Franklin Falls on a wet Sunday

I haven't been feeling well. I realized the weekend was almost gone and I hadn't gotten out in the woods. I also realized it was late on a Sunday and people would be heading home not out. Especially since today was so wet. And then the plan to go to Franklin Falls formed. Somehow I always head there in hard times. There is something spiritual for me in that place. There are trees that are massive in size. There are boulders massive in size and you can see the water shaping those rocks, another massive thing, the scale of time.

I think it's a wonderful trail and I want everyone to stay away from it so it will stay my trail.... ok, that might not be realistic. I think I go there because it's not quite touristy. It's two miles round trip and it can get crowded, but generally not. But it's not the long hike that a lot of the local falls are. So I can run up there on a Sunday evening. As I drove up, my spirit started to lift. The clouds catching in the mountains were amazing. The foxglove and daisies lining the road were brilliant. And then I parked in an empty parking lot.

I love my wet days. People stay away. I never saw another person. What I saw instead was the magic of the wet. The mist caught in the trees and wet brings out the colors of the plants. I want to keep my wet days to myself, but I wish people could feel the beauty. It's quiet and the colors are so vivid and the lighting changes moment to moment. The birds sing and the sound of water is all around. To me that is the very definition of serenity. I took some pictures but my batteries were going dead and the lighting was rotten. It was ok, I was just enjoying 'being'. I was lost in the moment.

I wasn't sure if we'd actually get to the falls. I was worried about Coal and his back but he did fine. Another part of the reason I love this walk is that you can actually walk right down to the falls. The rocks can be wickedly slippery but Coal beat me to the bottom. I have the routine now. Before descending the rocks I put my sweatshirt on and take my glasses off because the spray soaks everything.

I love that feeling of standing at the base of the falls. For years I've been saying I'm going to touch and I haven't done it yet. The power is amazing. You get close and it's not just spray but wind. The sound thunders inside you and seems to wash everything away. Coal never gets as close as I.... most people don't either. Some day though, I will touch those falls, but tonight I just stood and let the power wash over me.