
"Fat chance!!" She said shaking her butt at him.
Now she was getting her first big wind of energy.
All this talk about getting dirty and trying something new got her excited. She felt free as the wind carrying her faster in to her hiking pace. She needed it to get her body healthy. She liked to get her lungs going. One two. One two. She counted her steps zoning out all the distractions of her mind. So much that she barely noticed that she got far ahead of Shaun.
Shaun was a peaceful person at heart and enjoyed taking his time out in nature. The city was a different story.