Wednesday, July 9, 2014

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.





1 comment:

  1. Lovely and thoroughly enjoyable! I hope your hip is better soon, that your shoes dry out quickly (and not with an unwelcome scent), and that you rest your burning thighs. Thanks for keeping it G-rated (the whole clothes on, shoes off thingy). Well-done!

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