Hiking, waterfalls and mountains definitely count for Green Speak Monday. I observed nature, went to a national park and interacted with the earth, even if it didn't always play nice. On our Sunday Funday adventure, we traveled down the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is America's favorite drive, and ended up at the Crabtree Falls.

We enter the Blue Ridge Parkway and curve our way through beautiful countryside. So green. So treey. So narrow.

Along the way were plenty of places to stop and see the view. So we did.

After the scenic drive, we edge down the slope and get our national park parking permit. Just three dollars for the day of hiking and photo taking. A deal.

I am not quite a hiker or even in the let's-climb-1.7-miles-up-along-the-tallest-waterfall-this-side-of-the-Mississippi shape. Luckily, the crowd coming down assured me I could make it. If a three-year-old girl who is partially crying survived, I couldn't do much worse.

Along the way, we stopped to let me catch my breath and take some photos. Probably more photo stop than breath stops, so that was good.

Most of the way to the top, you could hear the water trickling down the rocky surface.

Wish I knew more about flowers, but I don't. So enjoy the prettiness.

We decided these would probably harm you. Inside the weird red pods burst forth orange, bright orange, berries.

Every once and a while a crazy orange mushrooms sprouted along the trail.

Back to the pretty scenes.

We continued to trek up to the top. It was obvious that most people didn't reach the top because the nature around you engulfed all the sound. The whole way though, I could be heard saying, "Stay on the trail. The sign says so. If you go off you will slip and die. That is what the sign says." I was exaggerating. That is what the sign said.

This sign greets visitors at the start of the trail.

Then, all along the trail, these yellow signs litter the side paths they want you to stay away from.

All the danger signs and my warnings didn't stop Cole, though. He would go explore the scene every time. Me, I said no, until one time that looked safe enough. I was wrong. Cole has his back turned on me for one second and bang. I slip and smash my knee into a pointy rock. I don't need a tourniquent or anything that severe. It just hurts, bruises and bleeds. But onward we must go.

Scene of the knee crime. Nature and I had some bad moments on this hike.

Finally, we make it to the top! You can see so far. It was worth the climb, sore knee and all.

View from the top of the falls.

Cole likes adventures.

I as a little freaked out by bugs right before my photo. Weird things were landing on me. Just me. Of course.

These two little guys even freaked me out a little.

Enjoy the rest of the photos from our excursion. Thank you nature for being so great, even to the non-hiker. And try not to laugh too hard and me and my boo-boo. (The definition of boo-boo is pretty right on target for explaining my injury.)

So much pain.

Okay, not really. :)