Thirty one

I went out for my sunrise this morning. I didn't actually focus on the sun itself like last year - but in the difference between light and dark, the noises of the world, the bugs and frogs and dewdrops, mist on the lake and being childlike wherever I wished. I stuck toes in the sand, played with the garden hose and the mud. I sat down and watched minnows and frogs smaller than the nail on my pinky finger. It was nice. I discovered a pink gladiolus in our garden that is all by itself in the weeds - and saw the mist on the lake turn three different ways at once as it wandered around the surface. There were two blue herons and a plucky wolf spider that did not want me anywhere near it's mud puddle. The dogs ran about and made a general ruckus breaking the other normal morning noises of birds and faroff roosters and engines on the distant highway.

I came back and slept for a few more hours until Esme was awake - and then we went out for a short walk to the lake with the camera. She really wanted to ride the boat - but Mom said not without the lifejacket, which was at home. She gave me yellow leaves where she found them and collected green nuts. She was unhappy with the watching of frogs... have to go run Mom! I let her play in the sand a little back at the house until we decided what we wanted to do for the day.



Sunlight coming through the trees, filtering and making the thermal air currents dance between light and dark.



We went to Jackson for the afternoon, and visited the craft store and the bookstore. I bought one yard of the Kanji fabric I had made Esme a dress out of last year. I was surprised to see it there again! I found other little things that are hard to find for me here, a good sketchbook, pencils and eraser, an array of cardstock colors to make mosaic pictures out of and a glue pen for that.. etc... Just little odds and ends where we found them - seems to be the theme this year :) Esme got wooden snakes and lizards, a foam airplane toy and new crayons. At the bookstore I bought a harmonica for Esme and a bag game called 'Pairs in Pears' for both of us. It has four different 'font' sets of hard letter tiles like Scrabble in a zip bag that looks like a pear. Esme is excited about it and doesn't ever want me to put it away. Mark got another few books he has been looking for. Then we all got strawberry shakes on the way home :)



Esme has been a fairly good girl at home, except for not wanting to put away new toys at dinnertime. And now she is napping in her room after a full belly of fish and carrots.

Thirty one is nice.
And six more days of vacation is nice, too.