The day we all decided to take a little hike, it was 30 degrees outside, with a windchill factor of 22! That was pretty freaking brisk! I liked it, though. It was a very different experience from your typical southern California weather, and everything outside just seemed so very autumnal. There were dry brown leaves just everywhere! The few leaves still on the trees were either evergreen pine needles, or else they were bright golden yellow or a firey orange, still hanging on for these last weeks before Winter's arrival.

The water in the creek alongside the path flowed at a fast pace, making beautiful ripples in the current. With my whole body being bundled up as it was, including my ears, that all amounted to not being able to hear all that well. But who needs to hear when there was so much beauty to see?

We even came across patches of ice on the ground, over which we made sure to tread carefully. It was so cool hearing it crunch underfoot, and we even saw an air bubble stuck under one thin patch of ice. I poked it with the toe of my shoe and watched it glide back and forth beneath the icy surface. Awesome!

High walls of stone surrounded us in the gorge, and there were even icicles hanging in several different spots. Tall trees jutted up and curved at strange angles, and all of it was just amazing to take in.

Soon, we came upon the waterfall itself, which was a surprise to me. I hadn't realized where we were going, and that was a beautiful thing to suddenly come upon. I watched in awe, ready to take a thousand pictures of it. And that's when the batteries in my camera died. And I hadn't brought the other set. I was incredibly disappointed and embarrassed (I had just been about to snap a picture of Wyatt and Alyssa together!), and I had to try not to let it ruin my enjoyment of the experience itself. Someday, I'll actually learn how to be a good photographer, including remembering all necessary equipment. But at the same time, I try to reassure myself by remembering what I've learned over and over again -- that some of the greatest moments in life can't always be caught on film. So, I'll create a word picture, instead, as best I can...

Wyatt and Alyssa told me that in the summer, the waterfall had barely been a trickle. On this day, however, the roar of the water boomed over the bottom of the gorge. It flowed with ferocity, huge streams of water tumbling to the pool below. Wyatt stayed with Ruby as Alyssa and I crossed the bridge to take an even better look. The sound only got louder as we carefully stepped closer. Still a good thirty feet away or so, we could feel the freezing mist spraying strongly in our faces, as I watched the water create white, ghostly streams as it tumbled over the cliff. It was truly a sight to behold.

On the walk back, I tried to just absorb everything around me. It was as though the essence of nature itself seeped into my bones with every step. The sight of the colorful leaves flowed through my eyes into my soul, and the sharp chill of the air bore its way into my very being, filling me with excitement and awe, and simultaneously, a sense of calm and pure gratitude to experience such a beautiful place with people I love. There is something very life-affirming and fulfilling about moments like those.

We stopped at the bakery on the way home and enjoyed a dinner of sundried tomato ciabatta bread, a homemade stew Alyssa made, and salad with homemade dressing, as well as, of course, some incredibly tasty wine. I don't tend to drink a lot of wine except for when I'm with my family, and it's always nice to do so again. I forget sometimes how much I like it.

We warmed our bodies and our bellies as we ate and relaxed and laughed and watched t.v. What an amazing day.