A Walk in the Woods

I like waterfalls. I realize I may have lost half my readers on that stellar line, but really, I will gladly fall within the estimated 26 M people who visit waterfalls around the world every year. As kids, we would often go to Niagara Falls when visiting my cousins in Canada. They distinctly excluded themselves from falling within that statistic. I remember my cousin turning the kitchen tap on full and telling me to watch that instead. After a couple of glasses of wine, I could probably theorize for quite some time as to why I find droplets of water crashing together and rushing in mad unison over a cliff fascinating. I also realize that is probably why more often than not I am elected the DD!

Anyway, Tings first visit to Niagara was around 9 months old.

I struck a pose identical to that of one of my dad and I as a toddler. I also seem to be modelinga haircut reminiscent to his in the 70's!

Obviously, Tingu didn’t comprehend much at that point but I did think he would get it now. So with my mom’s desire to see the Autumn colors (we were a bit too early) and my love of waterfalls (I feel like I am back in 7^th grade & yes, I did have the waterfall trapper keeper), we headed to the lowermost portion of the Appalachian Trail.

The Blue Ridge Mountains

I remember walking these familiar trails with my parents every Autumn. For so long, I wanted to live anywhere but Georgia, but now it’s very comforting to know my kids will have this bond to things and places in my own life. It is a very odd concept to think that my very international family is raising second-generation Georgians.

As we headed further north, I began thinking it looks kind of cosmopolitan up here. Ok, so, perhaps that a little too strong of a word but there were restaurants like Blue Bicycle advertised and enough upscale homes and shopping that the folks characterized in Deliverance were far, far from mind!

This gentleman and my father discussed at lenth the evolution of 'bikers' into your neighborhood 'Nice Guy'.

As we reached our destination, the kids and their Nani and Nana headed off, disregarding all signs....

Love the dog...!

"It's a dog, it's a plane, it's ..." 

 Tings and Hunie actually walked most of the way down, until reaching the lower edge of Amicalola Falls.

This is when Huns just sat down on the middle of the trail and refused to move.


This is also when I was handed the cars keys and told to hike back up the 400+ steps and bring the car around. Nothing like hiking the Appalachian trail with a coolie…