For a few minutes this morning I was ten years old again while hiking with my best friend in juniper woodlands here. I realized I was scouting for forts and hiding places like a child.
Jean and Tom playing on the rocks.
As kids, we spent hours in the southern California hills among granite boulders and live oaks. We made forts in the rocks, or under the sumac bushes. Other times in the huge fallen eucalyptus trees or under spreading oaks. When I had my horse we looked for box canyons where we could all hide.
Tom climbing the granite boulders
There were trails – some we had made, some made by small game. We knew them all. If we were lucky we found an abandoned nest, or small plain pieces of Indian pottery. Treasures.
.
Small pieces of petrified wood
Today we explored more of the trail we found a few weeks ago. We saw pieces of petrified wood and a few fossils.
But the best time for me was being 10 again and thinking those rocks overlooking Ash Canyon would be a great fort.
This juniper could be part of a fine fort!
Always Backroads 
You have posted, without authorization, photos that I have copyrighted for use in my body-building business. They show what I fine specimen I was then and continue to be now. My attorney will be in touch. Tom.
Your attorney is laughing too hard to do anything! And big brother, remember I have possession of the photos, not you. Mom wanted me to have them.
Cheers, Donna
Very nice post!