Thundering Water

Despite torrential rains which threatened to discourage us from our intention of a long drive into New York State to see the well known Niagara Falls, we persevered. With rain falling heavily, we could see a vehicle only if it was a few yards in front of us. Through the back window we had slightly more visibility and could see the foggy paleness of the headlights of the cars behind us. I think we were all straining our eyes in order to see what was so difficult to see in the dim light created by the downpour. Construction, several lanes closed, and lots of orange signs certainly did not help. Finally we found a place to exit and pull into a McDonalds, where we could wait and breathe a little. It probably was another 20 minutes before the storm seemed to have partially passed. We were trying to decide whether to go forward or drive back and skip the endeavor. Kristi decided to be brave and continue onwards. If we ran into such bad weather again, we would turn back and go home. Thankfully we had already gone through the worst. There were still several places where it started raining so that it was difficult to see, but there were also places where the clouds withheld their droplets.

The salty fishy smell of the sea was my first impression as we neared the falls. Bouncing along the road in our small 5-seater vehicle, we were anticipating our excitement when we would finally get our first glimpse of the famous location. I had a variety of thoughts and feelings as we neared our exit off the highway. My eyes scanned the surroundings eagerly for any glimpse of the falls, I also tried to watch for signs of direction so that we could find our way as quickly as possible. With the previous experience of such low visibility from rain, I was trying to help by being the third pair of active eyes. Thankfully when we exited and searched for parking, the rain had died down to mere clouds and humidity. Excited, the five of us piled out of the car slightly cramped, but thrilled to be so close. After asking for directions several times, we hurried towards the viewing location. Mom was forced to walk slower due to shooting pain in her leg from a pinched sciatic nerve. The clouds seemed to grumble as they collected above. They did not look all that hopeful, yet we prayed that God would scatter the storm and grant us blue skies. We discussed our hopes and plans for the afternoon as we waited for the crosswalk light to change. A lady tending an outdoor stand commented, "If you're going to do anything you should do it right away. You have about fifteen minutes, but a big storm is coming your way with the potential of flash flood warnings." Thanking her, we now had even more reason to hurry.

 

I immediately was impressed with my first glimpse of the Niagara falls. I couldn't help but marvel at Gods beautiful workmanship. Water cascaded over the cliff with a roar like contemplative thunder. But I was surprised that the falls weren't the only eye drawing feature. I was astounded by the cliff walls surrounding the waterfalls. And the foggy shapes of the Canadian buildings were well crafted and admirable. The large quantity of water thrown off the falls created a mist like thin curtain pulled in front of the distant buildings.

After viewing the American Falls for a few minutes, we returned to our car and drove to Goat Island which is located between the two major portions of the Niagara Falls. The other side of the falls was even more gorgeous, I thought. I could see more of the falls and we were about to walk very close to the pouring water. Busy taking pictures, trying to capture the breathtaking view, I had to consciously stop myself in order to stop and simply breathe in the beauty without trying to capture it all on my small electronic gadget. It is sometimes difficult to pause long enough to truly enjoy a moment, especially if I am trying to capture it with pictures and videos for posterity. I did manage to put my camera down and simply enjoy the sights for a few minutes, however.

 

 As we stood taking pictures and commenting on interesting portions of the falls, storm clouds began marching towards us. I was so enthralled by the waterfall itself that I had hardly even glanced at the sky behind us.

 

"Oo." Mom commented as she noted the dark clouds crawling steadily towards us. "Looks like it's going to rain." I ran down to the viewing location near the water's edge to grab some close up pictures. Then I took a moment or two to simply watch the powerful movement of the water as it ferociously sped off the edge of the cliff where part of it blew off into the atmosphere to create a mist of moisture, while the rest plunged into a free-fall down to the swirling rapids below.

 

The dark clouds continued to gather. We were determined to stay as long we could before the impending downpour. I felt a sense almost like we were racing the storm. We got to enjoy the falls for probably about 15 minutes before I felt water drops on my head. Then the wind picked up. I felt a thrill as the storm threatened to break loose. We remained a few more minutes and I could hear the clouds rumbling with thunder. I couldn't help but smile in the face of the storm with a surge of excitement. With final shots of the gorgeous waterfall, the clouds finally made up their minds to release their storehouse of moisture. Immediately we tried to stow our cameras in a dry place as quickly as possible. With umbrellas and jackets we made a dash up the hill to the restaurant Top of the Falls. Mom generously treated us to drinks and dessert, which we thoroughly enjoyed while still able to view part of waterfalls. Once we finished, we returned to our car for a much less eventful drive home. Although the clouds maintained a pouting attitude during the first hour and released a little bit of rain, the sky cleared for part of our drive. It was nice to see sunshine for the first time that day.

 

I'm so thankful to finally have gotten to see the Niagara Falls. It was truly a testimony of God's incredible creation. As His child, my response is that of being impressed by His magnificence.