waterfall hike when cousins come to town

This past weekend visitors from the Midwest came to town.  Josh's cousins from Michigan made the trip out.  Michelle is Josh's cousin and her husband, Ryan, was best man for Josh.  Their little boy, Sam, is three.  Eurydice LOVED playing with her cousin and laughed hysterically at just about everything he did.  If he came in the room when she was eating, she was suddenly full and ready to play.

On the Saturday of their visit we loaded up the van and drove out to our favorite falls.  We're in quite the drought right now, and I don't remember the last time it really rained.  It just happened to rain that day.  It was lovely.  I love the moodiness of cloud cover. 

Though I love nature, I'm not very outdoorsy.  Mostly because I have a pretty vivid/active imagination and am [irrationally] terrified of just about every catastrophe nature has to offer.  It takes quite a bit of inner battle to silence the voice in my head that tells me I will certainly fall and slide down that hill and it would be disastrous.  The trek to this waterfall is under two miles roundtrip and is a pretty solid path.  Still.  Half the time I'm asking myself why I am even doing this.  I'm terrified of heights and it is way out of my comfort zone.  But every time, three now, it is amazing.  The hike and the waterfall are so beautiful.

 Both Josh and Ryan made the hike with children on their backs.  [Compared to these guys, I have nothing to be freaked out about.]

 On the drive out we stopped at Corbett Country Market and picked up house-smoked salmon and ribs for a picnic lunch.  Eury was a fan of the salmon.

That little dry spot on the underside of the boulder was our picnic spot.

With the chill, rain and children everyone opted not to swim.  The rain was a nice reminder of fall and winter.  The trees are beginning to tire from their lack of water.  I see them slowly turning towards yellow.  Though there will not be waterfall hikes in winter, I do look forward to the grass returning to green.  Not to mention those rare moments everyday when the clouds part and sun gloriously comes pouring through.