Annual Fall Russian River Hike

This pic was supposed to be at the very bottom...but how could I move it?  It's a perfect way to start this post...she is such a sweet, happy, smiley baby girl!

At the start of the hike...notice the nice wide trail.

Headed up to the Russian River Falls

I just liked taking this pic w/ the bird in the bare leafless tree.

Done hiking...reading to get back in.  He didn't last long.  :)

Peeking out...such a good girl just watching what's going on.

Dad showing him a bug of some sort.

Another one of my favorite pics of him from this day.

These next few are SO little boy pics.  There is nothing better for a little boy than to run through puddles...nothing.

How much fun is it to jump off the stairs?  The answer is:  A Whole Lotta Fun!!

Catching some serious air...I cut his head off.  :)

Peeking out

He found a "sword"...I would wish later he hadn't...you'll see what I mean.

The Russian River Falls

1...2...3...Swing your "sword".

1...2...3...JUMP (and swing your stick like a sword!)

1...2...3...JUMP!

Wouldn't have been too bad if you could even see a little bit of Sweet Pea's face.

Me trying to hold him down...or just hold him still.

Pointing at the bears

She caught them a salmon

Can you see all three bears?  I like this pic.

Looking for mom who was crossing the river back to our side.  We started leaving shortly after this pic.

Jumping b/c we counted to three.

Pointing at the camera b/c I was trying to get him to look at it...so instead he pointed at it.

The one good pic I could get...I tried to get The Bug to lift his cap but he just pulled it down lower.  Not a bad pic though...if I could've just gotten Tipz to turn around it would have been near perfect.

Of course we can't stop at a river w/o looking for bugs in the water.  :)

Playing "Pooh Sticks" w/ the leaves.

One of my favorite pics of The Bug

For the past couple of years we've hiked to the Russian River Falls in September to take pictures of the fall leaves...and some family pics while we are at it.  It's such a nice hike...not too long or strenuous and you can easily take a stroller/chariot too.

I took my camera and tripod and took way too many pics, but there were some fun ones.  I had taken a few family pics (which ended up being hilarious...have you ever attempted to take your own family photos w/ an almost three year old boy who has a stick in his hand?), and we were just getting ready to put our stuff away and head back when the people in the next little viewing platform over started getting excited about a Brown Mama bear with her two cubs that had walked into the river below us and started fishing.  So...of course I got my camera back out, handed Sweet Pea to her dad, and started taking pics.  It was very cool watching this big Brown bear fish for her cubs and for them to try it out as well.  The Bug was pretty amazed by them too.  I was surprised how long he watched them.  There are so many bears at the Russian River that it's not unusual to see them pretty much every time you go there.  But it's always cool...never gets old seeing them fish in the river...as long as they are a safe distance away, of course.  So, we watched them and I took A LOT of pics, however, we were ready to get moving when she crossed the river to our side and started yelling for her cubs to follow her...and then they started yelling back at her complaining about crossing the river.  It was pretty funny...but a little closer than we liked so we promptly packed up the chariot w/ both kids and high-tailed it out of there.

We stopped at this bridge on the way back to see if I could get some better family pics than I had at the Falls lookout...and I got maybe one.  Seriously...taking pics with an almost three year old is like trying to herd cats...ever tried?  Don't.  It's not that fun.  :)

It was fun taking pics of him though running around, jumping, splashing through puddles, playing "Pooh Sticks" with leaves and just being a little boy.

And of course our Sweet Pea was a little trooper.  She is such a pleasant little girl who is always ready to smile.  She complained very little, and slept most of the time we were moving.

I was also able to take a few pics of The Falls, and at the bridge and play with my shutter speed to create that soft-water look.  It's fun learning more about my camera.  I have to thank my brother Kade for getting me more interested in the taking pics of nature stuff.

I'm loving this tradition and hope we get to do this again next year...and maybe I'll learn how to get a four year old to look at the camera and "smile"...then again...maybe not.  :)