Last weekend we hiked the second section of the Ozark Highlands Trail, from White Rock Mountain to Cherry Bend, with our good friends Britt and Debbie.
The timing was perfect to celebrate Britt’s retirement. After a long career caring for elephants in several states, and one last sad and frustrating year at the Little Rock zoo, he said good-bye to the animals on Thursday. We hiked a few miles together on Friday, and then set up camp near a pretty stream. We made cherry cheesecakes and hung a makeshift “Happy Retirement” banner near the campfire and drank wine together in the dark.
Congratulations, friend. You chose a career in something you loved, something that allowed you to work hard and keep learning. You chose family over money and you chose moving forward over standing still. You made animals’ lives better and you made people smile. We’re looking forward to your next adventures, and we hope you’ll share some of them with us.