THE HOCKING HILLS
...and an enchanting weekend

My recent weekend in the Hocking Hills included a no-damage, car wreck, back-to-back perfect Euchre hands and my engagement--more or less.

The adventure began when my lady friend Sue Brooks and I joined square dancing friends Mark and Nancy Meinzer for a weekend of exploring that Arctic-like wonderland near Logan, OH.

Our cabin was plunked in the middle of its own five acre retreat about ½ mile from Old Man’s Cave. It was marvelous with a very efficient pellet-burning stove. Its only drawback was lousy, smelly water that looked like its filtration involved coal dust.

Lots of flushing the system and a supply of bottled water helped us rise above the challenge of that now ex-vendor who had rudely rebuffed Nancy’s inquiry about the problem.

The wreck came as we were leaving the parking area for Cedar Falls and encountered a bozo in a Humvee who insisted on taking his half of the driveway out of the middle. Mark escaped an accident by easing into the ditch while that ignorant clown continued on his sub-conscious way.

Mark, Sue and I got out while Nancy slid into the driver’s seat and we muscled Meinzer’s spiffy, four-wheel drive SUV back onto the road.

The “engagement” was pre-planned--more or less. Sue and I had purchased rings in the Irish Claddah style and planned to exchange them sometime during that Valentine’s weekend. “I’ll surprise you I chirped” as the weekend was coming together.

Originally I envisioned a candle-lit dinner someplace.

But, our first hike that Saturday morning was into the frozen enchantment of Ash Cave where we found ourselves nearly alone in the silence of that natural tabernacle. “How’s this?” I asked her quietly. She smiled her agreement and I continued, “Will you be my soul mate in a perpetual courtship for as much time as life gives us?” She said “Yes.”

I unwrapped the rings from their medical gauze protection and we shared their installation while a surprised Nancy tried to slip away and give us some privacy. We promptly invited her and Mark to come closer and share our very special moment.

You see, we had arranged our first date while in a dance club meeting in their living room the previous July —and, they were engaged to be married on a Valentine’s weekend some years ago.

We went on to savor the natural splendor of Cedar Falls, Old Man’s Cave and Conkle’s Hollow. Sue put a firm punctuation mark on our adventurous weekend by being the only one in our expedition to escape a tumble in the deep and often icily packed snow.

Earlier I mentioned some success in the card game of Euchre. Actually, a perfect Euchre hand is that game’s equivalent of a hole-in-one in golf. Mine came in back-to-back deals from two different players and both were identical; both bowers with the ace, king and queen of Spades.

And, I got to play both of them.

I’m not superstitious but I raised my eyebrow at this amazing omen which seemed to celebrate our truly enchanting weekend.

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In the top photo by Nancy Meinzer Sue and I exchange our rings at Ash Cave. In the small photo Sue jokingly hugs an icy stalagmite at Conkle’s Hollow—a truly significant event when you realize her low blood pressure causes her to suffer a constant chill. What a lady!