OK, we've left Peg trudging through the ice and snow to find those big trees she so much wanted to see, and we've left Cindy and the gang to explore Hetch Hetchy, and we're headed back down the mountain to take in more of the sights in Yosemite Valley.

Patty, Tammy and Bill went in search beauteous site that did not involve walking in lots of snow.

 Waterfalls seemed to be a big draw for all of us.

BOO!  Greg thinks he'll startle Patty into tumbling off a cliff, but Patty will have none of it.

Look!  Up in the sky!  It's a bird!  It's a plane!  No, actually it's a bird.  Not a bald eagle, but very likely a golden eagle.  We think. Maybe.  All we know for sure is that it was a big bird.

It's a beautiful valley and a camera strap.

Tammy and Patty were ready to stop at every scenic overlook to take in the sights.  Every time Bill drove past a sight, they fussed and made him promise to stop the next time we came by.

Bill was happy to promise to comply.

But he drew the line when Tammy insisted on walking across a bridge that had no sidewalk.

Tammy!  You're gonna get your butt run over!

It's a dried-up branch by the side of the road.  This tree looks pretty even when it's dead.

And it looks even prettier when it's alive.

Patty and Tammy inspect the river bank.

Look Bill!  Over there!  It's a big rock!

Bill ignores Patty and rests his camera on his belly.

Bill wonders if Tammy and Patty will ever find enough big rocks.

So he rests on one.  Hey girls, here I am!

They're more interested in mossy rocks.

And really big rocks.

Tammy has been frightened by the big rock monster.

Now we're back in Yosemite Valley. 

And there's wildlife here.  Look everybody!  A wild deer!

This is so exciting!  Patty and Tammy have never been this close to an actual wild deer!

Wait, what's this?  These deer aren't afraid of humans?

Nah, they're fearless, tame Yosemite deer.  What they really want is somebody who'll feed them Pringles.  Tammy snaps pics.

Yosemite Bambi isn't a bit afraid of Tennessee Tammy.

So we're walking through the woods on the way to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls when Bill spots a log that has fallen across a stream.  "Golly," he thinks to himself, "when I was here in 1963 that's exactly the sort of thing 16-year-old me would have scampered across."  Just then the heavens parted, a light shown down, and Bill heard a voice from above speaking directly to his innermost longings. It was the angel Tammy:

"Bill, I'll pay you $20 to walk across that log."

"Bwaaaahahahahahahahahaha," chuckled Bill evilly to himself.  "Oh Br'er Bear, please don't throw me into that briar patch!"

View from the log.

And here is Lower Yosemite Falls.

And here are Tammy and Lower Yosemite Falls.

And here are Patty and Lower Yosemite Falls.

And here are Bill and Lower Yosemite Falls.

And here are ... ah, you know ...

Patty was fascinated by trees that grew on rocks.

She was also fascinated by this van that promised the freedom to sleep around.  I dunno ... somebody explain this if you can.

Just then the phone rang and it was time to head back to the Tuolumne Grove trail head to pick up Peg.