Here And There

For our eight year anniversary in March my friend Pam (who was in India with us) gifted us a stay at her cabin at the Russian River near Duncans Mills. We have been so busy doing this or that but we finally got a weekend to go up there. It is such a beautiful drive (if you avoid Santa Rosa that is). The grassy rolling hills dotted with cows, the beautiful ferny redwood forests. And the beach is so near. There are wonderful swimming holes in the Russian River but it was a little chilly still. So we decided to go hiking at the Armstrong Redwoods State Preserve.

We wandered around feeling small among the giant thousand year old redwoods. Even with people around I felt like it was just us and there was a stillness that you only find in the forrest. I love the outdoors and so does Cyrus which is something I really love about him. From the beginning eight years ago we had that connection. Which was important because we were so different from each other, and yet now, it feels the same too.

We decide to start back down the trail after an hour or so. As we are walking back Cyrus stops to check out two giant redwoods burnt out at the base from some forrest fire that happened two years ago or hundreds of years ago I can't tell. They are so tall we can't see the tops and they've leaned over on each other and are growing together leaning on one another. And at the bottom, between them, is a cave-like opening. Cyrus walks over to it and I admonish him for walking off the trail in such a high use area. But I go over when he calls me to. And it feels protective under there. I kneel down to take a picture of him and the trees and he is looking at me funny. He tells me he'll take a picture of me and takes my camera. I'm flipping my hair back and trying to position my chin to get the best light when I notice he doesn't have the camera.

All I notice is there is now a ring in his hand and he's kneeling in front of me. It takes me what feels like ages to comprehend what is happening and he says "will you marry me". All I can do is laugh/cry and I can't make any words. I finally say yes and we spend a long time hugging and crying under the trees.

The ring fits perfectly. And I don't even mind that its a diamond. (lol, sounds funny but I don't want to support the inhumane diamond mining conditions) It's his late grandmother's engagement ring. The only grandmother of his I was able to meet. He had it sized based on another ring he bought me that fit that finger. So sly. I had no idea it was coming.

But I'm so happy.