Dana, This Is For You

Dear Dana,

A couple of weeks ago we hung out with your family and missed you thoroughly. It wasn't the same without you. For goodness' sake, when are we going to see you again? I think we all have Vitamin D deficiency. (Hope that term doesn't have a copyright. :)

Til then, enjoy the photos. *big hugs*

On Friday, we tried to walk off a huge supper, but didn't get very far, on account of

stopping to sniff the flowers

and inspecting ... milkweed plants?

... oh.

Talk about instant fame.
This caterpillar finally curled up into a tight little ball from stage fright.

Temperamental photographers.

How strong is this limb, I wonder?

We're about to find out.

One giant leap for mankind.

Good pic, Naomi. :)

An intense game of Cranium,

evident by the third-time-emptied bowl of gummies.

Puppet and puppeteer in Cranium.

"No, move your arms like this."

"Try to cooperate."

A day or two later, we went down into the gorge.

Waaay down.

Just a safe hike together. Your mom even came along. What could possibly happen?

(You will catch me if I fall, right?)

Little did we know what awaited us around the corners.

Terrifying rock-falls that used every last muscle in our bodies to survive them.

Taking the wrong turn that meant taking more wrong turns that meant living on what berries we could find for several hours.

Dangerous bandits lurked in the bushes.

Thankfully, a handy cave was nearby, where we ducked in until the danger was past.

Here's Sarah trying to look positive.

On second thought, maybe it's a good thing we didn't have much to eat; or else we would've never been able to squeeze through the odd cracks in the rocks.

Friendly travellers before us left encouraging, though misspelt, messages.

But always, these formidable shadows chasing us.

The most unnerving part.

One especially bad patch of quicksand claimed Sara's sandal.

She jumped clear at the very last moment.

Death-defying jump--

what was behind was worse than the ravine in front.

Amongst the life-threatening circumstances, there were things that made it all worth-while:

simple ferns,

white water,

blue sky,

green shirts and cool sunshades, ;)

jelly bean breaks,

and the cutest bumps on a log you ever done seen. ;).

This is what your mom looked like all day. :)

Great pic, Janice and Celtie! :)

This is what happens if you eat too many green jelly beans in the middle of nowhere.

Hi!

Dangerous ivies that some fiend had woven around the handrail on the stairs.

But we did make it back to the van in ten pieces.

(For those of you who don't get the point of tall tales, you just did. If I had said we went for a nice, invigorating hike in the gorge, no gory details added, you'd be asleep by now. :D)

After all that excitement, we went back to the Currey's house, where Mrs. Currey, bless her, fixed up a huge, tasty meal. And they introduced us to

sparkler candles for Sarah's 24th birthday!

(Happy Birthday, love you heaps, and all other related phrases, btw :).

FORGET ordinary candles. No turning back--how could we have been blind for so long?

Smiling,
Jenn