Surprisingly given the amount of rain, Yorkshire isn’t exactly overstocked on waterfalls. However over the last couple of weeks we have ventured to a couple of the local examples.

Not too shoddy at all.

There is one much bigger Falls just over an hours drive from us.

There is history there as well. It was the last place we visited as a family of three. After the world changed, going back seemed impossible. TWO could never be THREE. But now 7 years have passed. TWO still isn’t THREE, but now THREE is about memories, TWO is about living right now,

Maybe we will venture there this weekend for an adventure.

50 thoughts on “Waterfalls”

  12. I love waterfalls. But a number of years ago, after seeing the waterfail on the Athabasca River in Alberta, Canada, I had occasion to fall into that same river near its source. Myself and a hitchhiker I had picked up were helping a stranded woman get back across the river. I had her heavy backpack on my back and the hitchhiker was holding on to her as we crossed the Athabasca. It was barely two feet deep and maybe ten feet wide, but already it had a strong current. I tripped over a submerged rock, and when I fell the backpack was pulling me down. I was on my back and could not roll over. Flailing my arms and legs did nothing to help. I didn’t exactly panic, but what I thought about was the falls 20 miles or so down river. I really didn’t want to go over them, but I had no control. Imagine a turtle on its back floating down a river — that was me. Fortunately, while the current wss strong, it wasn’t that fast. Suddenly I felt one of my arms being grabbed, and someone pulling me towards the shore. It was the hitchhiker. It was a struggle, but finally we were near enough to shore my feet got purchase on a crevice between rocks and I was able to turn my body to get the backpack out of the water and stop being pulled by the current. The hitchhiker pulled me to my feet, and together we made it onto the shore. Amazingly enough I had kept enough of my cool so as not to pull him in with me. We staggered back to where the woman was watching and waiting, on an island in the middle of the stream, and arm in arm together we crossed the rest of the way to the safe shore. Her father, who had flagged us down, was an older gentleman who had used his cane to get across the river then up to the highway. He said he had been trying to flsg a car down for over half an hour, but nobody was stopping. It turned out they lived about a half mile from where I used to live in Surrey, British Columbia.
    With everyone safe now the father and daughter drove towards the falls which I advised them to stop and see, and the hitchhiker and I continued up the highway to the pass over the Great Divide, the other side of which all rivers flowed west while on this side all rivers fliwed east. We both talked about how lucky the woman was we had stopped, and how lucky I was he had been able to run to catch up to me floating down the river. We both had stories to tell.
    I had actually forgotten all about it till you told the story of you and Hawklad going to see the waterfalls. Suddenly it came back to me. I could have died going over a waterfall. There were I think three falls in one, two where the water dashed onto rocks, with a deep pool at the very bottom. There the current was very fast, and if the rocks didn’t kill me the pool would have. The backpack was too heavy to be able to swim. I would have sunk to the bottom and if nobody had seen me, i might still be in that pool.
    Once again luck was with me, and I am still here to tell the story.
    Hope you and Hawklad have a good day. Did you post about his marks yet. I don’t remember seeing a post about them yet?

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    1. Those trigger memories are so vivid. I had one when I heard a stream train go by in the distance yesterday. Immediately took me back to standing on a train station with Dad watching the new 125 fast trains starting service. Mum and Dad had fought the night before. I suddenly realised why Dad had taken me there. To get away and avoid being in the house. I missed that back then, I just remember the thrill of seeing those amazing new trains.

      That’s coming.

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  13. This is so beautiful, my dear friend. I love waterfalls. Three making memories, and two living life as full as you can. I’ve never been where you are. But I’ve learned, in a different way, to make solo memories when I never thought I would at this stage in my life. I will keep on searching for waterfalls, beauty,…and hope. Just as you. What a blessing you are. 💛

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