Over the River and through the Woods...

...over the river and through the snow to grandpa Lauren's house we did go.  Thank goodness we didn't have to travel in a sleigh,  because I most likely would have slipped into a coma if I had to make the trip in an open topped sledding vehicle enduring the frigid twenty degree weather.

After a quick hey how-ya-doing when we arrived our hosts quickly whisked us off on a beautiful snowshoeing adventure not far from Sunriver.  Fall River was our destination, a perfect spot for a afternoon's frolic on Larrieann's an my own dust laden snowshoes.  They had been stored away far to long in our downstairs closet.  All four of us headed out down the snowy trail with Lauren leading the way tramping down the two feet of snow ahead of us.  Elk tracks cris-crossed our path everywhere.  Fresh elk sign littered the icy snow. I couldn't convince Larriean into trying some of the naturally occurring yellow snow left behind the herd for some reason.  She murmured something about the time, many years ago, when I got her very young son Doug, to eat some moss from the north facing side of a Douglas Fir tree when we were on one of our hikes.  I told Doug the deer really like it and eat it but that's another story in it's self.

Fall River is one of those pristine rivers Oregon is known for.  It too simply boils out of from underground in several spots , much like the Rogue River does on the lower slopes of Crater Lakes, Mt. Mazama.  Three or four foot deep water so clear you could see salamanders crawling on the river bottom if they hadn't gone into hibernation already because of the bitterly cold water, a fly fisherman's paradise.  On the way driving back home Lauren and I made one of our normal quick rescues of some very unprepared kids stuck in the snow in their all wheel drive Subaru on a side road.

My favorite part of the weekend was getting to visit with Lauren and Ellen's children Randy and Rachael.  Even better then that was getting to meet again their own children. Rachael's,  Annika (aka Princess Toots alot) her words not mine, and Eli (Chunky Money).  Randy's, Casey, who walks, talks and dresses everything Indiana Jones.  I was advised not to get him one of those leather whips, and little Katie who inscribes to be Clara the Ballerina.  All four, really cute kids. It is so satisfying to see Rachael and Randy following in my foot steps already nicknaming their children like I have done too myself, billy blaze.  It was enjoyable watching grandpa Lauren interact with them all. 

Sometimes I actually think Lauren moved away from Southern Oregon so I would not be a poor influence on his grandchildren as they were growing up.  Teaching them how to catch hundreds of salamanders and put them into the preachers daughters tent.  Having them play sardines with me till all hours of night at Beaver Hollow and of coarse that moss eating thing too.  I can't wait till the next visit...