Going to the creek does not count as hiking, but it was a good start to the day. We try to take a photo of our walking partners, at least the first time during a visit.
Kate is really good with Sadie, which is a total surprise. As a toddler, Kate was terrified of anything that moved quickly, especially dogs. She has worked hard to conquer this fear. Here is proof – Kate is testing a harness on Sadie after adjusting it for a better fit.
At breakfast, David casually tossed croissants on his plate. He got up late on his first day of vacation, eating after the rest of us had finished.
I said, “You can do better than that.”
I tried to balance the croissants against each other, but I’m not good at it. I turned around once, and David had them in position.
David’s goal for the day was for him to swim with his mother at Catawba falls. David, John, and I had been there in January 2020 when he took this photo. John and I did not get that far, because there was a rushing stream over the path to the falls. We stayed behind as David picked his way over a few stones above the water. Obviously, he didn’t swim that day because it was much too cold.
We made a good start on the hike when Kate and David went down to touch the stream on the way up.
John opted to stay in the car. I felt triumphant when I crossed the stream that had stopped me before. Not only was the temperature warmer, but the stream was low.
The path became steeper and rockier. When we came to this scene where David is on the rocks looking back, I paused.
I felt daring to get as far as I had. It would have been foolhardy to continue. I saw the angle of David’s feet and knew I could easily twist my metal knees. I’ve seen a mountain rescue before, and I did not want to be carried out. They were very understanding and felt comfortable leaving me to sit on a large rock on the left. I enjoyed the people and dogs passing by and played games on my phone. As it turned out, they did not make it to the swimming place, either. The climb was too steep for Kate. They played in a smaller pool, chilled themselves thoroughly, and came back down.
It was several hours beyond our mealtime, so we ate at the first restaurant we came to, a Chinese buffet. The food was good, and we all looked forward to the soft ice cream. We ate ours, and David brought his with him. We say he has a professional advantage to loading a cone, because he does it often at Burger King. We had enjoyed our whole day and came home tired, but happy.
Mehrling Muse 
Tired but happy is good, but Kate and David still didn’t get their swim. Such a shame.
Huge Hugs
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If it doesn’t rain, they may try to go to another waterfall. Stay tuned.
Swimming Hugs
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So…if you ever challenge me to a duel, you KNOW my choice of weapons will be……CROISSANTS!
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Ha! Ha! You could be on a roll there.
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How old did he have to be before you finally quit arguing with him about playing with his food? LOL
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David was always a slow eater and rarely played with food! You couldn’t prove it by looking at his ice cream cone, could you?
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I guess he is making up for lost time.
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From the looks of how Kate was dressed it looks like it was chilly! I love soft ice cream! Best way to end a meal.
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It was chilly only to Kate. I have been wearing a cooling towel recently!
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That sounds great and you should be very proud of yourself for making it across the stream but also knowing your limitations:)
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I’m very happy to be walking freely today without crutches or a cane. There were no side effects after that strenuous walk! No sore muscles or stretched tendons!!
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Good:)
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This sounded like such a lovely time with your family, Anne. Looks like you and David have a sense of humor about breakfast and croissants. David looks pretty chuffed balancing the croissants on each other. If you have toast and don’t want it to get soggy on your plate, balancing them on each other like that would do the trick.
That is great you know your boundaries when it comes to hiking and outdoor activities. Sometimes it’s best to take it slow, do what we can and enjoy the scenery around us.
I love a good soft serve. David’s cone did look fantastic.
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David loves to balance things — food, utensils, and rocks. If he is the last one in the kitchen, he often balances a spoon or fork on an object on the counter. I laugh when I come in and see it.
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It sounds like David has a knack for balancing things – and quite the entertainer putting on an entertaining show. Very skilled.
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I don’t blame you for not going on those rocks … I’d be leery too and I have my original knees and would like to keep them thank you. I fell while hiking as I was wearing sandals (not smart, but it was in Greece on our tour and I packed enough other clothes/shoes so had no more room for sneakers). I got pretty bruised up and have pictures with the bruises under my knees at the ship masquerade party. I went as a bag of jelly beans (easy to pack the costume as you blew up the balloons then stuffed them in a plastic cleaners bag – so everything was flat to carry) with shorts underneath. Not my brightest moment I have to say. 🙂
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That fall must have been painful.
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Yes, it was at the time, but it was okay to walk around on the tour. I should have packed less, but made room for flats or sneakers, but we had one week of land tour and one week on the cruise so we had to dress up each night on the cruise.
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A fun day! Anne, those rocks in the stream look like they might be slippery! Are they?
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Rocks are generally slippery in streams, but I don’t know about those in particular. In any case, proceed with caution.
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I will… by staying off them! 😄
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