Where do I start when everything that happened today just seems more grand than the moment before?  Well, I’ll start at the beginning before I knew it was such a grand day.  We (Georgia, Jetton, Annie, Jeanette and myself) all slept in today.  That was a grand thing! I was up first at 7:50 a.m. and everyone followed.  This was my day to get an early start and go to Yosemite.  Best laid plans of mice and men…Too much talking, having my picture taken sitting on a horse to impress you.  But, I forgot to use my cell phone and I can’t post it off my camera so I won’t get to impress you after all.  My uncle rides horses and has two of his own  He’ll be riding in a parade on Saturday.  Well, finally I did get all ready to leave and misplaced my keys (that a nice way of saying I lost them).  We all looked high and low to find them and they were no where to be found.  I figured they were in the car as I had come out and unlocked it and then got on the horse.  We could not find them.  “I Myself” did not even get upset with”Me”.  I just prayed figured they would turn up because God knew where they were.  So, I retrieved my “spare” set of keys and left for Yosemite.

“continue reading…”

Yosemite is 16 miles from Oakhurst.  The highway starts out as four lanes but very quickly goes down to three lanes, two heading toward Yosemite and one heading back.  Then a short while later it turns into two lanes on very winding sheer drop off curves. And I might mention that the speed limit is posted as 55 mph without suggestions of lower speeds.  It was fun taking those curves!!!!  There are pull off areas where you are supposed to pull over and let others pass if anyone catches up with you.  I was always catching up to someone.  Now before you raise your eyebrows at me just realize that my little Silver Fox has a wide wheel base and can really hold her own on those curves.  Besides I only drove the speed limit when I was in the lane against the mountain.  The sheer drop off side was a different story.  Then I only went 45.  Once inside the park the speed limit was 35 mph.  It took me over an hour to get to Yosemite Valley at the base of the mountain.  I spent most of my day in  Yosemite Valley.  It was just so breathtaking.

While traveling to Yosemite Valley I drove through the Wawona Tunnel.  The Wawona Tunnel was bored through solid granite bedrock in a granite mountain.  It is the longest road tunnel in the State of California.  It’s elevation 6,039 and length is 4,233 feet.  The interesting thing was that the inside of the tunnel is the actual granite exposed.  It was opened in 1933.  The tunnel was an experience all its own.  It seemed so long to be under all that granite.

The view coming out from the tunnel was unbelievable.  It was my first stop. See the posted photo.

I decided to do my own tour instead of take a shuttle.  I saw the shuttle people only had a few moments at each place and I didn’t want any restraints on my time.  That alone added to my grand day.  I had a blast just going my own slow pace, talking to whomever wanted to talk to me and taking lots of pictures of people with their own cameras and Iphones.  Had one really good time with a family and did a full photo session for them on their IPAD or Apple Pad or some sort of oversized phone contraption.  The shots looked pretty good and they were so delighted and had a lot of fun doing it.  The area we were in was just so picturesque.  What a great outdoor studio Yosemite would be.

Back to my self guided tour (which means just turning off when a sign said THIS WAY TO…  The next sign said This way to BRIDAL VEIL FALLS.  I was worth the trip. The water fall is 617 feet high and flows year round.  It is fed from Ostrander Lake which is ten miles south of Yosemite.  Ostrander Lake feeds Bridalveil Creek which is the main source of the Bridalveil Falls.  I hiked up as close as possible to where the falls empty into another creek (which right now I cannot remember).  The photo opportunities were out of this world.  A kind man took my picture after I had taken a photo of him and his wife.  Wherever I go I meet such nice people.  Today sounded like an international convention with so many languages being spoken.  Even met a whole big group of men all from Wisconsin here on a business trip.  Come to think of it even they had an accent!

Another  “THIS WAY TO…”  led me to THE CATHEDRAL. I drove down off the road and there before me was a panorama waiting to die for.  It was so beautiful.  A  graceful name for an awe-inspiring glimpse of what is to come.  I truly felt like I was in a cathedral made by God.  Sheer granite slabs seemed to be skyrocketed into the air.  They were softened and framed by the young color of green in early spring.  I have been gone from home almost 7 weeks and I have virtually lived 7 weeks of spring in various stages throughout my travels.  Spring in Arkansas and Fort Worth and San Antonio Texas.  Spring in Albuquerque, winter in Denver and then spring again in the desert of Mesa Arizona and then the full bloom of summer in Southern California.  And now a new and fresh  Spring once again in the beautiful Yosemite Valley California. It began to rain and the air chilled.  The dogwood blooms were covered in droplets of water and the world looked exquisite.  And I was cold. So I took my trusty dusty blue coat out of the back seat and something went kerplunk on the cement parking lot.  AND WHAT A GRAND DAY!  There lay my keys.  The lost ones were at last found.  While on the way to the Park something (that still small whispering voice in my heart) spoke to me that my keys were with my blue coat.  I had forgotten about that revelation until the cold wet rain chilled my bones and caused me to seek out my coat.  But there they were.  A grand part of my day!

Met several other memorable people today which I would love to write about but due to the late hour I must go to bed.

Good night.  I’ll proofread in the morning.  Believe me, when I write this late at night I make a lot of mistakes.  Mostly my fingers.