A spontaneous winter hike to a waterfall

Midmorning yesterday, my husband was restless. He wanted to get out of the house.

“I think I want to go for a hike. You want to come?”

I had just been thinking about how lately I’ve been reading stories more than I’ve been getting out in the world and experiencing life.

“Yes, I just need to change and then I’ll be ready.”

We drove to one of our standard hikes nearby, a 4-mile hike about 30 minutes from our house: the Cascades waterfall in Pembroke, Virginia. We’re both already tired of winter, and the muted grey and brown landscape that comes with it. We wanted something with green.

The Cascades, as always, delivered, with bright green mosses and ferns, and the broad green leaves of rhododendrons. The water of the creek roared so loudly beside us we couldn’t hear each other to talk. The constant rush of it scrubbed me clean from the inside. It felt good to be outside in nature.

I didn’t have my real camera with me, so these photos aren’t great. I ordered a new phone with a better camera, and when we arrived home from our hike, it was waiting for me. I’m hopeful it will make for better spontaneous photography when I’m out and about and want to snap photos.