Daring Friends

This is me and my friend, BA. I guess someone could have told me I didn't need to hunch down in this photo (ML). Anyway, just look at the expression of victory and triumph on her face. She's probably had that expressions only four other times in her life. . . . once when she nabbed ML to be her hubby, and three other times when she gave birth. I assure you, what she did here needed just as much bravery and courage!





Remember the Scared Kids? Evidently, BA realized this was probably her last hike to Rainbow Falls. Much to my horror and the chagrin of Himself (who did not want to do this until BA started climbing, but held back anyway so as not to steal her thunder), BA decided she wanted to jump off the cliff.

It all starts with this climb on a "trail" that doesn't really exist. I thought this picture was funny because you can see BA's purple top on and shorts on one side of the tree, then ML coming out the other side of the tree. It looks like she's morphing into ML.

She's gone from our sight for a while, then we can see her climbing down the vines near the rock face. See her? See her purple shirt?

Here, I circled it to make her more visible.

And here's ML, proud as can be, showing the entire world that his wife did indeed make it to the rock face. Hey, it was a proud moment for all of us, really!

Here, she's casually examining her toenail polish. At least, that's the story she told me. If you ask me, though, I think that after she climbed down the vines and took one look over the side, she got a serious case of the "scardies" and had to catch her breath!

ML jumped first, but he kind of slipped and my camera wasn't ready to catch the majesty of it. All I had was him splashing into the water. Yes ladies, you read that correctly. He took her up on a rock face and LEFT. HER. THERE. If you know him and ask him about it, he'll try to say he went first to show her how it's done and to be ready to receive her in the water below. Yep. I bet that's just what he'll tell you.

And here it is! A most magnificent leap! What style! What form! What poise and grace! All of us waiting on the rocks could only gasp at the wonder of it all!

What? You can't see her? Please feel free to contribute to my new camera fund so we can avoid this travesty in the future. In the meantime, Good 'Ole Paint Shop will help us out yet again:

And here she is, still alive, frolicking merrily in the water with ML, drinking in the mad applause of her observers. I think I was clapping the loudest! It's so much safer to live vicariously through friends, wouldn't you agree?

Now she's back to "Mom" mode, casually sunning herself on a rock with all the kids, basking in the adoring gaze of her hubby, ML. Everyone is that much happier and smiling because of her amazing feat.

You've done us all proud, BA!