It was great. Both of my super-duper awesome kids, the woods, and a beautiful day. We conquered the calf-burning start of the trail and then got to the good stuff, with one kid sprinting ahead and the other one looking for bugs and forest cucumbers (I think you will know who is who). There were just enough teaberries to go around and plenty of opportunity for sprinting. Little one started talking about her dreams and also nightmares, which she claims to have every night, and then she said, "the worst one of all is when the vampire tries to eat Scooby-Dooby-Doo," which made everyone crack up. That is just the coolest, that the worst bad dream ever has a cartoon dog in it. I think everyone had a good time floating under the canopy of the green tunnel and talking about future hikes. We ended up at a great AT shelter with flowers, it really has flowers! As noted above the mountain laurel is also almost in bloom. It was a perfect day, 5.2 miles of loveliness.
So far this month has been crazy, full of people falling ill and people falling out of trees. I'm pretty freaked out. What if I don't get the chance to work on my bucket list, or even to make a bucket list? I have started to worry about the house burning down when we are at work. I have figured out that our young lady L will not always be little, although it makes me very happy to see her effortless wonder and joy. She reminds me to be silly. ...that it is ok to run around the house like a madwoman with a baby blanket around your shoulders like a cape ... that sometimes you are supposed to name tadpoles Lily, Rose, and Lily Rose. At bedtime she still wants a story and a snuggle, and when she falls asleep holding my hand it makes me want to cry with sweetness.
I didn't mean for this post to be about the kid, but that's where it ended up. I guess I am taking from this the the idea of paying attention to what is in front of you, every day, even the smallest things. Maybe especially the smallest things.