Two weeks of rain...

...two weeks of being cooped up indoors, resulted in multiple pathetic cases of cabin fever at my house last week. We had to get out. A break in the rain, a suggestion to go walking, leading to an afternoon of fun in our very own Nature's Water Park. Ours as in 'all of us', much of this canyon is BLM land. A short, five minute stroll from our front gate. This canyon is steep and the two-track muddy slick, a slippery slidery trip down to the bottom. The sound of the wind howling through the tops of the pines and the roar of the rushing creek energizes the soul.

Feeling the freedom of running with the wind, leaping, racing the water. Cort does too....

In a few short months these rapids will dry to a trickle and the hot sun will suck away the green.

Rubber boots, a boy, and water...

Rubber boots, a man, and his two dogs..... (just in case you were wondering)

Playing. One measuring the depth and checking the current. The other considering the construction of a foot bridge using downed timber, he even mentioned going home for a mule and ropes.

Leaping for pleasure, cuz he can.

Leaping up hill, over dangerously rushing waters, to bravely save me from the attack of an aggressive, starving cougar. The mountain lion sprints away at the charge of the courageous canine, leaving me unharmed. Once again my heroic companion saves the day..... and that's my story.

End of the trail. The canyon gets steeper, the creek rapids swifter, the rock bottom rockier. I let Carson decide if we continue onward, he decides not, his paws are as far in the water as he's going to get.

We back-track, play in mud and water, search for gold, discover four varieties of tiny wild flowers, make plans to hike over to a different creek. When the sprinkles come, we climb out of the canyon and make it home before the down pour.

I enjoyed my wet and muddy trails. Enjoy yours!