Pictures to die for...literally!

In high school I had to best friends Leslie and Pamela Jane. We did everything together, school, church dances, slumber parties almost every weekend. They were my favorite part about going to church. When we were older we started taking trips. We went camping in Southern and Northern Arizona. We went to California. We took trips to Utah. One time we decided to go to Sedona, this great little town sort of in central Arizona known worldwide for it's red rock formations. This particular time we decided to get out of the car and wade into the water. The river was fairly shallow and cold but fast moving the way most snow run off rivers are. At one point Leslie found this fairly large rock toward the middle of the river that you could rock hop over to. Her and Pamela scaled it. I stayed off to side always one to avoid heights. Leslie figured out that she could stand at one place over this little waterfall and it looked like she was hanging off of a massive cliff. She asked Pamela to take a picture. I think she got one shot off and then Leslie slipped and went into the river, under the waterfall. Pamela and I were screaming. I came running from the side where I'd been looking at rocks, Pamela got down off rock and we both started frantically running up and down the river trying to see her. Then suddenly she popped up, coughing and chocking. Though the river wasn't particularly deep it was deep enough and the force of the waterfall and slipper rocks had kept her trapped under. Somehow she got to the side and we grabbed her and hurried her off to the car. If I remember correctly she ended up wearing flip flops, gym pants and a ratty shirt for the rest of the day. Yes we stayed in Sedona even after that...not wanting to waste any fun time together. Later when she got her film printed that one shot was amazing! I don't know that it was necessarily worth it though. People die in that river all the time. I'm just glad she made it out alive. I'm pretty sure that would have been the most tramatic thing to happen in my life ever had she not...and I realize this is totally selfish but I would have missed out on tons of great memories in the years to follow.

Leslie, Me, Pam

Me and Pam right before the actual event. I don't have the picture of Leslie but I sure wished I had a copy! I'll post more pictures of these girls if I continue to feel reminiscent which I might...I've been listening to a lot of Sarah McLaughlin :)