Yosemite National Park "Morning light Corner View"

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "A child went forth and became what he saw." My mother and stepfather instilled in me a love for nature. They had an endless love for nature.  Many of our family activities were outside and Yosemite was one of those places we visited on multiple vacations. I remember hiking up to the falls and feeding the chipmunks.  I remember feeding the bears marshmallows which looking back on was kind of stupid, but I and my cousins did from a distance. Waking up with dew on our tent, the sound of birds to the first morning light, eating oatmeal and hot dogs.  I remember one trip with my stepsisters where we three girls slept in the back our family station wagon for the night and my mom and stepfather sleeping outside.  The stars were giant and in the morning my stepfather said a bear had licked his face. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt.  My mother by her mid-20's had climbed Half Dome and many of the other mountain ranges in the California region. I never really took to the camping side of hiking though I do it on occasion for my children.  I want my children to grow up loving nature too!  Yosemite is spectacular!  I am so grateful for those visionary men and women who saw a need to protect these amazing treasures for future generations to visit and enjoy.  God sure has painted an amazing canvas.  John Muir who was a California naturalist and friends with Teddy Roosevelt once said, "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."  So true so true!  I also like this quote by him, "Trees go wandering forth in all directions with every wind, going and coming like ourselves, traveling with us around the sun two million miles a day, and through space, heaven knows how fast and far."  I wish we had more than a day to spend in the park and given how little the girls are right now we passed on hiking as some of the hikes can be kind of dangerous.  We saw El Capitan and Half Dome and the children played in the Tuolumne River skipping rocks and cooling off  We enjoyed a picnic lunch and even took a look at the beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel. It was lovely!  Someday, I would love to return and stay overnight.  While the children may not have camped overnight I hope the children with a look back with fond memories of the day.

All above phots were taken by me, but these last two I have borrowed off the internet.  They are morning light in Yosemite.  The memories of my childhood.

 Budd Creek Sunset, Tuolumne Meadows. (Photo: Steve Dunleavy/Flickr)

Photo: Kai Schreiber/Flickr