Life's a Picnic

Our weather has been fabulous the last few days. A respite in the middle of a rainy, gray winter. The boys have been soaking up the sunshine. Why is it that sunshine = picnic? Levi got out the picnic blanket and came in for snacks. He told me they were riding their bikes to {our last name} Park, would I like to come? The sight of their three bikes lined up against the fence made my day.

Shoes were discarded because sunshine also = bare feet. Who cares if it is still cold outside?

This is the life, folks, this is the life.

It's a Rough Neighborhood

Check out the tough gang that came a visitin' in our neck of the woods! Fierce.

We've had many deer (8 or more) hanging out in the yard on a regular basis, but 17 turkeys?! I think I ruffled a few feathers.

The three musketeers branched out on their own. They were much too good for the rest of the gang. Even turkeys have cliques. Clucks? Gobbles? Waddles?

One even tried to intimidate us from the roof top. How many of you can boast of a turkey on your roof?

Something new every day. I can barely handle all the excitement.

Wet

I know that I've shared a few snow pictures lately, mentioned the dusting of snow we received Christmas morning, and showed you the lovely sunshine/sunset on our walk Christmas evening, but I felt like I should be honest about our reality.


Yes, Russ did take the boys to play in the snow on the 26th. They went sledding and had a marvelous time. Yes, we went back to the snow (what was left of it) on the 28th and went sledding (in the rain), but the point I need to make is that we went to the snow.

The reality at our house looks mostly like this:

Wet, gray, muddy, and very messy. The boys don't mind, though. Luke made the 'bridge' above. Levi could spend hours in his 'dam' below.

Even I don't mind tromping though the wet on occasion.
(Levi informed me that this bog (below) is 'his old friend.' They met when we first moved in two years ago, and it is where he first found his tadpoles.)

The problem is that fresh air 'recess' includes mom supervision (since Leif refuses to nap), 3 baths, and an extra load of laundry.

Anyone want to come off-roading? Grin.

Descends the Snow

Out of the bosom of the Air,

Out of the cloud-folds of

her garments shaken,

Over the woodlands brown and bare,

Over the harvest-fields forsaken,

Silent, and soft, and slow

Descends the snow.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Entering 'Narnia':

How long do you think it will be

before Leif follows?

Green Friday

My sister and I are starting a new tradition. Green Friday. A nature hike. Fresh air. Gathering treasures. For eating. For creating a festive home.

We each started out with a bucket or basket. Some gathered. Some played.

This hike is dotted with mossy foundations...all that remain of an old military camp. To Levi, they were castle ruins. He was a knight, Ilex a princess. He secured the strongholds and jousted with his lance/large stick.

I gathered.

The apples were in abundance and so colorful against the autumn backdrop.

Holly did her fair share of gathering, as well.

We ended up back at my sister's home to gather cedar and rose hips...

...While the boys continued to play.

I'm already looking forward to next year...