Check out Mountain Home Auto Ranch in Boise, Ontario, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Nampa, Jerome, and Twin Falls. http://www.mhautoranch.com/index.htm

George Orwell where are you? Here is the headline in my local newspaper today: “Mercury Removal from T.F. [Twin Falls, Idaho] Apartment complex results in $50,000 bill.” That’s right – fifty grand.

via American Thinker Blog: $50,000 to clean up a 2 oz mercury spill (Updated).

I attended Richard Bernabe’s Fall Colors in the South Carolina Upstate Workshop this past weekend.  The peak colors had occurred about two weeks prior, but there was still some nice color to be found. I met some really nice fellow photographers.  We went to Cesar’s Head State Park, Table Rock State Park, Twin Falls and Jump off Rock. What a fun day!

Two of the girls and I headed out yesterday to look at the fall color and see some of our local waterfalls after all the rain we have been having. Pressed for time, it wasn’t exactly a long joy ride – but we did really enjoy the hikes, the beautiful fall colors, and the wonderful waterfalls!

Upstate SC is blessed with so many breath-taking waterfalls that are a fairly easy hike. Just NEVER ask our family to find Pig Pen Falls EVER AGAIN!!!!

From the time we moved here and started discovering the wonder of hearing the water before you see it cascading down the side of a mountain, one of our favorite falls has been Twin Falls. Yes, we have seen a couple of snakes up there – but if you pick the right time of year to visit – like now, you can enjoy the falls without worry of critters!

We weren’t in the best lighting situation as you’ll see. It was so bright by the time we got there, I only photographed one side of  Twin Falls.

The hike up is BEAUTIFUL!  I love the pictures of the little stream flowing over rocks. This place is so soothing.

You know me, I had to snap a few pictures of the girls. Even though it was so bright, the catch lights in their eyes from the rocks and water were beautiful. No store-bought reflectors this time – just God’s beauty!

Below is the right side of the falls – the sun was too bright to do anything with both…we’ll have to hike back up on a morning trip!

The path that leads to the falls is like walking in a hushed, peaceful place. You can hear the water from the time you enter the path. The trees form a bower above that make you want to slow down and enjoy a leisurely stroll (unless of course you’re Mariah – then it’s always full steam ahead). Honestly, there is a such a quietness about this place. Yesterday with the fall foliage it was magical. The sun danced between tree branches, the birds sang- creation showing the majesty of its Maker!

This last picture is from a little waterfall along Hwy. 11. When we drive into NC there are usually folks there selling boiled peanuts. Yesterday it was empty so we stopped. We were immediately swarmed with lady bugs! They were all over the place. We were still finding them on us later that afternoon! Still Mariah wanted to wade into the water…you’ll be able to tell by her eyes what the temperature felt like!

I hope our little trek inspires you to find your waterfall…and enjoy the peacefulness of God’s creation!

Day four of my challenge to find amazing everyday.  First was something I did that was amazing.  I scored a 135% on my government quiz.  Lizzie Southwick was able to stay awake throughout that entire government class.  Pretty amazing. 

Mrs. Kidd learned how to screen print t- shirts today while Mr. Kidd pushed his team to be their best in their first conference game against Valley tomorrow night.  Drew Matsen and Sage Warner were chosen to appear on the Twin Falls news tonight to represent the Hornets.

I told you two nights ago that one group of cheerleaders were able to pull off an extension liberty, but, today, all the varsity cheerleaders were able to perform the feat.  Myca Burch also made up a great cheer that the cheerleaders will be performing at the big game tomorrow night. 

It has been a great week looking for the amazing in what we do everyday.  I hope that you too have taken my challenge and have seen for yourselves some of the amazing things that happen at Declo High School.  More amazing is up tomorrow night in Valley, so be there to support your team as they go to take their record from 5-0 to 6-0.  Let’s send the Vikings hiking!

This is an image I made last summer while on vacation in West Virginia.  I will be going back in mid-October to check out the fall colors.  I may even revisit Twin Falls to catch it in Technicolor.  The upper falls is very nice also and I have a few frames I made in the gorge of it.  Climbing in and out of the gorge is challanging when carrying a full load of camera gear.  Beautiful place although a little hard to find.  This pic was taken late in the evening about 20 minutes before darkness.

OK, so we have made it to our final destination without being stung by jelly fish or bitten by sharks, snakes, crocs or spiders!  I can’t think of anywhere being a better final destination in Australia then Darwin, Litchfield and Kakadu.

As you know we arrived in Darwin by train a few says ago.  Since then we have seen some really amazing things and enjoyed mentioning the ashes on several occasions!  I (Carly) managed to pick up a cold in the hottest part of Australia somehow, so we spent the first day doing some relaxing things.  We wandered over to ‘Lyons Cottage’ and the Chinese Temple, as Darwin has a big Chinese population.  The heat here really is relentless – it is coming up to the hottest time of year and the humidity really gets to you.  We have got used to being very sweaty and smelly… sorry, too much information I’m sure!

On the following day we hired a car and set off for Litchfield National Park.  You can drive around this park quite easily and tourist ’spots’ are very easy to find.  We stopped off to look at some cool magnetic termite mounds, which were taller than us and all over the place!  A little walk took us around some beautiful waterfalls.  It was interesting to see the locals swimming in the waterholes at the bottom.  If only we had taken our swim things, it would have cooled us down quite a bit!  Litchfield is lovely and relaxing and it was good to get used to the heat in preparation for Kakadu.

Then the adventure really began.  We had booked a 3 day tour of Kakadu to ensure that we saw all the hidden places.  We even booked a tour which said we needed to be young and fit, which frightened me slightly!!  Our guide, Geoff, rocked up in a 4WD vehicle at 5am on Monday and advised us that if we weren’t prepared for heat, mosquitoes and sleeping outside we should not come on tour.  At this stage we did wonder what was going to happen!  However, it was another brilliant tour that I cannot sum up in just a few paragraphs!

Kakadu is about 200kms from Darwin and is 2/3 the size of Belgium i.e. it is pretty massive and Australia’s biggest national park!  First of all we drove to the Corroboree Billabong, part of the Mary River wetlands, and went on a crocodile cruise.  It was like nowhere else we have seen.  We cruised across a billabong and spotted many saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.  It was amazing – so much bird life and wallabies hopping by - the kind of thing that you would only see on a nature TV show.  After that we headed to Ubirr which is known for it’s aboriginal rock art (saw some really cool paintings very high up on the rocks).  This place is also known because of a certain someone named Mick Dundee.  We overlooked where he made his famous ‘phone call’.  What a brilliant day!

Once again we slept in swags outside and hoped that nothing was crawling in with us (difficult to sleep in these situations!!!).  The next day was a long day.  We were up at 6am and out of the campsite by 7am on our way to Twin Falls.  Once again it was extremely hot and we climbed many kms up steep rock faces to get to twin falls.  We had to drink 1 litre of water per hour, which is quite something!  I’m sick of the taste of water!!!  At the top we were all so so hot that when we saw the twin falls water hole we were all very tempted to get in and swim.  Geoff informed us that there was only a 2% chance of saltwater crocs so we should be fine!  Everyone started getting in and it was a case of die from the heat or maybe die from a crocodile, so we got in too!!!  I never thought I would do that.  I remember Sarah saying “when you travel you just do these things” (I thought ‘yeah right…’), but she was right!!!

We then had to walk all the way back down, get a boat around the corner (definitely couldn’t swim in that area, full of crocs!!!) and walk even further to look at the base of the falls.  After a bit of lunch (dry warm bread, with a bit of cheese and salad and warm water!) we took another walk up to Jim Jim falls.  Another refreshing waterhole greeted us and you could swim through through a couple of plunge pools to the base of the huge waterfall – beautiful.  It was a very long hot day, but very worth it.  That night we had a go at playing the didgeridoo around the camp fire.  After a few attempts at making no sound through the intrument and funny spitting noises, we did quite well!

The next morning was a definite highlight.  We met up with some indigenous people, who showed us what they eat, how they hunt and how to properly play the didgereedoo.  It was so interesting and they were really nice, funny people.  We had a go at hunting (with fake animals, of course!) – I was pretty horrendous and Dave was pretty good (as usual he says).  It’s so sad to hear about how the aborigines have been treated in the past and in cities such as Sydney these people have a bad reputation for being drunks etc.  If only some of those city people came on a tour like this they might have a better understanding.

The tour ended with a walk to Barramundi Gorge and another swim.  Please note, that this was another 2% chance of crocs swim!!!! .  Really I don’t think they ever come, they stick to their favourite waterways, it’s just that the national park don’t want to be responsible if one does come.  On the way home we stopped off at a didgeridoo shop.  This sounded like a normal thing to do until a baby wallaby came hopping out of the shop to play with us and a 2m python brought out to greet us too.  Dave had a go at holding it.

All in all (and I have honestly tried to keep this short) the top end of the Northern Territory is absolutely wonderful.  I wish that I could show you more of it than these pictures, which simply don’t do it justice.

In southcentral Idaho, contained by the larger ‘Magic Valley’, is the Hagerman Valley, a truly special place in many ways. Often called the Banana Belt of Idaho for its mild winter climate, it has much to offer as a vacation or home site. As a vacation site, it has a number of opportunities for outdoor activities and is close enough to the city of Twin Falls and the Nevada Resort town of Jackpot to satisfy many tastes. One of the nicest homes in the valley is an exceptional 3BR, 2BA, 3GAR single level home on 3.19 irrigated acres, which backs up to Salmon Falls Creek. It is laid out for easy living, immaculately maintained, and has both privacy and access to all Idaho has to offer.   For information on this and other homes, contact me at franksells@cableone.net

Yesterday, I left Twin Falls, Idaho feeling refreshed and well rested. I stopped to see the Balanced Rock State Park and was happy to be the only one there:

My goal was to go to Boise, Idaho to visit the BMW dealership out there. One specific fuse on my bike that runs everything on my instrument cluster has been popping on random occasions, so I thought it might be a good idea to get it checked out. The dealership said it would take a while to suss it out, so I just ended up buying a handful of fuses with hopes of fixing the problem in a few days in Spokane.

I had spoken to a few people and they all had recommended that I ride through Hell’s Canyon to Joseph. I rode to Cambridge and took the 71 over to Oxbow. At this point, I got a little confused with my GPS and it started to take me up a road on the Idaho side of the Snake River:

At some point, the GPS had told me to cross over a road that didn’t exist, so I started to head back to Oxbow and see if it would re-route me. Sure enough, it did. It was leading me down to a gravel road and eventually, I was starting the climb onto Hess Road.

Now if I had known that this road was compiled of switchbacks with incline/decline, I definitely would’ve reconsidered doing it by myself. But I was in too deep to turn back. It eventually led me onto the 39 and I headed into Joseph, OR. I cruised around for a bit and headed to Enterprise to see if there were any campsites there. I asked a local and he had suggested I check out Wallowa Lake. Although a bit bustling with all the RVs, I dug the campground and just wanted to call it a day. As I went to pay for the site, I had realized that my wallet was missing.

And I’ve got to say, it was a horrible feeling. It slowly dawned on me that it might have rattled out of my tankbag somehow on Hess Rd. My mind was racing at this point, realizing that I had absolutely nothing to my name, not even a penny. I gave Finn a call and told him my situation. He offered to wire me some money, but I opted instead to get a head start for the search for my wallet. I met a biker who gladly filled up my gas tank for the ride back to Oxbow (thank you Bill!). And so off I went, back through 39, and onto Hess Rd. At this point, I was pushing my limits to race daylight, and with the stress of losing my wallet, was really nervous about everything. As I was descending through one of the switchbacks, I took a corner too fast and ended up on the ground.

Now the only way I can lift my bike is if it’s completely naked with no luggage. It was a bit of a struggle to get my panniers off, since my right one was pinned between the ground and my bike. When I finally had the luggage off, it took me a while to get the bike upright because of the decline of the road. Twenty minutes later, I finally had the bike upright, luggage loaded, ready to ride. I continued down a few more switchbacks until I took another corner too fast and was down again. This time, the right pannier had completely detached from my bike, leaving my leg pinned to the ground. Thankfully, I wasn’t in a position where I was in pain, but I had no more energy to move. I laid there for about 20 minutes and then finally squeezed out from under the bike.

The sun was rapidly setting now, and I was trying to unload/reload my bike as fast as I could. But with fatigue setting in, it was getting harder and harder. The right pannier had a bit of damage to where it mounted onto the rack, and was almost impossible to get back on. At this point, it was really hard to see and decided to call it a night.

I pitched my tent next to my bike and tried to get some rest. But with my mind racing about my wallet and the struggle to come the next morning with the bike, I was restless. I also noticed that the Spot was blinking red, and assumed that the batteries were dying. I pressed the HELP button once, not really thinking that it would work, since I didn’t have anyone on my spot list. I laid there wide awake for the next couple of hours, and noticed headlights coming up the road. Holy shit! I kind of put it together that Finn might have checked up on my spot with the distressed phone call earlier that day. Sure enough, it was the Baker Sheriff Department. They had received a phone call and got coordinates to my location.

I had explained the entire situation, and they were pretty much there to help me with whatever I needed. I initially thought that they could help me get my bike upright and have my bike loaded with my luggage so I could ride away in the morning. Then it dawned on me that I was still probably going to struggle going down, so I suggested that they carry all my luggage in their Jeep and they can follow me down to a campground. They happily complied, and so off we were, down the Hess Road at 1:30am. They dropped me off, talked to the camp host and told her my situation. I can’t thank these guys enough:

I finally got some rest, and woke up feeling calm and relieved. My campsite neighbor came over and asked questions about the bike, and told him what I was going through. He offered to fill my tank and a little cash to get me to the next town (thank you Tad and Riley). You both are amazing souls:

While we were at the gas station in Oxbow, a white truck pulls up, and out comes a man, asking if I was Erica! What the hell? Who is he and how does he know my name? He had explained that he was contacted through ADV about my situation, and that he was the closest to my location. What really gets me though is that he had just gotten off of work on a graveyard shift (5:30am), checked ADVrider as he got home, and then drove straight to Oxbow. I couldn’t believe it. He doesn’t even know me, and yet Greg had gone out of his way to help me. He had told me that Finn had been updating my status on my thread, and that’s pretty much how it all started. Greg had offered a place to stay in Lewiston, Idaho, which I gladly accepted.

As soon as he knew I was alright, he lent me a ratchet strap for my pannier and suggested a few routes to get to Lewiston. I decided to ride up the Idaho side of the Snake River once more in hopes of finding my wallet. No such luck. I then rode the 39 through Joespeh and Enterprise, and stopping by the Hell’s Canyon overlook:

I then took a road which Greg suggested, the 3/129, also known as “the Rattlesnake.” Holy cow, what a road. I stopped by a diner and had some ice cream:

Going…

going…

gone.

At last, I made it to Greg’s abode in Lewiston! I made a few calls, took a shower and got caught up with this thread. Food was in mind, so he decided to show me what Lewiston was all about. Apparently, downtown Lewiston was having a week long event, Hot Summer Nights, and we walked around and checked out a few cars:

I also got to try the “Bite Size Steak”, which is essentially breaded steak. Apparently it is a Lewiston exclusive dish:

Might I add, it is was a damn fine meal:

Camogreg:

So this brings me up to speed. As I type this report, I can’t help but thank everyone on the ADV forum. I’m actually getting goosebumps just thinking about everything. I don’t have a strong family background, and I sometimes forget what it feels like to have people to rely on. But thank you everyone, for restoring faith, for new optimism, and new friendships. I have my health, my bike, my ride, and ADV. I can’t ask for anything more. I will remain in Lewiston until I can figure out my ID/CC situation, but am thinking of heading to Portland or Seattle. We’ll see.

Before the arrival of Europeans in the Kakadu region there were as many as twenty native languages in use. Today there are three main languages: Gagudju, Gun-djeihmi and Jawoyn. According to information in the Warradjan Cultural centre, aboriginal children may speak English as their third language because they’ll often learn the neighbouring area’s tongue as well as their own.

As so often happens with words that cross cultural boundaries and enter into new languages, new spellings and meanings are employed. So when we went to see, feel and climb Nourlangie it wasn’t too much of a surprise to discover from one of the information panels that, although it is a well-known Northern Territory landmark, the name is totally wrong.

Not Nourlangie

In fact the real Nourlangie is situated a few kilometres down the road and get this: It’s not called Nourlangie either! It’s called Nawurlandja. Confused? You should be.

What seems to have happened is that some white people (who were hard-of-hearing and possibly sight) ‘corrupted’ the name Nawurlandja and then applied it to the larger, more impressive of the two outcrops. For the record, the lower section and surrounds of the rock are called Angbangbang and the upper section is named Burrunggui (Boor-oon-goy). Splendid names – so why were they changed?

At Angbangbang we followed a short rock art trail (rock art as in cave paintings not art made from rocks if that’s what you’re thinking). Not being rock art aficionados we were expecting faded renditions of hands and barely discernible primitive hunting images. Instead we were delighted by frightening human-flesh-eating mythological characters, plus detailed portrayals of animals with graphic depictions of their organs, that were brought to live in bright colours and incredibly preserved.

Rock Art (including the Lightning Man top right)

Clearly most visitors settled for this experience, but for us it was just the start of a four-hour walk that traversed the side of the rock up onto the plateau – a whole different magical geological world.

We wandered through a landscape of ancient conglomerate sandstones, evidently land that used to be seabed, which had weathered remarkably over the eons to look like huge wrinkled grey pillars, rather like enormous elephant legs.

Wrinkly rocks

Afternoons are blisteringly hot so it pays to have a swim, but there is no water at Burrunggui. Instead we sheltered from the sun and ate our lunch in the cool shade of an overhanging rock.

At the halfway point on the walk we came across a further site of impressive rock art, including a sketch of a white sailing ship from the 19^th century. Here we also saw the only other people on the walk – a group of four and a woman on her own – before descending to the world of roads, cars and caravans.

“Kakadu is not a place to find fossils.” Said our pilot on a short boat trip along Twin Falls Gorge. “It’s too old for fossils.

“It is one big fossil!” quipped Jacques.

We moved camp to the Jim-Jim region of the Park so that we could visit Jim-Jim Falls (Barrkmalam) and Twin Falls. The campsite is situated 60km down a dirt road and provides a good staging point to access the waterfalls along the gnarly 4WD route.

Lift feet now

Once (or rather twice) again, we weren’t prepared to just drive in and see the bottom of the falls and then head off. Along with Helen and Jacques we trekked the steep, twisting rocky tracks up to the cool still waters on the plateaus. This was a fine tactic as it turned out – not only because the heat, even by 10am, is fit for peeling skin – but because crocodiles can’t climb waterfalls. At least that’s what we thought!

First we visited Twin Falls, going in by boat to the base, and then climbing up to look down (three hours return including a swim at the top). The next day we rose at dawn and drove to Jim-Jim to eat breakfast in a deserted car park before our ascent. The track notes claimed 6-8 hours return for a 6km walk so we were expecting the mother of all scrambles.

Us at the bottom of Twin Falls

Graham at the top of Twin Falls

Pools at the top of Twin Falls

It turned out to be a very steep start as we trudged through a rainforest-like gully. Then we passed through, round and under spectacular rock formations before a long hot tramp across the plateau where the inestimably old sandstone rock is slowly returning to sand.

Among the rocks we were teased by a beautiful native bird that kept hopping just out of our view, until, eventually we managed to creep up close enough to capture it … with a 300mm zoom lens.

So HERE’S THE COMPETITION YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!

What is the name of this bird?

Name the bird ... win a prize

Answers in the comments section below please, and if you get the name correct before Jacques is home and can confirm via his bird book, then a prize will be posted to you at earliest (or most convenient) convenience!

At the end of the walk we were rewarded with more phenomenal views of Kakadu and immaculate, refreshing pools. Incredibly Jacques just caught sight of a freshwater croc in a secluded pool below the overhang we looked down from, way up the cliff face, but still perhaps 40m above the bottom of the falls.

Ella near the base of Jim-Jim Falls

View from Jim-Jim Falls - well worth the walk

Our brief stay in Kakadu has been outstanding. On the drive in we wondered if it could possibly live up to the hype we had heard. We prepared for disappointment. We prepared, but there was no need. The fact is, Kakadu does live up to the hype if you go exploring.

We will be back, have no fear, but first there is the little matter of Jatbula, plus the Darwin festival, to deal with.

These photos were taken July 7, 2009 as we traveled through the Snake River Plain and include Gilmore, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Arco and Twin Falls, Idaho.

Excerpt from wikipedia.org: The Snake River Plain is a geologic feature located primarily within the state of Idaho in the United States of America. It stretches about 400 miles (640 km) westward from northwest of the state of Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border. The plain is a wide flat bow-shaped depression, and covers about a quarter of Idaho. Three major buttes dot the plain east of Arco, the largest being Big Southern Butte.

Many of Idaho’s major cities are in the Snake River Plain as is much of its agricultural land. Also located within Snake River Plain is the Idaho National Laboratory.

Click Merle’s SmugMug Idaho Roadtrip Album to see all the photos in a new window.

The weather in Seattle this summer has been pretty phenomenal… assuming you don’t count the past 3 or 4 days, which have seen record-breaking temperatures above 100 degrees.  This kind of heat isn’t new to DJ and me, but it takes on a whole new meaning when your home lacks central air conditioning and the temperature inside the house matches the temperature outside…

(Luckily, we have a portable AC unit that the three of us have been able to use in the bedroom at night.  We still have to sleep sheet-less, in the nude and underneath a ceiling fan in order to feel somewhat comfortable, but it could be much worse…)

Anyway, we’ve really tried to take advantage of the beautiful weather (and the fact that we still only have one child to keep track of!) by spending a lot of time outdoors this summer doing some fun stuff that we’ve never really taken time to do before.

I learned from a friend of mine about this neat little park near our house that has a very short hiking trail leading to a little creek – perfect for toddlers to explore.  Jolie and I packed up our water shoes and some snacks and went to check it out.  It was REALLY fun!  She loved wading in the creek and searching for bears and lions.  She selected a few colorful rocks from the water and took them to school the next day for Show-and-Tell.  The only downside to this particular creek is that it is a bit secluded… I was on high alert for mass murderers or Sasquatches that might have been lurking.  ;-)

No childhood would be complete without an inflatable baby pool to splash around in on hot days:

One weekend, we got really brave and ventured out to hike Twin Falls, which is a set of waterfalls nearby that requires a 4 mile round-trip hike to view closely.  We made it to the top with Jolie riding on DJ’s shoulders most of the way.  We went with some friends of ours, one of whom – Katie – is pictured below with Jolie.  Jolie happens to be a huge fan of Katie and of Twin Falls.

(Oh, I think the Twin Falls hike may very well be another natural labor induction idea.  So if you can’t find me come the first part of September, it might be because I’m out hiking Twin Falls…)

And finally, Jolie and I decided to check out another new spot this past week – a very cute little beach in the very rich part of Kirkland – Waverly Beach.  It was GREAT, featuring a roped off swimming area, a sandy area with several sand toys, a grassy lawn for lounging, a cute little playground, restrooms that are actually quite nice for a public park, a nice dock.   We’ll definitely be back here before the summer’s over…

…only next time, I’ll be sure to pack Band-Aids.  Jolie fell and scraped her leg a little and couldn’t get over the fact that she had a scraped leg.  She demanded we go back home to get a Band-Aid after only an hour at Waverly Beach.

 

The Arkansas River offers whitewater rafting for all levels.

I had been lucky. On five previous rafting trips through Brown’s Canyon on the Arkansas River, most other members of the group took tumbles into the frigid waters. But, throughout the years, I’d always been able to maintain position on the topside of the raft. 

I didn’t have that same sense of calm this year, the sixth annual trip on this particular 16-mile excursion guided by River Runners.

The author (middle left) with her fellow rafters.

The gorgeous June morning began at 7:30 a.m. when I awoke to rally the troops. We’d camped the night before in the River Runners campground just south of Buena Vista. One of the biggest perks is that the outfitter’s campground is only 100 feet or so from the area where we put into the river, called Fisherman’s Bridge, so campers can sleep in to the last possible minute and then stumble over without waiting for buses or shuttles.

Since we had used this company for the last few consecutive summers, we’d become familiar with some of its guides and had requested our favorites. My requirements were pretty basic, really. I wanted the guide I believed knew every inch of the river and could get me to the end without any mangling. Entertaining stories during downtime was also a plus. Kirby was the guide for me.

We had seven full rafts in our group this time. Six of them appeared to be the same size, while the seventh — the one Kirby stood next to — was strikingly smaller. I’d been rafting enough to know that when the water was as high and fast as it was this year, larger meant easier to control.

The river provides beautiful scenery as a backdrop.

We set afloat down the river and came to the first group of rapids, the Canyon Doors. They contain just enough white water to give you a taste of what’s ahead. Next came Pin Ball, one of my favorites. It offers the sensation of bouncing back and forth down the river in a similar manner to the age-old game.

By now the experience has allowed the opportunity to shut down the analytical brain and let one’s instincts take over. I looked around the group to see everyone exuding such strength, both physical and mental. People were no longer worried about work on Monday, but were aware only of this very moment and their immediate surroundings. The now-vibrant faces were all smiling, coming a long way from the sleepy, wary faces of this morning.

The next rapid, Zoom Flume, was one of the most important of the day. This is where a professional photographer stands on the banks shooting each raft, creating images available later for purchase. It is here that, while maneuvering through the white waters and trying to hear the guide’s instructions over the river’s roar, the repeat rafters know to also keep a tough “I’m in control” expression on their face. No adventure-seeker wants to be the amateur who gets snapped with his paddle far from the water with eyes closed while diving to the inner raft for safety, only to be permanently displayed in his fellow rafters’ scrapbooks for years to come.

The rafters work as a team even in-between rapids.

The guides began preparing us for the upcoming rapids, which are rated Class III and IV, depending on the water’s rage that day. Just the names give an indication of what’s to come: Big Drop, Staircase and Raft Ripper. Anything called Raft Ripper doesn’t leave much question as to what’s ahead. Sure enough, a few people took spontaneous dips, and the rafting guides who had already passed through raced to catch the mutinying paddles before they were lost downstream.

After brief break for recuperation, the group headed on to Seidel’s Suckhole. Kirby was being very specific on the game plan for tackling this one, making it clear we were in for a ride. As we came upon the scene, the water didn’t look as incredibly intimidating as I’d remembered. Suddenly, we began moving faster with the current as Kirby yelled instructions to us, which were only half-heard over the deafening roar.

We were all paddling our hearts out, fighting against nature with all our ability and not necessarily winning. The raft went headlong into a massive rapid, and the middle section, right below where I was sitting, felt as though it was folding in half. A tsunami-size wave (in my mind) washed over the boat and knocked me off balance. It was at this point I become one with nature and allowed it to take me gently into the river.

No, wait … maybe that’s not exactly how it happened.

All right, there was a wave that came at me (and it really was huge), but while I thought I was leaving with it for a moment, I regained my footing and began to pull my upper body back into the raft. It was at this point the friend on the left middle, a 6-foot, 200-pound former military man, was catapulted toward the center of the raft and his paddle, still firmly in his hands, thrust into my upper lip, causing my balance to once again be thrown off. As I was knocked toward the water, I reach for the guy sitting ahead of me, a dear friend who, in another circumstance, would surely have had great concern for my well-being. However, as I reached for his hand, his hand was reaching for his beloved hat, which has been washed overboard as well. I threw my hand on top of my own beloved hat and went into the river.

Almost as soon as I went under, I was popped back up downstream and floating in a calmer part. The hot rush of adrenaline had protected me against the shock of the icy water. While I could feel a warm hint of blood where my lip had been split, I knew I was just fine. I became aware of all the men in my boat yelling a confusing mix of instructions my way. I felt comfortable with my safety at this time but could hear the panic in their voices, which made sense, considering my big brother, husband and father were in the raft. Who would want to explain to Mom how their little sister/wife/daughter was lost downstream on a sunny afternoon in the Rockies?

I was able to single out Kirby’s instructions and proceed to the raft, swimming with one hand still on that hat, which was now a little misshapen but still functional. As they pulled me in, the color drained from their faces as they saw the blood on mine. After a quick rinse and the assurance that it was just a lightly split lip, we proceeded down the river.

My sense of calm had now returned, as I felt I had at last paid my long-awaited dues. We neared the final rapid of the day, Twin Falls. In past years as we approached the falls my heart had still been racing with eager excitement of one last challenge. This time, while still enthusiastic, I knew I’d already faced my big challenge of the day. Sure enough, it seemed a bit mild compared to my last little thrill ride.

We arrived at Stone Bridge, the 16-mile point, which marked the end of the trip. The seven rafts were lined up at the bank and we pulled ourselves onto land with sore muscles, smiling faces, a few minor battle scars and a satisfied sense of accomplishment.

For more information

River Runners

www.riverrunnersltd.com

Colorado River Outfitters’ Association

www.croa.org

It doesn’t get much sweeter than  photographing young love in southern Idaho on a clear, temperate day in June.

Julianna Roeloffs and Jordan Jarvis of Wendell, ID were married in Boise on June 20, 2009.   They asked Jeane and me of Steve Smith Weddings to do a bride & groom session for them at Blue Lakes Country Club in Twin Falls before the wedding.

We choreographed a “Reveal” scenario so Jordan could be presented with his bride in her stunning silk dress for the first time.

Then our entourage of golf carts wove across the property to assorted scenic locations…

A view of the iconic Perrine Bridge over the Snake River Canyon is a signature feature at Blue Lakes.

To Julianna and Jordan, Congratulations!!  Thank you for including us in your celebration.

To see the complete session, please click here.

Thanks for viewing and we welcome your comments!

I am posting a link to my dear friend Amy’s blog for her son JJ. He is in desperate need of a special surgery to correct his Omphalocele and they were just denied medicaid coverage that would have made the surgery possible.

http://www.teamhelpjj.blogspot.com/

You can also read more about his inceridble journey and read others stories at www.carepages.com and then his pagename is jjswearingen. Amy also has a family blog (beautiful family, too) www.swearingenclan.blogspot.com

Please take the time to visit her blog and read about JJ’s brave and amazing journey and then pass on the link to those you know.

I have known Amy as long as I can remember and she is an inspiring woman and an incredible mother. I admire her strength and her faith.

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

A crisp clear day dawned and it was time to revisit the Springbrook National Park.  It had rained for nearly a week on the Gold Coast and the creeks were flowing strongly which meant for magnificent waterfalls.

The Twin Falls circuit walk is accessed at the Canyon Lookout and although everything was sodden and muddy we ventured into the dense vegetation wearing good walking shoes. It did not take long before our shoes were filthy dirty!

We started to descend into the valley and our first stop was at the top of the Twin Falls. It was breathtakingly beautiful as four creeks merged as little waterfalls out of the vegetation to become one at the top of the falls.

At this point we cross over the top of the falls on a walkway and to our left was the magnificent Twin Falls with the water cascading down and a view over the valley.

We descended further in to the valley walking next to sheer cliff edges and passing through some small caves formed by rock clefts and huge boulders. We wound our way still further down passing numerous smaller waterfalls along the way until we reached the bottom of the Twin Falls.

This was awesome – standing in the spray and looking up at the water cascading down which was deafening. We were able to walk under the falls, behind the water plummeting 60m down into the rock pool.

I was able to capture some good shots while walking through the spray although I, my camera and glasses were slowly getting drenched. The sheer thrill of being behind all that water is something to cherish.

Coming out the other side of the falls.

We still had a way to go now that we were at the bottom of the valley; and an encounter with another stunning waterfall before the 200 stair climb to the top.

All this in the next post…