I know that some school across the U.S. have closed up shop already, but Madison's (and surrounding districts') public schools still have one week to go. I remember these last days of the school year well with my two kids -- I couldn't wait for school to be done already. Less stress for the kids -- yes, that. But what I looked forward to most was the plummeting stress levels for me. Done with getting them to school on time. With navigating their after-school extra-curriculars, while maintaining a full time job. Making sure they got enough sleep and enough downtime during the week. Keeping their test anxieties at bay, because nearly all kids have test anxieties and they increase as they move up through the grades. And the homework, often stupid homework! Fitting it in while you attended to all the above plus cooking a family dinner each night... I mean, it was nuts. So I couldn't wait for their vacation!
My grand-kids aren't in that kind of whirlwind. Yet. Nonetheless, Snowdrop has been counting down for a while now. And today marks that crucial point of "just one week left!"
I promised them a treat every day after school this week (as opposed to only when I am so inclined!) and I'm sure they'll hold me to it.
It's a mixed weather bag today: warmish with scattered strong storms. Fine, sounds like a typical early summer day, right?
Still, the cats are antsy. I broke up two near-fights (Ed shakes his head at that -- you dont understand cat dynamics, he'll tell me. I'm not impressed. My dynamics are this: I dont like even innocent cat fights.)
Breakfast, on the porch of course, with two cats who never squabble. Except that today even they take swipes at each other. Must be something in the air.
I coax Ed into a walk in our beloved County Park. Just up the road a couple of miles. In between storms and cloudbursts.
I would call it both a beautiful and horrific walk. Absolutely stunning display of late spring prairie flowers, especially the wild indigo.
(normally, you can't see the Capitol so clearly from the park, but today, against some storm clouds, it really stands out!)
And we do dodge the storms. We spot lovely birds, turtles, ducks...
So what went wrong??
Well, as we entered the woodsy part of the park the mosquitoes attacked. And I mean, really attacked. Our legs were suddenly colonized by little black demons, biting away. And so ends our free spirited hiking here. We wont be back until the bugs go away. That could be as soon as next month, or as late as October. And, too, it means that this wet spring (because it now is officially deemed a very wet spring) will bring mosquitoes to farmette lands as well. The days of weeding without slapping are numbered.
It is to be expected. Still, it was a lovely run without the pests. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll surge and go away. One can hope.
In the afternoon, I stop by my mother's place. Mood and manner? Same. Unhappy with everyone. They're like Trump! -- her repeat refrain. Because I fail to acknowledge the similarity, I am complicit.
And then it's time to pick up Snowdrop on her last Monday as a third grader! Holding onto her own crane...
You promised you'd go under the Arc of Total Wetness today, she tells me. I did? I guess I did. Yesterday, when going under the spray from a hose seemed so unappealing and "tomorrow" seemed far away...
We both go under the Arc of Total Wetness. It's impossible to stay dry if you go under it! -- she tells me. She is correct.
The storms continue into the evening. Nothing that would make me run to the basement, except maybe to check if it's flooded yet, but still, you cannot call it a beautiful weather day. And yet -- so beautiful in so many other ways!
