back in time

On our 1500 mile road trip to the woods of northern Wisconsin, we spent four wonderful days with David's parents at the family's remote 125 year old log cabin, which is complete with water pump and outhouse. Days were spent cooking, hiking, and enjoying nature, trees, rocks, grass, earth, old buildings, dirt roads, wind, and absolute silence.


We saw plenty of wildlife, of which we kept a running tally, and were lucky to have had the camera ready at just the right moment on a few occasions. We saw 20 deer, nine hawks, six bald eagles, five ravens, two coyotes, two golden eagles, two whiskey jacks, and one blue heron, not to mention tracks and scat of all sorts, including deer, porcupine, canine, and even bear! 


The kids had ample opportunity for all the activities that we constantly wish there was more time for back home, including archery, kite flying, whip cracking, rock collecting, bird watching, and hiking. Days were both action-packed and relaxing, depending on the moment. The sun played a constant game of peek-a-boo most of the time we were there, but the air was fresh and the wind was strong. My favorite part? The scent of wild leeks as we stepped through the organic rubble of the forest floor. The sunbeams and stark blue sky occasionally peeking through the clouds. The cabin in its clearing. 

a day on the town

The whole family was together for a wonderful day, which we decided to spend out on the town. The sun was shining and the weather was perfect for walking and wandering and looking, so we spent a good couple hours outdoors.

We wandered in and out of a few shops and stopped in a cafe. In one little shop, we came across some crazy finds, which the girls heartily tested out right away. Evelyn found this crazy bejeweled feather ring.

Think that's good? Check out Esme's gawdy green flower ring! And the headband sets it off perfectly.

We also went into a woodshop where David picked out several different woods to work with on upcoming projects. He found walnut, a couple types of rosewood, yellow heart, sycamore, and red heart. Most of these blanks will become hand-turned handles for whips.

So what makes for a perfect day out? Being together with my sweet ones. Laughing about the little things. Hugs. Warming cups of yum. Sweet smells and dabs of whipped cream. Colors. And charms. Dirt, evergreens, and long sidewalks. Fashions and finds. The sun and the smiles.

unplugged... and plugging into the family

This month, I have been focusing much of my time on family life. We have done everything together, from visiting the amusement park, the beach, to traveling to Wisconsin to enjoy the company of family there, thrifting and stopping in local restaurants and specialty shops, from re-purposing much of our living space to re-purposing our time to focus more on things that matter most to us.

I have had a good solid 10 days off work, during which we took a four-day vacation, reorganized (and scrubbed down) the kitchen to make it an eat-in space, re-purposed the dining room to hold all of our paints and family art and craft supplies, and built movable displays for David's artwork. I am tired from all the hard work and long days, but encouraged by the progress we have made and the time we have spent together.

There are several things that I really wanted to get done during my time off that will have to wait, but I am happy with how everything has turned out so far. The house is beautiful and comfortable, and is in good shape for moving our lives back indoors as summer comes to a close.

a day at the farm

Much of the way we measure and talk about the passage of time with our little ones is by seasons--it seems so much more tangible to them than calendar months and years. They are fully aware of how humid it feels, or how the tomatoes are turning red on the vine, or how the evenings offer a wonderful cool relief from the hot, long days. It does not matter that July is over and August is nearly upon us or that school is in session again soon.

One beautiful summer day when the sun was not quite so hot, Evelyn, Esme and I took some time to visit Learning Tree Farm, which is a lovely educational, fully functional farm run by volunteers. We met all sorts of creatures, from the barn cats to chickens, from donkeys to ponies, sheep, and goats. We observed the vegetables, nearly ready to be picked, the sweet scent of the flowers, the tang of the herbs and spices on the air. There is nothing quite like the sound, smell, and fell of life at the farm.

 

 

 

There are very few outings (for me, anyway) that are easy with the two girls and just one adult. The zoo, the woods, and the farm--those are easy, and fun, and wonderful. The hardest part is always the leaving. No one ever wants to leave.