The Hazard Chronicles

This was a short week with a lot of good stuff packed in. I'll try to do justice to each event.

*****

On Friday night, Rachel and I celebrated our 17th anniversary. Sort of. Actually, our anniversary was on Thursday, and our real celebration will happen later in the month for a week on the San Juan Islands, but we did go on a date and we called it our anniversary, so there is that. Anyway, we saw the play "Lifespan of a Fact," which we both thought was very well done. It's central theme is a subject that I think a lot about- especially as I write this blog- and even though it was opening night the acting was on point. 

Seventeen years, and they just keep getting better. I can honestly say that with a straight face. The other day Evelyn made a comment that "You two don't even seem like a married couple- you just seem like two really good friends who make out with each other sometimes." If that is the perception, then I'd say it is accurate. Rachel is my best friend. And she's a pretty good kisser too ;)

I'd say we do life pretty well together

*****

We eased into the weekend the next morning- Rachel and I going to the gym together, and the kids lounging away in front of Saturday morning cartoons. Eventually we loaded the van and pulled out of the driveway around eleven. The sky was dark and an angry rain beat down on the windshield. 

No worries- we were headed to the desert. Vantage. Climbing. It's what we do.

I have to admit that I get a certain sense of pride when my kids lead and belay each other on things that other adults in the area consider to be challenging. Especially when a sense of humor, fun, and "childishness" is maintained throughout the process.

It was kind of a windy day :)

Besides climbing, there is also a lot of exploring that goes on at Vantage. Look closely and you'll see our kids jumping around on the cliffs, looking for little caves, and finding places with viewpoints. Watching them reminds me of when I was a kid, and we would ride our bikes to "the rocks" to do the same thing. 

After climbing, we went to a nice-ish little Mexican restaurant for dinner and stayed in a hotel. I think we watched a movie that night? I'm not entirely sure because I fell asleep pretty early. That happens sometimes.

*****

We awoke the next morning and had breakfast, followed by a short presentation of Mother's Day presents that some of the kids had prepared. We then made a short drive to our next destination: Palouse Falls. It's one of those places we inevitably end up visiting every now and then. Close enough to be easily accessible, and different enough geographically to inspire open-mouthed astonishment at the natural beauty. It's a cool place.

Ev will love that I included this silly picture :). If you hike down to the waterfall, you start out on top of these big cliffs, walking through rolling grassland. The wind forms waves in the grass that look really cool. These hills are one of my favorite features of the Palouse. Even just driving through them is a neat experience. Eventually, you descend into a deep canyon with a river running through it.

It's Mother's Day, so we took a picture

Actually, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better mom. Although neither of us conscientiously "teach" much to our kids at all, her example of what a genuinely awesome woman looks like says more than a thousand lectures ever could.

The little pools that form along the side of the river were teeming with tadpoles and other stream-life. It was like visiting a freshwater tidepool!

After walking along the river for some time, you arrive at the top of the falls. It's a pretty spectacular view, and I've never been able to capture the feeling in a photograph of staring down into the misty abyss. If you want, you can continue down to the base for a different vantage point.

Also, Evelyn really likes mushrooms. It's a thing.

*****

We arrived back home in time for Rachel and me to shower and make it to a nice outdoor concert at Arbor Crest. It was lovely. I would have to work the next day, but sitting there as the weekend slowly burned down, listening to music, dancing, laughing with friends, and watching the sun set over the valley made me feel like much more than two days had gone by. It was refreshing. 

Have a good week!