Accomplished

The High Falls

                                                                                                                    No one will ever say that I am a great housekeeper. No one will ever say that I am a great chef. We left the house in a complete state of disaster. But it was a beautiful weekend and the thought of forfeiting it to housework was dreadful. Instead, we packed our bags in 10 minutes flat, booked a hotel room while driving and headed north to Duluth. By 8 pm Saturday night we were pulling up to the last hotel room available in the city.  A short twelve hours later we were on the trail to the High Falls of Tettagouche State Park. These falls are 80 ft. tall and sit about 3/4 of a mile off a pretty challenging hike.

We took the dogs this time.  Not something I'd suggest doing again. 

Rosie (the Bulldog) runs so close to the ground that her underbelly is raw from sticks and rocks and grasses.

Lily (the Lab) is an old lady.  She will be stiff for several days after the rough terrain.

All summer long I had been trying to figure out how we were going to get to the High Falls.  It was too long of a drive to do it all in one day. None of the campgrounds in the area had the camper cabins that seemed like a perfect mix of camping and hotel room.  No weekends seemed to line up for a mini vacation.  I had resigned myself to the idea that we probably weren't going to make it.  So as we sat on the rocks, the deafening sound of the water rushing in the background, I actually sighed, "THIS is the one I really wanted to see."

 Another mile of hiking brought us to Twin Falls.  As the name suggests, this is actually one waterfall that drops into a small but deep pool.  The water then falls over the second drop into a large lagoon.  We spent a long time here.  Dylan is fearless when climbing the rocks along the bluffs.  In a second he is gone and the roaring water makes it impossible to call out for him; he won't hear you.  This is my boy who hates amusement parks and thrill rides.  If we go to a county fair, he will use all of his money on the food and games.  He will literally fight for his life if you try to manipulate him into going on a roller-coaster.  Yet when it comes to rock-climbing, he will tip-toe on the bluff, jump from rock to rock and pause only briefly as he crawls just millimeters away from falling to his death.  I must get that boy a helmet.  

As we drive back into town, its just about to get dark.  We're tired.  The car is now a disaster and I'm a little crabby just thinking about all the work we've left behind. Yet I feel a little bit of accomplishment as well.  I'm not always as spontaneous as I wish.  I love the idea of surprise trips to an unknown destination or a fantasy of just jumping on a plane to anywhere.  But the fact is that every day life just becomes a priority.  I hate that. Today is different though. On this day I feel accomplished in our twenty four hours of impromptu togetherness.  On this day I feel accomplished in making memories that our children will remember.  On this day I feel accomplished in truly understanding what it means when people say "do it today because tomorrow is never guaranteed".  On this day I feel accomplished ... even if I do have to rewash all the laundry in the washer.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 
~ Psalms 145:5