The Shimmering Waterfall River

The sweltering heat of the day made the trail waver like water in the sun. “Ugh, it sure is hot today. Let’s take the Carson’s Crossing path to get away from this heat,” Dad muttered, wiping his brow.

“Sure! Yay!” I replied quickly. I absolutely loved walking through Carson’s Crossing’s shaded woods and sparkling rivers. It was always cool and quiet there, even on the hottest of days. My parents and I were taking a stroll through the Rancho Penasquitos Canyon to the waterfall. We sauntered down to Carson’s Crossing and entered the wooded area. Once inside, I stopped and took a deep, substantial breath, drinking in the beauty of our surroundings.

Despite the heat of the day, the crossing was cool and quiet. The thick, tall trees blocked out much of the sun, letting only an occasional golden shaft of light touch the earth. The only sound heard in the slightly misty air was the sweet, serene chirping of birds. My parents and I sidled down to the first shimmering pond and jumped over a gap onto a worn, wooden footbridge. We passed along through the lovely woods in silence, each trying to be the last one out of the trees and into the scorching sun.

When we stepped out of the crossing, the heat hit us full blast once more. “Come on, there’s not much longer until we reach the waterfall,” my father said. I continued along in silence, looking at the tall, waving grass and the shrub-covered hills, listening to my parents rambling on and on about the unreasonable price of new cell phones. Boy, what a boring subject, especially while out in nature. I tried to block the conversation out of my mind. As we continued along the trail, the scene shifted, dense woods on our right side and open plain on our left.

A while later, a massive, lumpy boulder came into view over the grass and trees. “Almost there!” I said cheerfully, trying to get my parents off the subject of newfangled gadgets. That, of course, didn’t work. At last, we reached the waterfall. I ran down the carved stone steps and sat down at the river’s edge. The water laughed and tumbled along, tripping over rocks and at last falling over the edge of the tiny waterfall. Birds sang, and I wanted to sing along with them.

Then, my technology-infected parents walked down the stairs. I gave a little sigh of annoyance and wandered off. I decided to explore the area around the river. I climbed up the cold, rough rocks that lined the waterfall. I reached the top of the highest one and pulled myself over the edge. When I stood, I almost fell back down in amazement. There, below me, was the river, shimmering against the earth, twisting and turning like a snake. The water was lined with reeds and cattails, waving in the crisp, cool wind. The sight was so beautiful that I began to laugh. I laughed with the gurgling water, the chirping birds, and the crystal clear sky shining above the earth.