Mother's Day by the River

 As a child growing up one of the things my family liked to do was take long camping trips.  We would pack up the tents and the sleeping bags in the station wagon and head off on road trips that would last for several weeks as we visited the various national forests and campgrounds across the country.  Today, I don't have to drive across the country to get to the forest.  It's right in my own backyard just a 20 minute drive away.

My mother loved our camping trips and so for Mother's Day last weekend we took her for a drive out to the woods for an afternoon by the river.  At 83, she isn't as spry as she once was but with a little help she was able to make it down to the riverbank.

There is a bit of pioneer history back here.  Homesteaders once mined this area for silver and logged the old growth timber.  In fact, the town I live in originally sprang up around a lumber mill.

 Today it's a nature preserve filled with hiking trails and campgrounds. I love wandering through the moss covered trees and along paths lined with ferns.

By late summer these wild huckleberry bushes will be covered with small red berries.  It takes a long time to gather enough but if you have the patience to do it, they make wonderful pie.

It was peaceful just watching the river flowing by.  The water splashed quickly over the rocks in some places before opening up into calmer waters.

We spent a couple of hours enjoying the sunshine, skipping rocks across the water, and walking along the riverbank.    
     

  

Our beautiful daughter

Skipping Rocks

Doesn't this rock look like a giant turtle heading into the water?

 We ended our day by going home to a picnic dinner from the deli followed by marshmallows roasted over a fire in the courtyard. 

So, even though we weren't really camping, it was the perfect ending to a lovely day.  To all you moms out there I wish you a belated Happy Mother's Day.