we have returned from the forest cathedral called yosemite. it was glorious! i have not been in the spring and so had not seen the yosemite and bridalveil falls roaring with water. walking up the path and feeling the wind and the mist and hearing the thunder of those waterfalls. pretty spectacular. oh yes!
my sister dottie took all of these photos because i didn't take a single one. but i did take in everything with my eyes which was so nice for a change. so so nice.
i did a few sketches and enjoyed the quiet study of the landscape. we walked and picnicked and sat on beds of pine needles next to the wide merced river filled with snowmelt – clear swells of fast moving water gold, green, with cobalt shadows on the surface that reflected sky.
and now i am home. settling in for the next 10 days or so until i'm off on my next adventure. i am so grateful that i can return from a lovely trip and not have to start thinking about how many days i have before i have to return to work. life feels like a juicy peach right now and i'm savoring every second.
So, so lovely! Yosemite is on my list of national parks to visit. I love national parks! Nature moves me!
Yosemite is heaven on earth. I clearly remember the color of the water. The States and their national Parks are a delight. It’s a beautiful country. Sounds a bit simple, but it just is.
Cathedral is right! There is no other way to describe what those images show. I must must get there. Wow wow wow! My partner and son will love it. So majestic.
Beautiful photos of a spectacular place. It is so great to see you thoroughly drinking the juice of the peach!
The filters made it look like you two had stepped thru a time portal; I’ll be in CA next month (heading north from SF towards the heartbreaking beauty of the PNW) but now thinking…hmm…might there be time for Yosemite?
What fun with the filters! Jays (and all the corvus cousins) are so much fun even when loud.
Juicy peach indeed Mary Ann.
Oh my, these are amazing views…just beautiful!
Oh, lots of memories for me when looking at those photos. When I was a kid they would have an evening show of Bridal Veil Falls with a fireball sent over the edge, cascading down hundreds of feet…it was an awesome sight.
The beautiful bird is a Stellar’s Jay, loud, raucous, smart. The pix doesn’t do justice to his beautiful iridescent blue. We have his cousins here the The Spring Mountains. Love to see them.
Thank you and your sister for these beautiful photos of a place I will not see in person. Just beautiful! Looking forward to the next…enjoy you break! Oh I know you are…..enjoy it even more if its potable ! Will you be sharing your sketches! ….thank you again
sitting back in quiet awe….I think there are moments, times when the best way to hold it is with our eyes….Dottie’s photos are gorgeous but I know what mean, sometimes it’s nice to just go to a place and absorb it in the moment rather than trying to capture it for later.. I’m looking forward to your sketches as well as your upcoming adventure…I’m sure you will have stories to share and your preparations are always fun but for now, welcome home.
This is a juicy peach you have earned. I’m thoroughly enjoying how you are relishing it…brings many smiles to my face.
Wonderful photos! Reminds me that I have not been to Yosemite in many years myself… time to go soon!
Glad you are enjoying yourself my dear! I know you will have a blast in Italy! Don’t forget the Vin Santo and biscotti!
One of the Earth’s most spectacular places. I have hiked all over this land, almost every trail and every mountain top, especially in the High Country of Tuolumne Meadows. It does not get boring. How lovely to go when the waterfalls are really pumping. I usually go in the summer.
Aloha, Kate
Breathtaking photos! I have goosebumps too. I have not been to Yosemite in years. I want to drop everything and get myself there immediately!
I am adding a Yosemite trip to my “to do” list for this year right now!
This looks like a magical place, I get goosebumps looking at these photos and that bird is so beautiful. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I hope we get to see the sketches too 🙂
It’s really great getting to see how you are enjoying your sabbatical, it’s very inspiring.
Your photos are bringing back so many happy memories for me. Have fun!!
glorious! thank your sister for the awe-inspiring photos! and it is wonderful not to take any photos and drink every view in with just your eyes. i hope that someday i will be able to visit your great state! xoxoox
These images are fantastic and make me want to run off to Yosemite right this minute. The pictures are stacked in such a way that it looks as though you and Dottie are in a secret world of your own under the surface of the Merced. Rivermaids perhaps?
You’re not going to want to go back to work!! It’s addictive having all this time to do what you want. You’re so lucky to be able to take this “siesta”. In my school system, I wouldn’t have been able to do that and probably couldn’t afford to do it then either! I savor every day of retirement though and tell myself everyday- you deserve this Kip after teaching for 37 years! Continue to have a ball and share with us!