Oasis

Friday 10/14/11

I dreamt about being on vacation and Connie Eberhart remodeling the mammo department while I was gone, CEM dreamt about not getting the right homework assignment done, MJM and Tarzan claim no dreams and REM dreamt that she couldn't get rid of her hand of cards during canasta. Yes are brains are relaxed.

Lots of sunscreen was lathered and then Ammon drove us to YS Falls. We took a small detour before going there to see the Bamboo Road. I am afraid to say the pictures of thi experience are not great because it really started to rain and we couldn't get out of the van. But the view will always be ether in our minds. 3 miles of bamboo canopy that the slave owners planted so that the worker wouldn't stop transporting the sugar cane. The bamboo is arched towards each other and without knowing the history looked magnificent. Knowing the history hurt our hearts.

We arrived at the Falls. 96% of rain And the water condition was "medium brown". Arriving here was bittersweet. I am so happy we waited for MJM but I know my mom would have found great peace in the water falls and my dad would have spent the afternoon in the mineral spring water. CEM was given the task to prepare the poster for her grandparents (which they are going to love!)

Pictures and some videos will be posted soon of this spectacular place. I am finding it difficult to even try to explain this truly hidden oasis in the middle of nowhere. We all zip lined over the falls (the third line was 1000 feet long) and watched the crashing water from above. All threes girls bravely conquered this and anxiously took of their gear for the next task of hiking the falls. Tarzan found a great host, a Falls employee named Rashain, to take us to the rope swing (ok this I where we were thankful that grandpa wasn't with us because he would have had a heart attack or put an end to this exploration), Tarzan first follow by the girls in age order (this was planned this way, it just happened). Rashain captured the funniest home video of me on the rope/and then not. RO RO RO just thinking about it.

Rashain, who has worked there for 7year and knows the water better than anyone then took us on the most incredible journey through the Falls. We got some awesome pictures and great memories. We then "dilly dabbed" (a-great new phrase we learned from a UK traveler in her "scivvies") in the spring water before leaving. We weren't able to do the tubing due to the medium brown condition, but didn't feel like we missed anything.

We headed for food and stopped at the "tasty restaurant". Tarzan ordered lobster, MJM ordered red pea soup with chicken feet, and the rest of us got chicken and chips. While KFC it was not it came out pretty good. Poor MJM with her first meal in days (down at let 5 pounds) enjoyed the firt couple bites before the texture of the dumplings in her mouth and the sight of the cut up chicken feet. What a trouper ;)

When we returned home the trouper got a wild card canasta and CEM killed a bug with her bare hands at dinner (as I am writing this I realized have not discussed the bugs or the goats. CEM has been the mosquito magnet and we have experienced more bugs then can even be mentioned. The goats roam free - lawn mowers we think). I can't describe the elation another has when her youngest daughter just squishes the bug rather than scream (before MJM got ill, she took a photo of one on her pillow before bravely killing).

Amazing day.......