June 18, 2006

When it's hot and miserable

Today the temperatures were in the 90s and the humidity was high. Everyone in the household was tired and miserable and hissing at each other. Eventually, teenagers and cats flopped on the floor to nap. I got in the car and drove off by myself to find someplace cool and quiet, some place where I could write in my journal and think. I rolled down my windows to let the warm air rush into the car, the breeze making my sweaty hair feel at least a little bit cool.

The parking lot of the county park was surprisingly empty. It's a park that used to be crowded on summer days when I was a kid, but I suppose the prevalence of air conditioning keeps people indoors nowadays. The shady pine grove filled with picnic tables and grills was quiet.

When I was a kid, we used to clamber into the stream, close enough to the waterfall to get wet. Chain link fences have gone up since then, with big warnings that going off the trail means risking injury or death. I rolled my eyes at the signs and climbed over the fence. The park is by no means a wilderness area, and my footsteps on bare rock were not going to hurt anything. The deep shade of the forest felt cool and calming as I picked my way across rocks toward the sound of falling water.

The 137-foot waterfall has not changed in my lifetime. Water foams white as it rushes down over the rocks, a wonderful rolling, dancing stream, half-hidden by all the lush green foliage. Listening to the rush of water and feeling the spray on my face, I could feel my whole body relax.

waterfall

8 comments:

Ianqui said...

Indeed. It IS hot and miserable. I tried to cool off by going to the seminary that Rev Dr. Mom attended, but the gardens were closed to the public instead.

A waterfall would have been nice. It looks beautiful.

RageyOne said...

Sounds like a relaxing place to go. Nice photo.

Peter said...

Hmm. Getting on to MacKenzie Point time up here in the Lakehead. Cool, cool water, and a safe place to swim in it. Keep tabs on my blog--and be envious...

undine said...

Beautiful photo, and the post made everything seem cooler.

jo(e) said...

Poor Mad Peter: Oh, I've seen some of your photos. That looks like a wonderful place to spend the summer months ....

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

AHHH . . . one of the many things I will miss . . .

KLee said...

Simply breathtaking! I would have jumped the fence (and probably have gotten stuck, but there you are) as well.

Yankee, Transferred said...

looks great.