WALKING ON WATER

(click on photos to enlarge)

Wanna take a walk with me? Thought maybe it was time to introduce you to our secret treasure. Hope you have a good imagination!

When we first saw our house, the realtor told us that the property ended in the middle of a creek, hidden in those trees that run along the edge of the road. We could hear it, we just couldn't see it - or figure out how to get down that steep drop-off just beyond the road. It's that triple cascade in the first photo, from our neighbor's property down to ours, that we can hear all the way up on our porch - and in our bedroom, if we sleep with the windows open.

After we bought the place, we went exploring, and found that little deer path. It's at the far edge of the property, just before the road curves around to cross the creek. I had to scoot down on my rear in a couple of places, but it was so worth it, when I saw what awaited us!

The path brought us out onto this wide, flat ledge - the perfect place for a picnic, don't you think? Be careful, it's slippery! Austin fell on his butt, not once but twice, the first time we brought him down here - despite our warnings. Even though it was mid-winter when we discovered it, we couldn't resist stripping off our shoes and socks to dangle our feet in the water that was rushing down that little side chute, in it's haste to join the main creek. We decided it would be the perfect spot to plop down in a tube and launch yourself into the creek, come summer. Little did we know, that summer would be the start of our never-ending drought. Don't you just love the way that gorgeous Maidenhair Fern covers the underside of the ledge? Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? But wait - here comes the best part!

We have a swimmin' hole! See, there in the last photo? That's where the chute dumps you out. The water's deep, cool, crystal clear, and in constant motion, so, hopefully, the water moccasins will stay further down the creek, where it's still and murky. If not, at least we'll be able to see them coming. Might be a bit of a problem if we had to get out in a hurry though. As you can see, those walls sure are steep and tall.

Oh, I know it doesn't look like much now. I'm not completely crazy. But I can still see it, if I set my mind to it, just the way it looked that very first time we stumbled down the hill. And at night, when everything is still? I can hear it!