{jacoby creek}

After we got home from our morning hike my dad said, "I think I've got a place you guys would like. A hike, waterfalls..." Sounded like it was right up our alley. My dad took us out to the end of Jacoby Creek Road. Past the street with the covered bridge {where we took bridal photos a year ago - gosh I never posted those did I?}. The road narrows and you think you're lost, and then you're there.

The hike took us back into the woods and kept us walking along Jacoby Creek. A little ways in my dad pointed out a little side trail down to the water. We all clamber down there - it's beautiful. The water cascades over rocks. The ferns are lush and green.

"There's little spots like this all along the creek for then next, maybe, quarter mile or so," my dad said. Sweet! Lukas shot to his hearts content at each little spot a long the creek. We walked, stopped and shot - welcome to the world of hiking with a photographer, Dad. We may not move fast, but we see a lot.

Along the way we munched on salmon berries. I didn't think we'd see any ripe ones when the first ones we saw weren't ready to eat yet. But, just a little bit further down the trail the bright orange and sometimes almost red berries caught our eye. Small clusters of them stood out against the greenery and we stopped to gobble them up.

Now here's where I say my photography skills have a long way to go. Even though I got a fancy little camera that can take really nice pictures it's the photographer and not the camera that makes the shot. There are so many things to think of when taking pictures. First there's getting the exposure right - which for some of these shots I missed. Then there's creatively using your depth of field while keeping things that should be in focus in focus. Very tricky! And then even if you get all that right you could have a boring picture if you don't have an interesting composition. So much to think about that something usually gives. But lucky me I live with a photographer who's willing to provide me with feed back. And really, the only way to get better is to practice taking pictures and I'm loving doing that.

Four hours later we arrived back home. My mom was back from work {she was on-call over the weekend} and had been wondering where we were for quite some time. We hadn't thought we'd be gone so long and were excited to see both my mom and dinner waiting for us when we got back.

Just one full day of the long weekend down and we'd already packed a lot in.