Mabel's Excellent Adventure - Part 1

We had the most amazing hike on Sunday and thank goodness I had my camera because, otherwise you would never believe some of the stuff our heroine pulled! There are so many photos to sort through and so much happened...this will have to be a multi-part post!

Considering the day started off with a fantastic breakfast at Mabel's favorite spot (she had eggs, bacon and biscuits with sausage gravy!), following about 10 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep(!!!) and ended with the Saints winning the Superbeauxl, it was a perfect day all around!

We got to the creek around 10:30. It was one of those days where all the mica / fools gold in the rocks just sparkles because of all the rain we've been having. The sun was shining and it wasn't too windy or cold and there were lots of people out.

As we approached "dirty creek," ( Walden Pond to folks around here.) I could tell it was really muddy, so I stayed on a high ridge overlooking the water.
Of course, not everyone is bothered by a lot of mud...
even if she sinks in it up to her haunches!
Yes, the girl is always open to a good frolic or a chase with the ducks or ground squirrels.

I was anxious to get over to see more of the rock slide that had happened sometime Saturday. I was most concerned because it took out the camp of an elderly Armenian man I know named Georges. He lives in a nearby nursing home and hates it so he comes to the creek to "farm!"

This photo shows all the rocks that came out of the canyon.
Here is a different view. The rocks came out of the canyon that is about 1" in from the left on the photo. The brush on the left is what the valley floor had looked like on the right side of the photo just the day before!
Georges had built the most amazing farm just the left of the canyon opening! He had fenced off a small area using scraps of lumber, fallen trees and bamboo. He had a funky gate that you had to climb through to get into the garden. Inside were raised beds of veggies, lilac and lavender. The flowers were there for his bees! He kept hives in there! Georges likes honey in his tea.

He also had built himself a sleeping area. It was elevated and the floor was about butt high so you could just sit down in it. It was a little longer than a sleeping bag and just tall enough to sit up in. Georges would nap there in the day time after chores.

I was so upset to see his garden destroyed and was more than a little worried about Georges. To my surprise, he was on top of the levee Sunday, surveying the damage. He was a afraid that he had somehow caused that landslide by moving rocks to clear the stream bed. I assured him that it was the rain that dumped several inches in an hour!

We had a good visit with Georges before I noticed a some little dogs headed our way and I ducked down into the muddy river bed to let them pass.

Up next: Mabel and her boyfriend Max!