By now you have probably noticed I have a bit of a fetish about Crater Lake with the many pictures I have already posted of it on my blog. With all the ugly things I have witnessed on the fire department side of my life I have found that being around Crater Lake helps me block out the bad images that get trapped in my mind sometimes. 
It doesn't matter what time of year you visit Crater Lake, it is simply put, beautiful, every time I visit. I have snowshoed around many parts of the crater rim before when it was snowing. It is so quiet when you stand in that untouched snow and listen. When snow is falling you can actually hear when the snowflakes individually hit the ground. From flames leaping, people shouting, and the confusion on any accident scene, the tranquil splendor you feel when over looking the rim peering into the deep blue wonder helps heal anyone's mind.
After Grandma Mary pasted away several years ago I was told that grandma never visited Crater Lake. She missed out getting to see one of Oregon's greatest natural wonders right in her own backyard. I remember feeling heart sick to myself after being told she never got to take the short journey to the caldera with Wizard Island looming in the middle. With grandma living in Oregon since the 1930's I just assumed her and grandpa had made the trek together sometime when he was still alive. To an extent, I have since made it my mission to take as many people to visit Crater Lake, in remembrance of my Grandma Gray. Today I got to fulfill one of this grandfathers dreams by taking both my west coast and east coast grand kids to Crater Lake. 
While Ka'mya is still too little to truly enjoy the trip fully. I learned that I had not yet taken my own daughter to Crater Lake while she still lived in Oregon with me. Check, I finally accomplished that today also.
Erica, her boyfriend Van and Larrieann joined our small clan as we made the trip to Crater Lake, then on to Diamond Lake, and the Rogue Rivers Natural Bridge before turning towards the sunset and heading back home to Grants Pass.
See,I was a good Mom and kept the promise of taking you and your brothers camping to Crater & Diamond Lake while Dad stayed home during Fire Season with ODF. The one and only time that I have gone and although it is a beautiful place, I couldn't stand anywhere near the edge. Remember standing with my back pressed to a back wall in an observation point, telling you boys not to get to close to the rock wall, that you could barely see over.
ReplyDeleteWe won't talk about what happened with the little Chipmunk at Diamond Lake.