What a day! Stunningly warm and beautiful in the most unexpected places. I'll offer you few words, but very many photos. To make things easier, I've split things into three chapters:
I Morning with Snowdrop
You'll remember that the little girl was with us for the night. She wakes up at her normal time -- around 7. Except that our clocks are pushed back, so it's really 6.
That's okay, I'm ready for it. And she is my willing partner in the routines of the early day.Want to go out with me and open the chicken coop? Yes!
In the last weeks, as she asks me to read one of her favorite books about weather (I know -- kids have such singular tastes!), I have had a hard time explaining to her what fog is. Today, I have my chance, as the morning horizons are touched by wisps of heavy mist. Put on your jacket, Snowdrop, we're going to look at fog!
She's surprised. Probably she doesn't fully appreciate the concept. Things feel wet and unwelcoming to her. She is happy to get back to the farmhouse.
After a long warm bath, she is raring to go. Breakfast with gaga and ahah? Yeah! Pancakes!
Love that maple syrup!
(But she also tastes and loves my oatmeal with fruit and honey.)
After breakfast -- morning play. With trains. With trucks. With characters.
Do you want to go outside now?
Yes!
We go to the front yard, where we have the prettiest golden maple leaves. I'm thinking she'll enjoy playing in them.
She does!
The cheepers come down to see what we're up to.
The air is getting warmer by the minute. It's an exhilarating time to be outside!
Snowdrop loves walking through my front flower bed. There are a few blooms left -- I let her pick whatever she wants. In mid November, you quit worrying about preserving flowers.
Lavender!
Nasturtium!
Gaura (aka whirling butterflies)!
Hydrangea!
And now it's time for me to take her home.
II Paddling
Ed has been proposing a kayak run for us for quite a while. Recently, he discovered a paddling trail that is about as close to home as you can get: the idea is to load the truck with kayaks and bikes, drop off the bikes at lake Waubesa and then take the kayaks to the put in point at one of the streams that feeds the lake. The total paddling time is estimated at about 4 hours, but we run into some snafus!
At first -- narrow, but navigable.
But then, the stream goes underground! We have to get out and walk our kayaks through muddy marshy land. Okay, we manage! We persevere!
And here comes my least favorite part: paddling underneath the superhighway. It's long. It's dark. It's shallow. We cannot paddle. We have to use our hands to push away against the highway underbelly. You have to do it -- it's not as if you can turn back...
Phew! Done!
The stream then becomes quite pleasant.
Very pleasant indeed...
Until we come across a total blockade of fallen logs.
We struggle here. At one point, I get out to move some timbers (I'm more nimble at getting in and out of a kayak in tricky situations). Ed heaves. We push our boats.
Success! We continue.
Finally, Lake Waubesa. Are we almost there Ed? (My arm muscles are feeling the workout!)
A couple more hours and we're at the place where we left our bikes.
III Sunday Dinner
We are home just in time for me to begin dinner preparations. It's Sunday and so the young family is here for our evening meal. Snowdrop is terrifically excited! And I am too!
The dinner ends. Ed settles in to watch an evening talk show. Snowdrop loves to keep him company.
Day is done. Yes, fuller than full. In the best of ways.
I Morning with Snowdrop
You'll remember that the little girl was with us for the night. She wakes up at her normal time -- around 7. Except that our clocks are pushed back, so it's really 6.
That's okay, I'm ready for it. And she is my willing partner in the routines of the early day.Want to go out with me and open the chicken coop? Yes!
In the last weeks, as she asks me to read one of her favorite books about weather (I know -- kids have such singular tastes!), I have had a hard time explaining to her what fog is. Today, I have my chance, as the morning horizons are touched by wisps of heavy mist. Put on your jacket, Snowdrop, we're going to look at fog!
She's surprised. Probably she doesn't fully appreciate the concept. Things feel wet and unwelcoming to her. She is happy to get back to the farmhouse.
After a long warm bath, she is raring to go. Breakfast with gaga and ahah? Yeah! Pancakes!
Love that maple syrup!
(But she also tastes and loves my oatmeal with fruit and honey.)
After breakfast -- morning play. With trains. With trucks. With characters.
Do you want to go outside now?
Yes!
We go to the front yard, where we have the prettiest golden maple leaves. I'm thinking she'll enjoy playing in them.
She does!
The cheepers come down to see what we're up to.
The air is getting warmer by the minute. It's an exhilarating time to be outside!
Snowdrop loves walking through my front flower bed. There are a few blooms left -- I let her pick whatever she wants. In mid November, you quit worrying about preserving flowers.
Lavender!
Nasturtium!
Gaura (aka whirling butterflies)!
Hydrangea!
And now it's time for me to take her home.
II Paddling
Ed has been proposing a kayak run for us for quite a while. Recently, he discovered a paddling trail that is about as close to home as you can get: the idea is to load the truck with kayaks and bikes, drop off the bikes at lake Waubesa and then take the kayaks to the put in point at one of the streams that feeds the lake. The total paddling time is estimated at about 4 hours, but we run into some snafus!
At first -- narrow, but navigable.
But then, the stream goes underground! We have to get out and walk our kayaks through muddy marshy land. Okay, we manage! We persevere!
And here comes my least favorite part: paddling underneath the superhighway. It's long. It's dark. It's shallow. We cannot paddle. We have to use our hands to push away against the highway underbelly. You have to do it -- it's not as if you can turn back...
Phew! Done!
The stream then becomes quite pleasant.
Very pleasant indeed...
Until we come across a total blockade of fallen logs.
We struggle here. At one point, I get out to move some timbers (I'm more nimble at getting in and out of a kayak in tricky situations). Ed heaves. We push our boats.
Success! We continue.
Finally, Lake Waubesa. Are we almost there Ed? (My arm muscles are feeling the workout!)
A couple more hours and we're at the place where we left our bikes.
III Sunday Dinner
We are home just in time for me to begin dinner preparations. It's Sunday and so the young family is here for our evening meal. Snowdrop is terrifically excited! And I am too!
The dinner ends. Ed settles in to watch an evening talk show. Snowdrop loves to keep him company.
Day is done. Yes, fuller than full. In the best of ways.
That tunnel under the highway gives me the chills. I can barely make myself look at the photo. NO WAY I could have paddled through it. You are braver than me! (The rest looked beautiful though.)
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