California, Canyon, Calvin, and My 12 Year Old Brother!!!!

Hello, readers.  Hope all of you are enjoying the more regular routine fall brings after the hectic (but oh so wonderful) summer season.  Here in California fall isn't as a big of a deal as it is in the Midwest, but some leaves change colors and a few seconds ago one flitted down from a tree.  So I guess it's technically 'fall' here too. 

On Labor Day weekend, a group from church went to the beach for the afternoon.  A hurricane has effected the coast and brought in extremely large waves.  They were biggest the Wednesday before we went but Sunday we still got to enjoy some larger waves.  With the warm water this year I've been able to stay in longer than other years, when my phalanges go numb and my ears ache.  This time I only got out because other people were and I didn't want to become shark bait.

After a picnic on the sand, a group of us headed to Uncle Joe and Aunt Sue's for chocolate malts.  Mmmm, that put the cherry on the top!

In the mornings before the sun rises over the mountains, the cool air wakes my senses as I head to the canyon for my morning walk.  It's about a mile to the entrance I normally use, a mile back to the waterfall, a mile back to the entrance, and a mile home.  On weekends the canyon is a popular hike for college kids, families, you name it.  But during the week there are much fewer people, especially now that school has started.  In fact, two days this week I've had the waterfall to myself when I got back there!  One day I didn't see a single person on the trail.  It's been pretty great.  I have to confess that this morning I slept in instead of walking (naughty naughty!) and I miss it!  It's such a great start to the day.

Here are a few pics I've taken over the past week or so.
The canyon entrance:

 

Love the mornings these mountains are misty!

The trail begins under the white bridge.  From there, it's rocks, trees, dirt, mountain, and a little trickle of water here and there where it hasn't dried up.

And this is when Pocahontas starts singing "Just around the river bend...! Waiting just around the river bend...!"  Yah, that actually went through my head the other morning for too long.

Most of the trail isn't that rocky.  I took these pictures while walking through the creek bed the other morning.  I usually follow the dirt path but on occasion, the occasion usually being that I'm close behind somebody and don't want to be a stalker because it's happened before that I've followed somebody at an awkwardly close distance and decided that taking a different path was the way to go, I find it necessary to hop stones.  And it's a good break up from the norm.

This is the view I'm always so glad to see.

The sound, the scent, the peacefulness.

It's down to just a trickle, but I've decided that I don't mind since it means there's no gushing stream to be cautious of and you can pretty much get in the waterfall if you want to. *Cough, Leah*  (That kind of happened when Leah was visiting me in July).  Heh, anyway, there's a rock to the right of the waterfall that Leah and I named 'Selfie Rock' and when perched upon, it gives a great self protrait taken by oneself with the waterfall in the background. Appropriately named, huh?

What's really amazing about being back by the waterfall is that you're surrounded.  The other day a helicopter flew over so I looked up, and it was then that I realized the mountains made a circle above my head.  It was a neat feeling.  Surrounded by the mighty mountains.

Here's a pano from Selfie Rock.

Anyway, if you can't tell by this long description, the canyon means a lot to me and if you come visit me I'll take you on a hike :)

Switching topics slightly, this morning I got to face time with Calvin!!!! He is so precious.  He even had the hiccups, which he didn't seem to pleased about, but he made eye contact with me and everything.  It was so wonderful.  Maria or Jim sends us a picture of him every day and we all ooh and ahh over what he's wearing, how he puts his hands over his ears when she vacuums, his wrinkly skin, or how big he's getting.

This was about two weeks ago.  Hanging out with Hobbs.

And this is a screen shot I took during a video Mia sent recently.  It's my new lock screen picture on my phone.  It changes quite frequently with pictures of this little guy.

He's changing like crazy but I can console myself in the fact that in less than three weeks I get to see him again!  I even get to have him to myself while Jim and Mia are at work and school so this auntie's happy.

And the last thing I'll include in this post is my brother's birthday!!! He is 12 YEARS OLD!!  Where has time gone?  I can still remember the morning we woke up for school and Oma was downstairs.  We soon got a phone call saying that we had a baby brother!  And that was 12 years ago?  What?

Sounds like he's having a great day.  When I called him this morning he said he'd gone kayaking in the creek and was just getting ready to go fishing.  I'm bummed I can't be there and see his big smile.  I love his smile.  Happy Birthday, Dan Man!!!

Have a great weekend, everybody!