Yosemite Morning

        The picture window in our room at The Awhahnee had been darkened for the night, but upon awakening, we decided to raise the blinds and leisurely lie in bed gawking at the massive, granite walls that reached high into the sky. The knowledge that the bicycle rental place wouldn’t open until 9 a.m. gave me permission to ice and elevate my leg – even though it felt like it was on the mend.  After that, we took a quick shower, munched a granola bar with a cup of coffee, and took off on foot to begin our adventure.

            We followed the same path along the river to Curry Village to rent bicycles for the day.  It took some time adjusting to the “cruiser” style bicycle!  There were no hand brakes, no gear shifts, and large handle bars, all of this making it difficult to maneuver the bulky two wheeler. The morning air was crisp and cool, and it smelled of oak, pine, and earth.  I could hear the gentle wind as it whispered through the trees, opting to follow the Valley Loop Trail to Yosemite Village, where we picked up a picnic lunch at the Deli.  As Brad ordered up the sandwiches, I shopped in the trinket shop next door where I picked up a small token of my affection (a pair of golf socks) for my man.

            Our next destination was Yosemite Falls.  We parked our bicycles and repeated our hike to the falls, taking time to thoroughly enjoy the extraordinary splendor of the place.  There were very few people here on this occasion, save for a mute man dressed as a monk who took our photo (I believe he had taken a vow of silence), and we hiked around, eventually selecting a beautiful picnic spot on a log next to a small bridge near a river.  We quickly discovered that were not alone, because a single Steller’s Jay had decided we were its best opportunity for a noontime meal. Knowing full well that we should not feed the animals, we couldn’t resist its ceaseless begging.