picnics with siblings
wet socks, mud, and apple slices
under the willow tree
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you are ready for a great year. There is a sense of optimism at the start of things, I find.
We spent a lot of time outside with our kids, from when they were very, very young. One of our favourite spots to walk and play was along a local path that meandered through forests and wetlands, and around a local creek. It was a hit for many reasons – the right length for a walk, lots of shade for hot summer days, and the babbling brook was the right size for little people. It was also a terrific place for collecting golf balls since upstream was a course and there were hundreds of balls that made their way downstream. All the local kids collected golf balls, and all the parents commented regularly about the bucket of old golf balls in the garage. Others learned to fish in the creek, and one local kid is now a fly fishing guide in Alberta: his life’s passion started near the willow tree.
We would take snacks and drinks, and the kids would climb the willow tree, get wet feet, and enjoy the freedom of outdoor play – play that was full of imagination as well as mud and sticks. We still walk the path regularly (with Quincy the dog since the kids are all adulting now!) and the willow tree and picnic table are still there, as if stuck in time. Sometimes we see young families playing under the tree, eating apple slices, getting soggy, and with smiles all around. It’s a timeless place, and it brings me so much joy to see it still being used.
Simple things are good things, especially when outside.
© Christopher M Buddle 2024
Nature's Reverie 