lower yosemite falls in lower case type

i've done it now.  i broke my sony vaio keyboard.  i'd show you photographic evidence,  but i'm also out of batteries for my camera.   welcome to amish day at dr. laura's worst.  the most punishing of all of this is that my 'enter' key is barely breathing and  i have to pound on it multiple times to resuscitate the sucker.  this results in my dog freaking to the point where he's reduced to crawling around the kitchen on his belly.  rather than subject you to one horrid, long, lower cap run on paragraph, as well as to prevent canine distress,  i'll share some pics of my mom in law hiking up to the base of lower yosemite falls a couple of weeks ago.

it was chilly for my floridian mom.  i bundled her up in my ancient but still serviceable patagonia mountaineering clothing.  as mom moves slowly and gently,  i proceeded at the same pace, just as they teach you in scuba school  - "only move as fast as the slowest diver".  i was chatting about this with my pal, former teacher and personal swami, Professor Ponytail , who mused that "speed and aggression can be addicting."  given the fast badass hyper way i usually conduct my life, let's just say that i've been in rehab while mom's been visiting.


      

 
making our way up the path to the falls at mom's pace, therefore, we're not missing a thing.  lots of folks around, bus loads of school kids in hooded sweatshirts and well heeled asian tourists in burberry.  the kids hurl themselves down the trail, the tourists chatter in animated japanese, throwing in names of yosemite valley landmarks in their exchanges.

mom sees all of this, everything, every person.  this, dear readers, is living in the present moment.

we arrived at the bridge and benches at the base of the falls.  surprisingly, lower yosemite falls was full and audibly roaring for this time of year.  the rushing water added more chill to the air.   i thought of the days when us new age-y, old hippie types would sing praise for the negative ions zipping around in the vicinity of moving water, energizing and refreshing us, not unlike pink light and crystals. but, you know?  screw all that.  i felt peppy in the company of my dignified and gracious mom, who had her own  magic going on.
 
 
 

if you're familiar with this area, you'll know there's a boulder field leading up to a perfect emerald pool at the very base of the falls.  mom was happy to sit and look,. i've been clambering around on those boulders since i was 16 years old, so it was an old instinct to take off and bounce around the boulder field.  admittedly, i'm a little reckless when i play in the wilderness alone.  i challenge myself with each hop, managing to get in a couple of scary leaps.  upon reaching the  pool, i joined the humans perched on rocks of various heights, some of us looking gravely down into the deep blue and green waters, others squinting their eyes up to the falls.

back down, sweaty and rosy cheeked.  i cajoled a kindly stranger to take our pic.  love how mom matched her sweater with the gloves. 

               

though i appear giant next to teeny mom, she's the big hearted, mighty one.  everyone saw that.  proof - as we made our way slowly and gently down, an elderly chinese woman was purposefully marching up the trail.  she took a look at mom grinned and hollered at me  -

how ode is sheee?

i hollered back - eighty eight. 

the lady grinned bigger and nodded vigorously - ahhhh, sheee ah strong.

i nodded, waved and agreed heartily - yeah, she sure is.

Comments

[Janet]

Beautiful post, Grace, your Mom is awesome!

[landismom]

Great post. Sorry to hear about your keyboard difficulties!

[Debra]

Hey, Grace,

Before you totally give up on your keyboard, grab some DustOff and gently blowout your keyboard. Sometimes it helps... (though darn toast/cookie crumbs are trecherous!!)

[Moogie]

What a beautiful, beautfiful post Grace. Mom sounds like an absolutely wonderful lady.

[liz]

It was for people like your mom that the Yosemite Fund rebuilt the approach to Yosemite Falls. I was there for the dedication and dang! All kinds of folk with mobility impairments being able to get close to the Falls, and kiss up against the wilderness.

Story about the redesign here:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/0405_050402_yosemite.html

[rio]

thats amazing-- shes makes me want to rethink old age as i have sworn it off for myself. ive been to those falls on a backpacking trip. it was a very " touchy feely talk about your emotions" kind of trip and on our last night in yosemite we went to those falls and sat and talked. a tiny frog hopped into my lap, no bigger then a quarter, it reminded me of these trinkets my dad used to sell in his kalideoscope store. i starting crying because that was right in the middle of the year that we lived under the same roof and i wouldnt talk to my own father. now we are best of friends, hes sober and i forgave him, but those pictures really brought back some memories. im glad you had a great time.

[Lin]

How wonderful that you have such a spectacularly fabulous MIL. Her beauty and spirit pop in the pictures, so I can only imagine the joy she brings in person. My Mum just turned 80...rides her bike to the shops and tootles around her town in England with all her wits and then some. She plays bridge and whist regularly and her volunteer work is with her peers who haven't been as lucky in old age as she's been.

[Ms. Jane]

She so looks like my beloved, recently departed Gramma in the third picture. The Quiet Pose of Being. Brings a tear to this jaded eye.

[Daxohol]

AWWW! You mom is so sweet!

[Daxohol]

mom in law...I meant...yah...*whistling*