As soon as my daughter in New York told me that she twisted and broke her leg, I was there 'in a heartbeat'....well, actually not, but close. That occurred in late August. I didn't have time to wander about the Hudson Valley, as I usually do when I visit, until the last two weeks of October.
A hike up Mt. Beacon in Beacon New York with my grandson was the highlight of my adventures. We decided to use the 'fire road ' to climb the mountain. This road is not open to vehicles, but provides emergency personnel a way to the top. As we entered the area, I mistakenly took the wrong entrance. It lead to a rock-bed creek next to a trailing waterfall. Within minutes, I recognized the trail as the one his younger brother had chosen to lead me up the mountain three years previous. At that time, water was slowly streaming down and he had to assist me so I would not slip on the wet rocks. We stopped and turned around because I didn't feel safe crossing the waterfall on wet rocks.
This time though, the trail was dry. The only thing I had to be careful about was not to turn my ankle as I traversed the rocks. Before long, I realized that since I'm not a hiker, this trail was not the best choice. We decided to cross the waterfall and head for the 'fire road.'
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| Crossed waterfall here |
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| Sample of trail. |
When we reached the waterfall, my grandson had to help me cross. After carefully navigating the rocks, I could see the waterfall that actually looked to be a series of about five small ones...a very pretty sight.
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| Waterfall |
My grandson used his phone (GPS) to locate the fire road and we were soon on our way down the mountain. These pictures reflect a quiet, peaceful day. We didn't get to the top of Mt. Beacon that day, so I have no photos of the beautiful Hudson Valley. I've been told that from the Fire Station at the top of the mountain, you can see New York City, approximately 60 miles to the south. Perhaps, next year....
The finch shown below was the only visible evidence of wildlife that day.
As we descended, one of the switchbacks on the fire road provided the opportunity to get a photo of the Newburgh Beacon Bridge over the Hudson River.
Now, on the opposite Coast, I have photos of the angry Pacific Ocean. This past Tuesday night in San Diego, we experienced heavy rains with thunder and lightning. It's a rare occurrence here. The thunder persisted for hours with intermittent downpours.
After this overnight storm, I thought I might get some good photos of the waves. Camera in hand, I went to a neighboring area in San Diego called Ocean Beach. The town was bustling with preparations for the Farmer's Market held weekly on Wednesday. The tables already set up, invited me to stop and look, but I was on a mission.
As I neared the beach, the flock of sea gulls (photo on the right) fighting the gusts of wind were quite a sight. The man was providing what looked like peanut butter. Every so often a gull would succeed in getting the food. I didn't have the same success in getting that shot.
As I expected, the waves were angry. Hopefully, they would provide some good photos. Ocean Beach has a very long pier. Fishermen and tourists alike enjoy it.
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| Ocean Beach Municipal Pier |
The waves looked furious, but the storm was over.
The photo below resembled a crystal Christmas tree. As I took it, I was startled by an unexpected spray of ocean water. My clothing was just slightly wet....a small price to pay for that photo.
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Perhaps by Catherine Hall (on Kindle and the Nook)
The Book of Micah by Catherine Hall (on Kindle and the Nook)
