Saturday, I made my first trip to Natural Falls across the state line in Oklahoma. It is a wonderful, scenic area that abounds in the kind of beauty only God could create. As Richard, Linda and I drove into the park,we saw no clue that just beyond a grove of trees lay another facet of nature. On the surface, the sun shone (boy! did it ever), grass, trees, and flowers grew; but, hidden from view lay a different landscape. Bravely facing a dark and dangerous netherworld, we descended the steep steps of a cavernous ravine where cascading water emptied into a blue-green pool. The day was hot and golden, but all along the cliff, near the rocks, I felt coolness. Down, down we journeyed to a cooler, mysterious lower realm laced with shadowed rocks and dappled sun–and the magical rainbow.
The picture I’ve posted today is of the rainbow in the mist. The sun shone through the falls at just the right angle and there below me hovered a fragile rainbow. The bench at the bottom of the ravine, where the falls emptied into a pool invited me to sit and rest a spell. Trees and vines added to the atmosphere of a darker, cooler climate. Going down was the easy part. The hard part? Climbing back up. However, with the amazing alacrity and fierce determination of a mystery writer, I surfaced, none the worse for wear.
Life is rather like that rainbow; it is fragile, lovely and miraculous and is to be treasured. The group of people who will sit around my hundred year old table today are treasures in themselves; they are the beautiful, talented cozy critiquers. I’m looking forward to hearing about their journey from a couple of weeks ago until today. We will share triumphs, frustrations, and laughter as we delve into the sometimes mysterious but always fascinating world of words.
Oh so pretty. I’ve been wanting to go there.
Yes, it is beautiful. Worth the trip!