mermaids and moss

crawdad hunting

On the drive home we stopped at this gorgeous playground at the foot of two enormous mountains with dramatic rock faces towering above, nicknamed the ox and the fox. The landscape in West Virginia really is spectacular. We soaked our toes in the Potomac and caught crawdads. I'm so glad the kids are getting to experience crawdad hunting... it was one of my favorite early memories from growing up in Missouri. My old house was in the suburbs, but still surrounded by forests and streams and lakes at the end of each street in nearly every direction. We also had huge boulders scattered through our yard covered in fossils that were fun to climb on.

whirlwind weekend

We escaped for a whirlwind weekend to visit my brother and his family in West Virginia. I think I've mentioned before that he lives on a farm on top of mountain. It's an amazingly beautiful spot to explore. Unfortunately, this weekend was extremely hot with heat too overwhelming to do much hiking. And also, due to the mild winter, the mouse and rodent population multiplied, and so, the ticks have multiplied, too. They love the mouse host and from there move up to the larger animals including us. So that was a real turn off. We'd never had this tick problem before and we've spent a lot time running through those hay fields. I covered myself and my daughter in bug repellent which seemed to help, but the other half of the family refused, also refusing to go on walks. 

We spent one night in a tent in my brother's "front yard". It was lovely to fall asleep to the sound of crickets and frogs and watch the sliver of a moon through the tent window. The temperature was perfect after dark, but required a sleeping bag in the early morning. My husband and I woke to the sound of high-pitched snorting and snuffling in the night, I think it was a deer... glad he left us alone, but it sure got the heart racing.

To cool off a bit, we did visit a nearby "swimming hole". It was a magnificent spot surrounded by high cliffs and forests with nice boulders to sit on. The kids had fun swimming with their cousins and searching for crawdads.

I went for a sunset walk with my brother through the hay fields and to the top of the property. The clouds were immense. The hay is ready to harvest and he'll probably start next weekend. We visited the cows though I've kind of developed a fear of cows. They're big!

I convinced the family to go for a short morning walk to the lower hayfield. We spotted one deer bounding through the hay, I'm suspecting it was our visitor from the night before.

Many tiny grasshoppers and other critters were discovered...

Oh! And if you have a chance, please visit Little Homestead in the Desert to see an interview about Mermaids and Moss. Thank you, Kathryn, for offering me this opportunity to work with you... it was lots of fun.

mermaids and picnics on the beach

We haven't been going on many picnics this year. The past few springs and summers we usually managed to picnic alone or with friends at least once a week, but my husband's job is very demanding and he has been working many long hours. It stinks. I need my picnics! 

We did squeeze in a sunset picnic a couple weekends ago when we were at the beach. And it was fantastic. I highly recommend it. Just order some pizza, grab a blanket and go!

a deserted beach

little tribe

We met up with friends with children on this trip. It was so much fun to watch this little tribe of kids explore the beach. They got along so well and really enjoyed each others company. They had amazing amounts of open space to run free and concoct little stories and projects and plans.

Shells were gathered and I continued my heart project...

The first mermaid's purse of many were found...

And at sunset we relaxed in our cozy hotel room admiring the fantastic view...

weekend wanderings

We escaped the city for a few days and took off for a beachy weekend. We decided to take advantage of the low rates and squeeze in some beach time before the summer crowds. We had fantastic weather... so glad it didn't rain... and so much warmer than when we last went to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in February.

We stopped at our favorite rest stop in Cambridge, Maryland. It's best to visit early in the morning before the big afternoon crowds and the heat.

The kids love to stretch their legs and run around collecting shells and sand and small objects found at the water's edge. We pass so many parks on the way out to Chincoteague Island, next time we'll have to try exploring a new spot. If you're familiar with the area, do you have any favorite rest stops?

After a few hours of driving, we finally made it to our destination and we were fortunate enough to see the wild ponies! Yay, Assateague Island!

garden wanderings

This post is dedicated to Anna. Thank you for the countless adventures in the woods, the love and appreciation of nature, the outdoor skills, stream stomping, encouraging my art and giving me the map project, your patience, your many words of wisdom and your beautiful self. I'll always keep you in my heart.

a tea party

A mother from my daughter's class hosted the sweetest mother/daughter tea party over the weekend. We dressed up in fancy dresses and shoes, and she brought her favorite doll and new camera [and I brought only two more cameras, just a little bit nerdy, maybe].

There was a trampoline...

Beautiful gardens...

Crafts with friends...

... and toads! 

It was a magical afternoon... sipping champagne, as dozens of little princesses traipsed through the woods and the gardens, jumping, running, spinning and catching enormous toads. So much fun.

{ this moment }

[inspired by SouleMama]

in the trees

Buttercup meadow is in bloom, a new favorite climbing tree has been discovered [and it conveniently arches up and then back down to the ground, so that I don't have convince a certain three-year-old to not climb too high], and vanilla ice cream with pink sprinkles is the new favorite [neon is in again, you know].

And on a side note, here's a bit of funny news: the photo below was showcased on a popular instagram stream [ instagood ] as the photo of the day. Not only did my followers multiply at an alarming rate, but this tree shot was loved by more than 6700 viewers all over the world. Pretty wacky.