A Walk through the Valley

One could never imagine that magic existed in this small town of Sutherlin, Oregon. All one had to do to access it was to cross the rickety cattle guard that separated the public from the secret valley. There are two paths to choose from when stepping through the portal. One would take you on a journey through the grassy valley where mice scamper from the watchful eyes of hawks to the looming forests where the family of woodpeckers reside after a full breakfast at the local bird feeders. The other path takes you across to a different terrain with cascading waterfalls and hidden caves where tiny treasures can be found. Both paths are tempting, but the one that beckons the curious traveler is the one that calls the loudest.

Balancing across the metal groves of the cattle guard, the sound of trickling water can be heard coaxing my ears. It had been awhile since I ventured into a world beyond reality. Instead of following the paved road up to the small house that sat at the top of the hill, I chose the path less traveled. An overgrown path scattered with fallen branches paves the way. One whistle from me and I am joined by my adventurous dogs who like to explore as much as I do. The two labs run a head of me alerting the different neighbors of all kinds that we are coming. The sun is shining though the rustling trees leaving patches of sunlight on the grassy pathway. As the path becomes smaller, I am left with a fork in the path. However, one path of the fork is up a fallen tree where the sound of water grows louder. The other path is straight up the hill where the trees lined the path below. The path up the hill is the easier choice but the less fun one. Looking up from the bottom of the path, I saw two towering boulders nestled together like two giants’ heads resting against each other. Blackberry bushes block my way to investigate, but some scratches never stopped me. I strategically fold branches away from me and duck under swooping thorns. A loud bark beckons me to look up. A smiley brown face is watching me from the top of the giant’s head. I’ve reached the two heads and see a small creek trickling out of the rocks. I shimmed in between the two heads and let the relief of the stream wash away the dirt and blood from my arms and legs.

I maneuvered my way through the brush with excited barks cheering me on. The two eager dogs have chosen my way for me. They want me to deftly climb the tree without slipping off even though they didn’t go before me. They decided to cheat and go the long way around without the challenge. The fallen pine has become a home to many creatures. Large and colorful mushrooms cover the peeling bark. Small families of insects call this tree home if you break off pieces of bark to see them. Starting from the base of the tree which was the top, I carefully balance on the slippery trunk with my arms sticking straight out for balance. One foot in front of the other, I strategically tip toe up the tree. Once the tree becomes too vertical, I move to scooting up the tree with my arms and legs wrapped around the trunk like a monkey reaching for a banana. And like a monkey, once I reached the top I swing from the roots to ground below. Standing on the giants’ heads, I can see where the water is coming from.

Three cascading waterfalls flow into each other in the middle of this secret valley. The neighbors of the forests welcomed me into the homes. A small family of birds were chasing each other in and out of the water at the top of the waterfall. My dogs lunged for the water, cooling themselves off and drinking from rocks. At the base of the falls, a large pool of water had gathered making it a small swimming hole. Abandoning the water from the rocks, the dogs jumped into the swimming hole instead and barked at me to join them. I politely declined telling them I didn’t want to hike down soaking wet. A wild turkey call alerted the dogs to abandon their relaxation and called them towards more adventure. I took my time walking around the waterfalls, looking at the different types of moss and the small creatures living in them. I hiked up the short trail around the falls to the very top one. Now I didn’t mind getting wet, I took off my shoes and socks and deftly made my way to the edge of the waterfall. I let my feet dangle over the edge with the water flowing down to the next one. From the top of the waterfall, I can see the path that I took to get here. The giants’ heads were still resting together and the tree was still propped up. The whistling of the wind was steady throughout the trees with the occasional turkey call interrupting it.

After admiring the view with my soaking pants, I decided to let my clothes dry off. I rolled out of the water and laid on the warm grass. The sounds of the chirping birds and branches being dropped by the squirrels began to lull me asleep. The blinding sun warmed my clothes and gave me comfort as I drifted off to sleep. Enough time had passed that my clothes had dried off and I woke up groggy. At some point during the day, the dogs had given up their hunt and had joined me for an afternoon nap. A sharp whistle rang throughout the trees. This whistle originated from my mother. One can hear this whistle for miles. This whistle was the signal to come home and to leave this magical world behind. Even though the sound of nature is enchanting, the sound of family calls one back to reality.