Weekend Fun - Taking A Day Off!

I had every intention of taking the day off today to work on my flowerbeds. It's a new hobby for me (this plant thing) but I'm having great fun with it! I got up early and went outside, though, and it was HOT - not just very warm for that hour, but humid and muggy. You could barely breathe outdoors... much less try to work!

My children are both away for the weekend, so Albert and I decided to hang out and hit a few greenhouses to see what they had left. It's slim pickings this time of year because most people have all of their flowers out by now. After a couple of hours (and 3 great new plants!!) we decided it was just too hot to be out... unless we were in the water!

We grabbed our suits and some towels and headed down to Rock Island. It's only 8 or 10 miles from the house - maybe 15 or so minutes down the road. There are no good pictures on the web to show you (trust me, I just searched for half an hour!)... but the park is HUGE and it is absolutely fabulous.

We went to the swimming hole first to get cooled off. It was stifling hot out, but the water was COLD. The view there is beautiful, with a big rock bluff across the lake. We headed up to the Falls next and hiked down to the rocks.

The picture just doesnt do it justice... you have to climb across all of the huge rocks and jump the small streams to get to the rapid water and the smaller falls. That's where Albert and I headed.

There were snakes curled up in the rock overhangs, salamanders in the pools beneath the small falls and ferns growing in every crack and crevice. It's definitely a "go at your own risk" and "watch your footing" kind of trip! It's just below the dam too, so if they blow the horn you have 15 minutes to hike back out. LOL - I always hope that doesnt happen while I'm down there!

The dam is the same one shown in the very beginning of The Specialist (with Sharon Stone & Sylvester Stallone) - the scene where Stallone blows the truck off of the bridge over the dam.

Anyway, we found a great spot with small falls & rapids and got cooled off (that's an understatement - the falls are ICE cold!!), then hiked a bit further before we turned back and climbed out. I really wish I had taken my camera today so that I could share pictures with you... there's really no way to describe how beautiful this spot is.

We're planning to go back later in the week, so I'll be sure and snap a few shots for you then. For now I am going to grab a glass of wine and whip up some dip with cream cheese and Sweet Pepper & Apple Relish... Albert is throwing some steak & shrimp on the grill (mmm!).

All work and no play... ;)