So, just to prove I'm not a total wimp this is a photo of the road work:
Last year where the cement reinforcement is was just empty air. And a few cones were sitting there. See? Don't you think that would be scary? Cause I DID think it was scary. But this year they had cemented and stoned everything and it felt much, much safer.
And into the forest we go. Now THAT's a big tree
Yup, kids do enjoy looking out the window at big trees.
They feel cool too. Like a sponge.
Oh, and they SMELL fantastic.
Ariel really tried to get a good shot of how big they are, but you can't. They are too big to grasp. So you just have to go see them, smell them, touch them, feel them. The drive through California farm land had been beautiful, peaceful, interesting, different. But a drive through Seqouia National forest is awe inspiring.
It makes you ponder the past and the future. Why do these trees live longer than us? I want to live to plant a seqouia and see it 2,000 years later. I want to. And if I have the desire, than why can't I? Blissful sigh.... I really like these trees and the quiet pondering I'm allowed to dwell on while walking amongst them.
The bark:
We then headed to the auto log that you used to be able to drive on. Now you just can crawl all over it. A lot safer.
See my family?
Here is a tiny little tree. Which if it were in my own area would be huge.
Isn't it lovely? Pines and Seqouias mixed together to make a wonderful, wonderful forest:
There was only us and one other family here. They were foreign, European but not a language I know. I'm not sure. They were beautiful but there was a little girl who was tiny and driving her father a little crazy as she refused to be sat down, so if he went to take a photo of the big kids playing on the tree and sat her down, she would cry. It made me so happy to have big kids. The dad was ploughing through and letting his wife and big kids have their moment, but you could tell it was frustrating. SO, SO glad to not have a toddler. I was also glad we were here when we were as there were people, but the right amount. Not lots and mostly very polite, nice foreigners, the kind of people who pause and let you have your photo before getting theirs. It was nice.
A different type of auto log