The girls were beside themselves with bored energy, and it was almost the time of day that would tamp down on any attempts to stretch our limbs in the wilderness. I was ready to send them outside -- alone -- for a moment's peace, but at my parents' house, there's this to contend with:
The creek. It's gorgeous throughout the seasons: meandering and graceful, rushing and swollen, clear and cool, or humid and still. And it's not deep enough to be very dangerous to our little girls -- my brother and I played in it for years before we were even old enough to have memories of such things -- but, still. It's cold and wet, and those wouldn't have complimented the chilly day very well, had a distracted child toppled into the drink.
The rocks are always the biggest draw at the creek. Is this an Indian rock, mama? Did you see how big that one splashed?! Our luck will never run out, as far as the rocks are concerned. This gravel bar has millions. Billions?
The sun set over the western bank (as per its usual, millennial, routine), and in this watery, chilly light, we unraveled our tensions.
We watched our steps, and our backs: flying rocks, when launched by two-year-olds, can be quite cantankerous.
And -- isn't it amazing? -- the creek didn't even know we were there. The ripples we made and the splashes we scattered (both with meltdowns and skipped rocks)...they were smoothed over instantly, as soon as we let ourselves loose to explore.
Simply amazing.
We just had to abandon the indoors today, too. And it was snowing cats and dogs -- seriously, huge, fluffy flakes that accumulated in the minutes we stood there. But nonetheless we felt so much better after we came back in ... and like your creek, our snowy backyard barely even realized we were there -- the snow almost immediately filled in our prints.
ReplyDeleteThat is a super pretty creek! I'm jealous! And getting outside on grey days is seriously the best way to feel more cheerful.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like the BEST place to play! Wow!
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