Whew! I am still catching my breath from this last weekend, which saw me and my bestie doing our first ever vintage market/ junk show together- the first of any kind of exhibiting of my crafty goods I have ever done at all. I will have photos and a full report (I learned so much) soon, but first, I wanted to share with you, oh bloglanders, a really beautiful day my kiddos and I spent together last week; our one last summer hurrah.
I am never particularly enthusiastic about summer's arrival. Fall is my season of choice by far. But there is something magically enticing about that in-between time of year...when the days call for a steaming cup of tea and a sweater in the mornings, but strawberries and bare feet by afternoon.
We had let the smoke from the forest fires keep us indoors for several days, and I just couldn't take it anymore. We needed to get out and I kept thinking of this little spot by Lolo Creek, where the water is slow and clear and the trees on the banks are thick, blocking out the sounds and sights of the rest of the world.
There was a little smoke in the air, but we pretended it was a campfire smell and forged ahead.
The signs of autumn filled the forest: fat grey squirrels noisily warning us away from their winter stores, dried wildflower seed pods still on their stems, and leaves, half-turned, half- green landing in the water and floating away. But the day was also much warmer than we had expected it to be, and the water was not to be resisted. When rolling up pant legs and hiking up skirts proved to be insufficient, the kids simply took off the bottom half of their clothes and splashed in the water and squished in the mud in their shirts and undies to their hearts' content. And my heart's content.
I never cease to be amazed by my children's natural inclination to explore the world around them and learn from what they observe. The lessons I plan for these outings are almost always set aside and replaced by their own discoveries. And nature never fails to provide. On this day, it was caterpillars that captured our curiosity. We saw several kinds, but mostly, the creek banks were swarming with these little guys:
I am never particularly enthusiastic about summer's arrival. Fall is my season of choice by far. But there is something magically enticing about that in-between time of year...when the days call for a steaming cup of tea and a sweater in the mornings, but strawberries and bare feet by afternoon.
We had let the smoke from the forest fires keep us indoors for several days, and I just couldn't take it anymore. We needed to get out and I kept thinking of this little spot by Lolo Creek, where the water is slow and clear and the trees on the banks are thick, blocking out the sounds and sights of the rest of the world.
There was a little smoke in the air, but we pretended it was a campfire smell and forged ahead.
The signs of autumn filled the forest: fat grey squirrels noisily warning us away from their winter stores, dried wildflower seed pods still on their stems, and leaves, half-turned, half- green landing in the water and floating away. But the day was also much warmer than we had expected it to be, and the water was not to be resisted. When rolling up pant legs and hiking up skirts proved to be insufficient, the kids simply took off the bottom half of their clothes and splashed in the water and squished in the mud in their shirts and undies to their hearts' content. And my heart's content.
I never cease to be amazed by my children's natural inclination to explore the world around them and learn from what they observe. The lessons I plan for these outings are almost always set aside and replaced by their own discoveries. And nature never fails to provide. On this day, it was caterpillars that captured our curiosity. We saw several kinds, but mostly, the creek banks were swarming with these little guys:
Which we discovered, to our amazement, can swim! Really, this is not a photo of a caterpillar drowning. We watched this little guy willfully work his way down the muddy bank and into the water, then propel himself out into the current with side-to-side motions, turning his body into a letter C in first one direction, then the other, again and again. The discovery has since sent us on a caterpillar information hunt and we're planning our own caterpillar house, so we can watch the metamorphosis at home.
The mornings this week have turned beyond cup-of-tea and sweater cold, and I find that I am increasingly glad that we took that day last week to bid summer farewell. Even though I never regret the coming of fall, the memories of summertime call out to me...
xo
I adore your pictures, they're beautiful! I had no idea that caterpillars could swim either!! That looks like an incredible place, you'll have to show me how to find it some time. Excited to hear how the show went, the setup sure looked awesome!
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