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Neither Wind Nor Cold…

December 12, 2010

We woke up Sunday Morning to the wind blowing like crazy and the temperature’s high only reaching the 50-degree mark, but we still wanted to go on a hike. We knew it was too cold for a long walk, so we decided to go to Martin Dies Jr. State Park and walk the small Island Trail. This trail had a couple of bridges taking us across the water, which is always a highlight on a hike.

Stewart bought me a new camera because my old one was starting to show signs of unreliability. I had the new camera in tow, and he had the older one, so he could get some pictures of me with the family. The kids also brought their little cameras and apparently took up mom’s bad habit of trying to document everything in pictures. So we ended up with a bunch of pictures of us, taking pictures of each other, but we had a good time doing it.

Adam picked up a Sweet-Gum ball. I said, “A porcupine egg!!” He didn’t fall for it. It was much more fun when they were little to pick on them; now they are just too smart. Austin wore his compass ring, but we soon figured out it was not all that accurate. Good thing I carry the map of the park “religiously” since the Kirby hike.

Adam shot up the first tree that looked good to climb for his photo-op. Stewart took a picture of me taking a picture of Adam with his foot stuck in the tree. It was all fun and games climbing that tree until he got stuck, then the panic flashed on his face for a brief minute, but big brother saved him and helped him dismount the tree onto his shoulders.

Anna, not to be outdone by her little brother, tried swinging from a fallen tree, but her dismount was not as graceful. Thankfully, nothing was hurt but her pride.

Stewart and I joked with each other, taking each other’s pictures, but that got old fast.

It was very soothing standing on the shores of the lake, letting the wind blow against my face.

Austin lopped on me; he is a very loving young man, but I think at that point he was just trying to stay warm.

Anna hopped on the bench and danced down the “runway” for a little while. She is such a beautiful free spirit when it is just us if others are around, she is very shy.

Anna did this crazy little walk. I am not sure what she was playing, but I am certain it all made sense in her mind, and she thought she was quite funny, so did I. (No, Austin was not going to whack me with his walking stick; he was just propping it on his shoulder.)

Stewart hid behind a tree to sneak and take a picture of me. I told him, “OK, now you’re just being creepy! I feel like I am being stalked.”

We made it out to the point of the island, and we took advantage of the windbreak these two big oak trees were providing. Adam took some pictures of Anna hunkered down in the nook that the roots created. She was saying, “Brrrrr!”

Adam was doing his best to look innocent, but Mom knew the mischief that lay within that little boy.

Anna was disappointed that the vine was not good for swinging. I am sure she doesn’t want to fall again.

Adam saw that people had carved their names into the bench, so he bounded over and “sat” on all of them. All around the bench, he plopped his rear, “squashing” all of the people. Only in the mind of Adam did that make a good game, but it provided me with a good laugh. Once he was done “squashing” them with his rear, he got up on the bench and stomped on the names, until his sister thought that was boring and wanted to play “Queen of the bench” and gave Adam a hearty shove.

It was quite beautiful out there. The trees were brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows. Spanish moss blew wistfully through the tree tops. The sun’s rays broke through the branches and danced playfully on the lake. We just stood and took it all in. Thanking our creator for all the awesome things he gave us for our pleasure, things in nature that have not changed for thousands of years, simply because GOD is unchanging.

We found a tree that must have been blown down when Hurricane Rita came through the area. All the kids had to take a turn at walking up it. Adam made it the farthest and had to show off with his “surfer dude” stance, but on his way down, he slipped and fell. Like his sister, only his pride felt the pain.

Anna didn’t make it very far at all. I believe she was a little less ambitious than the boys.

Austin thought if little brother could do it, then surely so could he. But he did not make it too far when his hiking stick slipped out of his hand, and he froze and let out a little “Ahhh!” I am sure he was thinking, “Now what?” Sister took no time at all to steal his stick from where it landed on the ground, so Austin gave up and got down to go get it back.

My kids find some of the silliest ways to entertain themselves, but I would not have it any other way. They have vivid imaginations.

Adam finds a pit left by the roots of a blown-over tree, and immediately it turns into a foxhole, and he has his “rocket launcher” locked and loaded. (Maybe I should cut down on the History lessons about the wars.)

A “Bark” cell phone (wonder if that would sell) … and from the looks of it, he must have been bored with the conversation.

Anna rode her “horse”; I assume she was stopping the “horse” at this point.

I am not sure what to think about my silly kids sometimes.

Adam is always having himself a great time, whether he was wearing moss for hair, surfing fallen trees, rocking it out of tree stumps, or putting “ear covers” on to help stay warm, in his words, “I have to cover as much as I can, it’s COLD!” He is Adam, party of one!

Anna found a hollowed-out tree and announces,” I could make a boat out of this!” I believe she was remembering the Heritage Village trip because there was a boat that was carved out of a tree trunk there.

Austin was not nearly as animated as the little ones; he takes his hikes seriously. The scientist comes out in him when we are in the woods, not the comic.

We got to the end of the Island Trail, and I was cold and tired and ready to go, but the kids begged me to just walk up the big bridge before we go, so alas, I gave in. The wind was even more fierce out in the open.

Austin gazed out across the water, counting the cranes along the far shore.

Anna leaned way over the rail to look into the water below. I reminded her that if she fell in, there are alligators in this park. She stopped leaning so far.

One last picture of him taking a picture of me. The wind used my hair to disguise me well.

~Becky~

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