Rattle Falls

The path was a little slippery after the rain but I knew there would be more water on Rattle Falls that day. I took my camera and walked until I found a good location to get a few shots. It was so peaceful with bright sunlight trickling through the trees overhanging the river and the sound of water rushing over the rocks.

I always feel sheltered here, comfortable and protected. There is a stillness so profound, broken only by a bird chirping from time to time, or a squirrel flitting through the bushes. I am surrounded by nature and can hear myself breathe. What an awesome place!

"Wow, this is amazing" I said out loud, and my own voice agreed with me as it echoed back. Water cascaded down over the steep, craggy cliff and settled in a swirling pool at the bottom, sending a mist in the air before overflowing softly into the river. You wonder sometimes why it never runs out of water or changes course like everything else in life. This is a place where I can put the rest of my life in perspective.

Over the years, I have come back here and it has never changed it's meaning for me. In the Fall, the leaves turn color and put on a real show for the camera. The trail into the woods is covered with a carpet of red, gold and orange. In the winter, the scene is always spectacular. Little mounds of snow cap the rocks and are trimmed neatly by water flowing past in the river. Long icicles hang off the cliff, and the branches of the trees are heavy with snow but still remain strong enough to carry the load. The space seems bigger and more open as some trees have shed their leaves. Water still finds it's way down through the ice and snow. In Spring, after enduring the cold winter climate, trees are relieved of their burden by the warmth of the sun, and once again burst into new growth, forming a lush green canopy over the path leading to the river.

Of all the places I have gone, Rattle Falls is one of my favorites. It is absolutely beautiful at any time of the year, and is a never-ending story that will be there for me, while the rest of the world changes around it.