Nothing Like A Shot on a Chilly Day

Rest stop on Camino. Europeans really know how to do it right! Beer, cafe con leche ... can't wait to get back!

Did a great hike with the Outdoor Club today. We explored the perimeter of the Franklin Parker Nature Preserve which has only recently been opened to the public. The New Jersey Conservancy is working at restoring the cranberry bogs back to cedar marsh and it really is a unique place. Most hiking in the Pine Barrens is limited to a trail through heavily wooded areas. The wide open spaces of the bogs surrounded by pitch pine forest is hauntingly beautiful.

We only hiked a part of the preserve today, a total of about seven miles. The hike leader will bring us back in the spring, when the wildflowers are in bloom, to hike another section of this really great new nature spot.

It was really windy, especially by the bogs. Today is one of those days I really apprciate having my tiny bottle of cognac!

There’s just something about a nice shot on cold day. There’s that feeling of warmth as it works its way through the system, not to mention that brief but all so good afterglow. Plus it does wonders for any aches or pains!

Hey, it’s not all that bad. Just think, when they sent those St. Bernard’s into the Alps to rescue the lost, it wasn’t a keg of hot tea those dogs were carrying around their neck! One of the great things about Camino was the ready availability of beer and wine on the road. More on that later!

I think it was Joe who first introduced booze to our hikes. He gave each of us a tiny bottle of Jagermeister, just the right size to fit in the side pocket of our pack. Just as our food selections grew, so did our options to imbibe on a cold winter day. Somehow, Baileys and Frangelica made its way into the hot chocolate. I tried a couple of different schnapps but pretty much stuck with the Jager, it's medicinal taste somehow made it seem like it was "good for you." It was Ray who hit on the cognac. It really does the best job of warming the body and the soul. It definitely came in handy on New Year’s Eve!

Right now I’m working on a bottle of vanilla cognac a good friend gave me as a housewarming gift. Though I had gotten a plastic flask, I’ve gone back to using that little Jagermeister bottle that Joe gave me. That bottle and I have put in a lot of miles together!

Here's a link for the Franklin Parker Preserve: http://www.njconservation.org/html/preserves/franklinparker.htm