Legends of the Falls

Ok, so when the summer started we never intended it would turn into the Grande Parrish Waterfall Excursion. But, that's exactly what happened. We landed in Portland in early June and were blown away with the 700 foot waterfall right off the highway. Of course it was raining and the mist from the falls didn't help. We were soaked instantly.

A nice stranger took our family picture, I just had to include this to show how darn wet it was

We thought that bridge behind us was old and unusable. Boy, were we wrong. The falls drop twice, first 700 ft, then 90 feet the second time. The bridge is suspended between the two drops. SCARY

Snoqualmie Falls was #2 and again, rainy..... This was a week later on our way to Seattle. There is a beautiful lodge right on the edge of the falls where my parents took Robin and I to an expensive buffet once as kids. I remember my mom, not letting us eat any breakfast, telling us we would fill up before we got there. Then in true Jackie form, I took like 5 plates of food, ate only 2 rolls and was done. I know my mom was ready to stone me to death with the rolls.

The construction was in the way of our beautiful wet family picture

Falls #3 was Taughgannock Falls in Ithaca, New York with my grandma

These are the sheer shale cliffs that Cornell students jump from

From the top of the falls lookout, a grouchy biker lady refused to take my picture with the kids. She hit the button on my camera that said"display" and when this picture above popped up, she said, " There's nothing wrong with this picture, whadda need another one for!" Then turns to her biker husband and says " I told you we shoulda come earlier before all these tourists showed up"

Ahhhh, Buttermilk Falls, a place right out of my childhood memories. The water rushing cold and clear off the rocks and swimming in the chilly pool below. Although from what I remember there was more water than this coming down.

The kids wanted to swim here, but it was already 7pm and we were flying home the next day

But not before we stopped In Buffalo to see #5 Niagara Falls

Looks kids Canada

Alright Grizzwold Family top that summer! On your first day of school kids when you write about what you did over the summer, think in syllables when pronouncing these Indian Waterfalls and tell everyone " In your face, my parents rule, we are the kings of the falls!"

Flying by the seat of our pants

So, I wake up 2 weeks ago with a wild hair and decide, we have nothing better to do than fly stand-by 1,000 miles to New York to see my grandmother who still lives alone, is 87, and can still make a mean crock pot meal and no bake cookies. So I hop on 2 planes with 3 kids, rent a car and drive 2 hours to Ithaca, New York to spend a few blissful days in the country. Thus concludes our summer of the waterfalls. Here is waterfall stop #4, Buttermilk Falls. Where as kids, Robin and I would swim in freezing cold water, running right off the mountainside.

Here is a 3 generation picture in Taughannock State Park. Waterfall stop #3, where grandma was spry enough to trek down the nature trail for almost a mile before stopping to habitat this log.

After the falls we went to the state park along Cayuga Lake and had clam rolls and hot dogs. Smother this baby in tartar sauce and call me Sally

Had to take a picture of the water temperature that is a far cry from the Gulf of Mexico bathtub water. Mommy, was too much of a baby to get in, but 3 kids who have no feeling in their skin, decided it was just right

The beach consisted of small shale rock pieces which was way different then the white sandy beaches of Pensacola and when Adeline got up covered in rocks all over her bum, I laughed

My cousin Randy, has 2 boys, Darren and Chase who are same ages as my kids. They are into Motorcross racing and very good at what they do. Here is Darren with his awesome hog, just driving off his very own racetrack, Randy had built next to their home that can be seen from space on google earth. When asked if he would like a motorcycle of his own, Reece replied, "No." But Emma said "Yea I do!"

At Taughgannock Park walking the mile back to the falls, you can climb off the trail and walk in the shale creek bed. As soon as Emma took her shoes off and stepped in the algae covered water, she fell flat on her back, soaking her entire backside and bum

The Falls are the tallest falls on the eastern United States. My grandmother loved telling us repeatedly how many students from Cornell University jump to their death every year off these cliffs. Emma just looked wide eyed up the tall cliffs and I quickly had to tell her Grandma is talking about some other waterfall and some other kids. Grandma, little pitchers have big ears, so be careful what you say.

When it's hot outside here's what we do.....

Have tea parties with our daddy. Dang camera getting foggy from the humidity, this picture was priceless

This is Adeline's 1st baby doll and by far her favorite, it's Magnetic Molly, with her magnet mouth that holds the binky

Time for rope swing action shots. This is the rope swing in full effect. When we found this sable palm, Rick had to have it. He had the men put it at this angle and then once the palm source knew we were putting it in for a swing, they made us sign a waiver saying, when the thing fell over into the pool, they warned us. Kinda like that old kids joke " If the log rolls over, we will all be dead!" We haven't used it ourselves yet, I guess no heffalumps allowed,

Adeline in her floatilla

Emma found out that FSU has a Spanish Web program at the college that involves rope swings and the circus. I guess we know where she'll be going when she graduates. Please come see her at Circe De Sole in Gay Paris, she's the one drapped in feathers, hanging upside down by her ankles spinning until she barfs or I barf.

Summertime friends: Even though the McDavid clan are my kids best friends, this summer it's been hard to find time to hang out. Only baby Anna-Kate is missing. We love you guys and can't wait to start carpooling again come fall.

Baby Ballerina

Adeline took her 1st Ballet class this July with her best friend Abigail. They were so cute I felt like crying. She took it very seriously and was learning a little french as well. Her teacher's name was Miss Star and what a dramatic, Hollywood sounding name if I do say so. Every class Adeline was to end it by coming up to me and saying " Bon Jour Mama", however, apparently the French or just french in general makes Adeline angry, so she just grunted, scowled or screamed at us if we asked to hear her Bon Jour. As nimble and dainty as she is I can see this being a regular weekly class in our future.

Red, White and Ouch weekend

Every July here in Pensacola the hometown Blue Angels take to the sky for a 3 day air show. This by far is the biggest event in Pensacola and has a HUGE attendance, by boaters, beach goers and tourists. The Blues perform right over Pensacola Beach, so people get there by 6am to camp out, set up their tarps, towels and white trash, and get ready for Fat A and the Blues. We have seen this show faithfully for the 7 years we have lived here. We've seen it by beach, sail boat and pontoon boat. Here is Reece with Fat Albert making his low pass along the beach, nice and slow.

Emma sits in anticipation for the sneak attack by the stealthy Blue Angel who hides and then comes close to breaking the sound barrier over your head when you least expect it.

We Parrish's, we ain't no dummies, we didn't just fall off the turnip truck. We come prepared with all the ear gear the kids need to not be scared during the show.

Well, this year didn't go off without a hitch though. Friday morning before the practice show, Rick and Emma were walking in knee high water in Little Sabine, when awwwwww, stingray attack! WARNING WARNING, the next photo is the actual wound, so look away for the faint of heart

It was a 4 inch long gash with a deep puncture wound at the top that went in about 3 inches. We have had 4 antiobiotics, 2 shots and plenty of neosporin and 2 weeks later, it's still not closed or even close to it.

Hard to tell but the left cankle and calf are twice the size here

Saturday the BIG DAY and we parked with everyone else in Quietwater, far far away from stingrays, but close close to Bushwhackers. Those are my favorite beach drink made with rum, chocolate, ice cream and who else knows what to make it brown and slurry. All I know is this is the most fun we have all year. No sting ray or shark or beer shortage will keep us away, and for those out of towners, come down the 2nd weekend in July and join us.

Wrapping up the west coast

On our way back from 2 weeks in Washington, flying the best airline out there....Southwest. Why is that man behind me trying to get some face time for himself in our family picture? Boy, I sure didn't know what was in store for us later that night! Stuck in Phoenix for 5 hours and then arriving in New Orleans at 1am. Driving the 3 hours home and getting to our pad at a little after the cock crows. People were already waking up to go to work.

My wonderful other friend Becky from Seattle, lives near Mt. Rainier and was kind enough to have us invade for an evening to enjoy salmon on a cedar plank over the open fire. I worked with Becky while we lived in North Carolina and her husband Jeff, was also a marine stationed at Cherry Point. We both taught 5th grade together at the year-round school. Neither of us had kids yet. Then they moved and we moved and somewhere along the 10 years we went not seeing them, we each had 3 kids. So our daughters are 3 months apart, then we both had little boys and rounded the family out with more little girls. They have Gretchen, Joey and Bridget.

Becky and I and her huge Rhodesian Ridge back, Rusty

While on a mega tourist extravaganza, we did a ferry ride west and then drove to Ballard to see the locks. Here Adeline and I decided to run away and become hobos

At the Salmon Ladder under the Ballard Locks. Every few minutes we would see a Sockeye come shooting through the ladder on his way to Lake Washington

Out for a date night with Robin and Mark to the Cheesecake Factory, got the funniest look from the waiter when I asked him to tell me all the drinks you could put Kahlua in. He decided for me that I wouldn't like anything besides a white russian b/c I'm a huge wuss, so that's what I had. While in Seattle, we stayed up north in Bothell with my brother-in-law(Mark's) father and wife. So, they were kind enough one night to offer free babysitting services for us, thanks guys

While out on the Kitsap Peninsula we got ice cream and Vivian got her 1st taste of ice cream and demanded more immediately. She eventually ended up with the end of some one's cone and was content to grossify herself.

From the top of the ferry deck, the mountain came out that day! Hurray, so hurry everyone smile while we take a family picture with Mt. Rainier

Robin's family, Marjorie, Vivian and Mark

At Mark's fathers he has a chicken coop in the backyard and this became the kids sole entertainment for the four days we were there. The chickens would cluck quietly at around 5am, and that's when Emma and Reece would sneak outside in their pajamas and start picking up sleeping chickens to check who laid the egg. Emma called this chicken the "ultimate chicken", b/c she laid the most eggs , once laid 2 eggs at the same time and she let Emma pet her.

I kept calling them Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, b/c they were like the Lord of the Flies back there in the chicken coop for hours on end. And that was our amazing trip to Washington State , that included playgrounds, newsrooms, mountains, waterfalls, chickens, salmon, old friends, wineries, space needles, hotels, ferries, and COFFEE. See you next time Robinski

Coffee runs through my veins

You can't go to Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks, and not try to visit at least 1 on each block, gas station, grocery store, bank, airport, one right across from another on 2 adjacent corners. This sign is the actual real life 1st Starbucks EVER. OK everyone take a deep breath and say Thank God you exist, baby.

And so, this trip to visit my sister, turned into my coffee vision quest. Here on Mercer Island

I had to add this b/c this is a classic Emma pose, where she believes she is super adorable and looks like a baby bunny or mouse or something hamsterish and cute

Oh look, what is that, a chipmunk? A bush baby? The cutest animal alive?

Downtown on 5th ave

Somewhere near Pioneer Square or Westlake Center

Inside what I thought was the 1st Starbucks, so I copped a pose with a coffee stirrer in my mouth , surrounded by people who were probably wondering what was wrong with me or thinking, out of towner! Then ask the barista if this indeed was the 1st starbucks and he said NO, that one's down the street. Embarrassing