"Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go..."
Last Friday was my day to go pick up Nicholas after school for an overnight. Donica was on her way back from Amsterdam and we were both dying to have more time with him.
BUT, the slight problem was the pine tree that had fallen across the driveway on Wednesday evening during a thunderstorm...and which I didn't find out about till I went to get the mail late Thursday afternoon.
So, with explicit instructions from Donica to NOT use our chainsaw (since it has some quirks she said I wouldn't be used to), I called and found this man to do his business. Thankfully, I found him early enough in the day to get out of the drive by 1:15p to go pick up the BLB (Big Little Boy).
Day dies in the west fairly early these days, so we had almost 2 hours in the woods before it was too dark. First things first, we always, always, always have to give our friend, at the beginning of the path, some love. "G'ma, I've been loving this tree ever since I was three!"
Then we had our apple snack so we wouldn't spoil supper. He always goes to his favorite perch, time after time, year after year. What a nice vantage point to see the world from his eyes.
And then we were off and running...well, except for all the times we had to stop to tie that blasted shoe! "G'ma, you tie it." But I told him he was closer to the ground! And we finally figured out how to do it just right to make it stay!
There's a river bed that feeds the lake-pond way in the back but, sadly, it's dry as a bone right now. (I think I'll call all the Native American spirits roaming the woods to do a rain dance for us!) But it makes a good place to explore, with some nice, high banks.
Then we (or I should say HE, since he's closer to the ground!) started finding things we've never found on our other visits to the woods! As he started crushing this aerosol can to smithereens, I had visions of gangrene setting in!
Somehow he manages to find the coolest burls! I spelled the difference between "burl" and "burrow" and he told me, "G'ma, that's bur-row," like didn't I know the difference!
This one was still on the tree....
....and was full of sap, he said!
At this point, it started feeling downright creepy! Time to go home, I decided. HA! :)
But not before he found the wintergreen berries. "Look, G'ma! They're right where they were before!" Indeed.
Folks, I don't care how many times we take this wee adventure, it's always new and newly exciting as though we discovered it all for the first time. Isn't that what Life is all about!
