Dee’s Excellent Adventure

I’m not entirely certain what possessed me. It wasn’t boredom – I’m not sure I’ve ever been truly bored in my whole life. I wasn’t upset and running away from anything. I’m alone a lot so it wasn’t the need for space or privacy.

Perhaps I needed to do something unexpected…unpredictable. Something that was just for me and didn’t take anyone else into consideration first. If David is home I don’t even step outside for a moment without telling him, just out of simple courtesy.

Whatever the motivation (and I’m still pondering that), yesterday I took a little road trip and I didn’t tell anyone. It wasn’t a major trip like when Roz and I took our “Thelma and Louise” trip to New Orleans. I was gone less than three hours and back home finishing up my usual Monday household chores and preparing dinner long before David got home. In fact, if I hadn’t told him he never would have known. Well, until he read this blog post.

So where did I go? Well, Sunday morning during the announcement time at the beginning of our church worship service, amidst all the usual reminders of upcoming events, a woman got up to say that if we wanted a chance to see God’s handiwork we should take a drive to Turner Falls because it was absolutely gorgeous right now. I love scenic drives and murmured to David that we ought to do that. He was rather non-committal and I suppose that’s when my plan began to take shape.

I could have talked David into taking the drive with me. He’ll do most anything I ask but for that very reason I try not to take advantage of his good nature. I thought about asking my daughter or my parents if they’d like to go along but ultimately I decided to go alone and not to tell anyone until afterwards.

Turner Falls is only about 40 miles away. It was an absolutely perfect day. Warm and sunny with a light breeze. I enjoy listening to audio books in the car and had recently started Pat Conroy’s “South of Broad”. As I listened to the narrator’s gentle Southern cadence, I took careful notice of the beauty I was driving through.

Spring has taken her own sweet time this year but was an absolute showoff yesterday. Thick, green grass blanketed the roadside and bright patches of wildflowers almost took my breath away. Queen Anne’s Lace, Black-eyed Susans, and Indian Paintbrush, plus many more I cannot name. More than once the beauty I beheld nearly brought me to tears.

I didn’t actually enter the Turner Falls park because of the $12 admission fee. I was only planning to stay a short time and not utilize any of the facilities. But I drove on past the entrance and stopped at a point which overlooks the falls. This is the sight which greeted me: