Dog Day Sunday

Text: Hey, would you like to join us sledding?
Answer: Absolutely!

My young neighbors went out to do some sledding. Unfortunately, the adult in me had to stay indoors and fix someone an early lunch. When I got dressed and ran outside, I could hear that the sledding up on the ridge had ended. 
Little kids don't tolerate a lot of sledding like teens do. 

I texted back that sorry I was too late, but they had given me the idea to go sledding anyway.

I grabbed my old plastic sled. Charlie decided to come along for the adventure. What a dog!

The snow was deep enough even with the warm temps that he had to do the Charlie Leap to get through the snow.

We hiked across the ridge cropland out to where there is a gentle slope with no obstacles other than perhaps some long grasses and corn stalks in the contour strips. I picked the waterway that is left as grass in the summer. Linda cut it and baled it the fall so it was a perfect gentle hill.

The first pass was rather disappointing as you have to make a trail before getting a good go at it.

The second was great and I put Charlie in my lap. The ride down the cropland slope lasted at least 30 seconds.
Since the snow is so deep Charlie elected to ride with me and by the 4th trip he didn't even try to jump out.

The walk back to home was nice too. Charlie was worn out from Snow Leaping. When we got inside, he immediately curled up on the couch and went to sleep.

All that fresh air and walking back up the long hill made for a very good night's sleep.

Just do it

I admit it. I am a 10 year old trapped in a 66 year old body. 

It has taken me years to admit that. I'm just a kid at heart. Truly I am.

In public and private I have to be responsible as I am hubby's Fiduciary and his CareGiver. CareGiver with bold letters. I won't bore you with what I have to do for him each day.

However, I have found a few things that allow me to maintain sanity in an insane world where stress seems to be lurking in our lives every moment.

I leave the stupid phone at home or stuff it in a backpack but leave it on Do Not Disturb. Then I wander around the pastures and the woods near by.

Last year about this time, I decided to take a tripod into the woods and dress up and do a forest glamor thing. I wanted to look like a wild gypsy in the forest dancing carefree.

You can see that here: Into the Woods.

This year, I was thinking more along the lines of how much fun we used to have playing in the leaves as kids.

The tripod and camera came with me. The shot above is me walking along a cow trail in my neighbor's pasture where I walk often. 

I'm not so great at doing portraits, especially those of myself. I'm not a model and I am weatherworn. At this point I no longer care.

I want to enjoy myself and feel free which was exactly what happened when I got into the Maple Forest.

I simply tossed leaves into the air and had a good time. No one was there to even hear me laugh.

But man did it feel wonderful.

And no, I did not come home with hordes of wood ticks either.

I came home feeling pleased and smiling. There is just something fun about play.

If you notice that I am wearing two different colored gloves, you are right. I buy a pack of those cheap stretchy ones each year and keep them in my back packs. I often lose one or another and then just grab whatever. No need to match!

Girry's Adventures begin...

I stopped tumbling around and suddenly it was terribly quiet. I could just barely see out the little air hole in the box. All movement had stopped and I was in a plastic bag of some sort, swinging from a mailbox door.

I wondered what would happen next. I had been told that I was being sent to somewhere where I would be loved. I was a bit curious. The night sounds came to me as dusk settled in. Something  walked past me and I heard a snuffling sound. Off in the distance coyotes called.

I wasn’t afraid. I would be loved and I felt safe inside the box even if it was scary outside the box.

Slowly the night turned into the morning. Just after the sun rose I heard footsteps and the jingle of a little bell. I heard a human exclaim something and then the plastic bag was pulled off.

The box was quickly opened as the voice outside the box read the following:

If you can read this,

then you are under the box

or the box is upside down

and the bear inside is

getting a headache.

I heard laughter that sounded very pleasant as the box was opened. “Oh hello there!” the voice said as I was pulled from the box and set on the ground.

The human person scooped me up and we headed towards the forest.

She set me down and stepped back to look at me.

“Well, well,” she said, “Aren’t you a surprise! And you are not a Bear!”

Behind me a huge black dog approached. I froze in place. I mean what could I do? Was the dog going to rip me apart?

The dog spoke. “Hey, I’m Charlie, who are you?”

“I am Girry. Are you the one that is going to love me?”

Charlie winked and said, “Oh heck no! I chew up toys like you!” He looked towards the human and nodded.
“I think She is the one that will love you.”

I looked up at the human with interest. 

“But She is a grown woman!”

Charlie wagged his tail and replied, “Oh that. Well, you will get used to her. At least you will have a lot of friends. And, she will keep me from chewing you to bits and pieces.”

Should I be afraid or happy? I didn’t know. As She picked me up and stuffed me back inside the box I was curious. What had I gotten into?

A dog that would chew me to bits, a human that wasn't a child, and a huge foresty type place that looked amazing and very wild.

Note: I had a very long dry spell after the Morris Stories. When I opened this box and saw this Giraffe from Vermont Teddy Bear Company, I was sideswiped by a story idea in my head. We will see if it pans out or not.

Anyone who knows me well also knows that I love the act of imaginative playing along with combining a story line.

Who knows where this will lead?

Here is Charlie supervising my play time:

Playtime

I have a younger neighbor with 3 children ages 5 and up. On Fridays she started meeting up with other moms and their kids to play an hour of soccer at a playground in town before the kids had to go to soccer practice.

I went last Friday and had a blast running with the kids and I even went to watch the kids do soccer drills after the 'free' play time.

I asked and was invited to come again this week. I'd pulled a muscle during the week but still wanted to go. I'd play to my ability.
There is something very inviting to be able to just go out and play. To me it was more like the games of kickball I'd played as a kid.

Last week we were the only people there. 4 adults and 6 kids. We laughed hard, played hard, and had a wonderful time.

This week something pretty neat happened. The original players were there. Another mom showed up.
Then a girl wandered in slowly and joined the game. Soon another boy stood off to the side and gazed at us on the field. He was asked to join in. From another direction another kid showed up, he joined in.

Two other kids took up places on the playground equipment and watched the adults against the kids and the chaos and laughter that ensued.
Someone in a vehicle stopped for a few minutes to watch also.

Playtime.
Just good ol' playtime. No electronic devices [I had to run to my car and grab my pocket camera so I could take this shot]. Just play.
Imagine that.
Kids and adults from 5 to 62 just playing.