shifting gears - the walk that unlocked summer

The last week of school is always a whirlwind-tests, conferences, picnics, parties, and endless forms to fill out. The children's anticipation builds.

Okay, we're ready – bring on summer!

After hosting an end of year party and a trip to the springs things started to wind down. We are not a family that will fill the entire summer with a string of camps. Each child has a couple activities, but I think it's important (and economical) to be able to switch gears and spend some time off of a full schedule for a while.

Well, there we were on that first day with nothing going on. Everyone was stewing in their juices. If I had some sort of app that could count how many times the word “Mommy” was called out I'm sure my high scores would have unlocked the “She/He won't leave me alone” level. Ugggg...

They were having trouble switching gears.


“Get your shoes on.” I said, “We're going on a walk.”


There was a storm brewing at the tip of the mountain, but being poured on was a small price to pay to break-up the funk.


I ignored complaints for the first five minutes. As we listed to the creek rush under the bridge our eyes cleared and our ears seamed to shift on our heads, like a fox or a pony, picking up the subtle sounds that escaped us before. Summer greeted us – not carnivals, airplanes, boardwalks and diving boards (those are great by the way) but the summer of the countryside that you can get lost in 'till you're called for dinner.

A stream to dip your toes in

a roadside lined with daylilies

A storm passing

sun breaking through

wild berries

 

a jar with quartz, tadpoles and snails

ending the day perfectly dirty