Love from All Over

The best thing about my day job

 are the students that I see everyday.

I find myself lucky that they come to me for guidance...

or for an ear to listen...

 a shoulder to cry on...

or surprisingly enough to get a stern lecture.

For most of them,

I see them grow through their years in college.

Often meeting them when they start as a freshman

and seeing them through until they graduate.

After the 14 years that I have been working with ambassadors,

I have acquired many "kids".  :)

 They are all over the world....

from Priscilla in Sweden to Foong who is almost in my back yard...

 Many are now mothers

or proud fathers

and all successful in their own ways... 

 

and I am always proud of all of them...

I cherish these friendships that have continued through time...

for there is never a period that I feel forgotten...

To all of you that find your time to visit, 

to email, to call, to text, to write, to update me on your lives,

 

that continue to share with me your joys...

struggles... and sorrows..

I appreciate you all in my life.

...and I am always proud as ever

to be called your "second mom."

Thank you all for the love!  

I am humbled.

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Enjoying Summer

I've been having a wonderful time making the most of family time!  :)

It has been perfect beach weather and the water is pleasantly warm.

I've also started to build my closet 

and it is so nice to be back to tinkering with the tools!

I do have to give credit to ACB. For helping me.

(Okay, I lie....for doing most...all?....of the work!   ;P)

...it's starting to look so darn pretty in there....

functional too!

...I'm in the final stretch for the first section!

Hubby will surely be happy... 

I can finally put away some of my "stuff" that is all over the place!  ;)

What about you?  

What have you been up to?!

Old Man's Cave. (Part 1)

It is hard for me to pick which one of the three (Ash Cave, Cedar Falls) or Old Man's Cave is the must see.

Because all three are spectacular with each one having its own beauty.

This trail for Old Man's Cave doesnt give you that "Ta-da!" grand moment like the other 2 does.

However, this trail has alot of beautiful scenic picture spots throughout. 

It also boasts its own beautiful waterfall and its own large cavern.
But I think that it is the most hyped attraction and puts the others at a disadvantage.

This particular park has many trails and is also much more challenging than the other two.
Because of the many steep steps.

The trail starts you off going down a steep tunnel where you have to trust your feet to feel the steps leading down. 

Your only guide being the light at the bottom of
 the descent.

Shortly after the tunnel, you take another narrow and steep stairway down the canyon and soon you are almost instantly taken to the main cavern of the Cave.

Although not as picturesque as Ash Cave, this cavern allows you to imagine what life is like for the inhabitants that used to take shelter in its many spacious and dark nooks.

The temperature is cool and damp, different from the hot and dry air above.

As mentioned above, it also has a beautiful waterfall. 

But unlike the other natural attractions, this one leads you to keep going on its trail and leads you to other picturesque spots. 

It has 5 main sections found along the valley of its creek. 

The trails are actually built by a Japanese artist, architect and mathematician, Akio Hizume.

The name old Man's Cave is named after Richard Rowe who lived in the main cave around the late 1700s.  He is buried in the ledge of the cave's main recesses. 

(http://www.hockinghills.com/old_mans_cave.html)

Cedar Falls

A while ago, I bought the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die in the USA and Canada".

Here is a direct link (click here) that takes you to my Amazon site.

In this book, it says that one of the places to see in this area is Hocking Hills.

I thought that Ash Cave was awesome but Cedar Falls was just as amazing!

The early settlers thought that all the trees found around this area were Cedar, hence the name.

However, they were mistaken because there are no Cedar trees in the area at all, mostly Hemlocks. 

The trail starts off with a beautiful stairway down the gorge.

Similar to the Ash Cave trail, the hiking scenery is just as picturesque with abundant flora.

Of course, because of the falls, there are alot of small water pools and trickling brooks.

There is so much to see that I wish there were benches along the path
where you can just stop and sit and get lost in the serenity of the place.

I kept taking pictures because I knew that I could not possibly take it all in,
in the time that we were there.

All of a sudden, you come around the corner of  the rock face and there you see the falls!

It is paradise.

And as I sit there letting the beauty take over me, I don't want to leave.

For it is not just the falls that is mesmerizing but all the surrounding area too.

I took so many pictures. Over 200, as a matter of fact! ;oP

I wish that I could just take shelter and spend the night right there in the falls' side caverns just as the native Indians used to.  I can only imagine the beauty of the night under the moon and stars and how much more magical it can be right before the sun rises in the morning.

It was hard to leave this place.

Although the canyon's beauty continues as we climb back out.

We chose to take the more adventurous path out and it was exciting climbing through the rocky cracks and crevices of the canyon.

Here is one of the last scenes right before the exit.

There are so many different ecosystems going on here that I had to sit for a little to take it all in.

What a truly remarkable place.