Playing in the Woods

"We need the tonic of wilderness. We can never have enough of nature."

(Henry David Thoreau)

Today we drove almost an hour south of our home to hike in a canyon we'd never spent time in before. 

 It makes me happy that the boys are in their element there, exploring in the woods. 

I loved watching Bruce pick up huge sticks and admiring how handsome he is when you call his name and he looks at you and his ears rotate forward and he looks, all at once, noble and majestic and friendly with those kind eyes of his.

I don't know what it is but Claire has theeeeee cutest little bum and legs right now, and watching her in her new little hiking kicks made me happy. She's getting so big. And she'll tell you: "I'm the baby of the family, but I'm not a baby. That means I'm the youngest."

I loved watching my sister and Claire and Bella and Bruce up ahead on the trail. 

I loved cold river water on my feet.

I loved the beauty of the canyon, the sideways slabs of stone, the mix of trees, the rushing water, the fact that it felt as though we were all alone in it.

That moment with my sister under the falls. 

It was cold, we were laughing, and I love that we grabbed each other's hands. 

I loved a few quiet minutes with Mia, 

talking as we strolled along together.

I loved talking with Christa about the wonder of life--from the incredible detail in a single cell, to how amazing bees are and the intricate order and precision of all natural things--and the witness these things are, to both of us, over and over, of the existence of God.

And no matter where we go, I swear we always come home with more sticks. Cuz...Benji. 

Love these boys.

Insecting

It's rainy out tonight and I could so go for a few more days of this.

It is a blessed breath of fresh air to the heat we've been having (and the fires!).

It's humid, wet, windy, and rainy -- and cooler (hallelujah).

As part of our summer activities, the kids and I have been insecting.

I bought the kids some bug nets and ordered a couple insect books online.

Since then, curiosity (and hunting) have abounded.

We went thru a pretty serious bee stage at the house.  Benji was catching wasps at almost every opportunity.

We would all have to stop what we were doing in the beginning to rush out and aid in the capture of whatever had been sighted.

I thought I may have to encourage the looking and studying at first, but no.

They are all about it.

A few weeks back, we headed into the hills earlier on a Friday afternoon to spend the night at our family's cabin.

We ate taco salad for dinner, and headed off, walking along the road, inspecting lots of ticks in the grasses on the sides.

I loved this: watching these boys with nets over their backs, watching and waiting.

It was quiet with no one else around.

Afterward we made s'mores in the big firepit at the cabin, came in and read Little House in the Big Woods, all cozy together on the sofa, sitting in the low light from one small lantern.

It was perfect.

We've had some really lovely finds.

Isaiah's big, beautiful butterfly from flowers in the backyard.

This large moth from the porch at the cabin, already injured and dying when we found it (hence the damaged wings).

See this dragonfly I stumbled upon during my run the other night?  When I got home, I grabbed my keys, got in the car, and went back to find him.  Also injured and unable to fly, but so stunning.

And here's our collection of crawlies, including this big black beetle (right here in the foreground), found by the cabin:

 I'm signing off to go lay low now, enjoy the cool air and smell of rain.

Hope you are having a lovely July.

My love in Rock Canyon

The other night I took a drive around the city, and I listened to the song Never Saw Blue Like That by Shawn Colvin (click on the link for a listen). It was late, and the darkness seemed to curl around me, making the car feel safe and warm. I pulled into the Rock Canyon parking lot, the mountains looming before me in the darkness. Gazing at the stark, cool stars, I wanted to get out of the car and hike up, up, up. Maybe it was because of the song -- but I felt very nostalgic. I thought about the night hikes that Scott and I took up that canyon when we were getting to know each other. That nervous moment, off the path, when we looked down at the river in the moonlight -- and I think both of us knew it would be the perfect moment to kiss, but we headed back to the path instead. Long conversations up that canyon in the darkness. Using our bums as sleds to fly down the hillside in the snow. Leaving my parka at the first bridge and hiking up higher, only to forget and leave it when we (literally) came running down the canyon to the car to get me home for my date with a different boy at 8:00 that night. Hiking up that canyon on a frosty February 14th, knee deep in snow, where he asked me to be his wife in the serenity of that beautiful place. Gorgeous moon, river thundering below in the quiet dark. I think we were the only two people there. And then, later, pregnant and heading up in the afternoon sunlight when burnt afternoon amber bathes the canyon. In that light, bouldering on the rocks with Scott, he turned and looked at me and told me I was beautiful.

Just being there brought all of this back. It's where we got to know each other, where my perspective was forever changed because of this man that I love. Like the song says, he figuratively made me see blue with a brilliance I'd never seen before.

My heart felt lighter, life was prettier, things were funnier, love was real and thick.

Seems symbolic that it was a canyon where much of it began. Seems the perfect analogy.

Sometimes it's rocky, but as we climb higher and higher, the vastness on either side of us is more breathtaking.

I look at our two beautiful boys. Think about what we've shared together since those early memories. Although this terrain has never been traveled before, and isn't for the faint of heart, it is what I wanted.

The dark stillness reminded me of this.

(And it made me want to hike again.)

I love this man of mine.

Leaf Hunting

Yesterday the boys and I drove up the canyon to gather fall leaves...

...so that I could make this last night to decorate our front door.

Cooler weather, beautiful colors, canning, fresh fall fruit, the garden's harvest, long, pleasant walks in pants with a nice breeze and leaves whistling down the street.

Mmmmmmm...

I love this time of year.