Chimney Bluffs

I thought my friend and I were going thrift store shopping when I got out of work last Wednesday. I met him in a plaza and hopped in his car with a cigarette dangling from my mouth. He started driving in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"Oh, you'll see," he laughed.

My friend has a record of being crazy...literally. This is the same kid that once swallowed an entire bottle of aderol just to know what it felt like to be Lindsay Lohan. He once stood with his toes over a local waterfall until an ambulance was called and he was taken away. I shouldn't have trusted him but I was feeling adventurous. We drove for what seemed forever until I saw a dead end ahead.

"Is that water?" I asked.

"It's Lake Ontario, baby!"

I peeled my legs off his leather seats and stepped out of the car into the 90 degrees and humidity so thick you could see it blanket over the water. I had never been out this far before and had no idea why he brought me here, but I followed him down a trail to the lake. I was wearing a rather short sun dress and platform flip flops. There were quite a few times where he had to actually carry me down so I wouldn't break an ankle. We made it down safely and started walking along the water.

"This is beautiful!" I exclaimed while heading to dip my toes in the water.

"Oh, Money, wait till you look up behind us!" (Yes, he calls me "Money")

It was amazing. Those steep cliffs along the lake are called Chimney Bluffs. I found out later that they lose three to five feet a year due to erosion. I tried climbing up one from lake side (yes, in my dress and platforms) and realized how fragile they were when rocks and dirt just kept sliding me down.

"Money! Let's go around and climb to the top!"

I eagerly agreed. There are a few wood trails that bring you to the top of the bluffs, although it's not recommended to get so close to the end as we did, but hey...you only live once (until you plummet to your death). We began our hike and I learned that my neck can sweat profusely if it's literally hotter than hell outside and you're hiking up a bluff.

We climbed up to the top and looked out to the lake. Stunning. I couldn't believe that I had never heard of this place before, it was just so beautiful. It didn't feel like I was in Rochester, NY.

After standing on the very edge of the bluffs and taking in all the scenery I started to think how easily it would be to fall.

"Did you bring me here to kill me?" I asked my loving, but yet unstable friend.
"No, I wouldn't kill you here."

So we took pictures. These are just from his phone. Luckily I had my mom's old camera from the 70's with me, I can't wait to develop the film!

We decided to drive back into town to grab clothes to go swimming. The water was perfect but I was a little afraid of going in the deep end after seeing Piranha 3D. My friend pretended he was drowning a few times and I lazed about, letting the current gently drift me as I looked up at the bluffs.

"What's wrong with you?" I yelled at him as people looked on as he pretended he couldn't swim.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!" He screamed while gurgling water and splashing his arms.

I ignored him and went under for a dip to cool off. As I poked my head out of the water something hit my face. I wiped the water from my eyes and saw a pair of shorts floating next to me. I immediately looked at my friend who was all smiles.

"Are these your shorts?!"

"Oh yeah! WOO!" he yelled and did a handstand in the water...completely naked.

I love my friends.