Teachers Write Day 3: Waterfall Wednesday

Today was Q & A Wednesday and we had the opportunity to ask authors questions about writing. You can check out today’s Teachers Write post here. I did take a look at the post and there are some great questions being asked! However, I didn’t have any burning questions of my own today, and my husband and I had planned to take a hike in the mountains. I definitely wanted to write today so I hoped for inspiration and loaded the puppies into the car.

I ended up with something prose-ish. It doesn't have a title, but I am seriously considering "My Thighs Are Screaming!"

Headed up Highway 50

Destination unknown

My husband likes to keep it a

secret

Two pups in tow, we pull into the lot for

Horsetail Falls

Uphill

bouldering towards a grand view

The double dog leash seemed like a good idea

but not for these rocks

Halfway up we lose the trail even though we are following the

trail markers

Somehow we find it by

Sloshing through the creek

with shoes wet we scramble on

stopping for the dogs to take a drink

we try taking photos

and struggle to get the dogs to say “cheese”

Face the camera, please?

It’s quiet here

all but the sound of my hip popping

and the water sloshing out of my now muddy shoes

Reaching the top, Sam climbs down to the falls

and the dogs whine

and whine

and whine

They think he’s lost.

Then a lady with her unleashed dog and 5 noisy kids reach

where I’m sitting

NUTS

my dogs are crazy excited and I am holding them for dear life

“Please come back!” I whisper to my husband even though he can’t hear.

Choices.

Do I let go of the dogs to reach my water and chapstick?

For a moment I consider it.

No. It can wait.

Finally Sam is back. He’s ready to head down.

Lola drags me across the giant granite face

I let go of her leash and Sam takes her

before I roll down to the highway

Every watering spot we find has people at it

until we finally reach a quiet spot

just for us.

We rip off our

clothes

I mean shoes

and plunge our tired, dusty feet in the river.

The best part of the day so far.

Relaxing, I eat three tiny

peaches

from the tree in my yard

We struggle and laugh as we attempt

more puppy family photos.

I look up to see that unleashed dog racing towards us

AGAIN

“Put your dog on a leash!” comes out of my mouth before I can stop it

My husband said I shouldn’t have yelled.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

We put on our wet shoes and head for the parking lot.

We are tired and hot

and I realize that this is not my favorite

hike.

But Sam loves it

so it’s worth it.