Friday, September 4, 2009

Getting your Nature ON - Trees

I had promised Nicole I'd take her for a hike two weeks ago when Kalli went to Battle Creek Falls. Unfortunately, she'd had a really late night and I didn't want to wake her, so I didn't. And I went without her. Last week we were in California, so today was the day. Come Hell or high water, today was the day.

Only it was low water that gave us a problem. Our family car is nigh unto 10 years old and feeling every bit of its age - today it decided to either blow a gasket or a water pump (the diagnosis won't be in until Tuesday). But hike we would. We were determined, and I had a specific location in mind.

So we swapped cars with Mr. O (because the family beast is still good to limp around town), and off we went.

These are shots from the Silver Lake trail.

Nicole wanted to know why these carvings were on trail-side trees. When I explained that boys and girls were proclaiming their affection for each other, she asked me if Mr. O and I had done the same.

Sadly we haven't. Perhaps in 2011 for our 20th? Sweetie?

Although, maybe we have and I've just forgotten (see previous post). Just to be sure we inspected every tree. No dice.

The above is for Emma J - Nicole asked me to capture them because she thought they were enchanting.

I thought this one was sweet and also, apparently, fresh. We stumbled across it while trying to locate the rock (the one that Mr. O and I used to hike up to, but more about that later). We found this next to a campsite off the trail a bit, and conjured up a story about the proposal to entertain ourselves.

The lighting in this (which, of course, never transfers very well to a still-shot) reminds me of the aspens in Emma J's post.

Aspens are purely magical. That is why I have a small glen planted on the north side, by my bedroom. I simply cannot get enough of the light dance off the leaves and rushing water sound whenever the slightest breeze lifts.