Autumn Whimsy
Today I had this great idea to go to the wildlife refuge--where we haven't gone since spring--and pick pecans (pick them up off the ground, that is). It was a cool fall day, rain is coming in tomorrow, and it seemed like the perfect whimisical outing with a good dose of nature and solitude. Will wanted to wear his Grumpy tail, so I tied it on for him, and then he grabbed his raccoon hat before we left, becoming a coon-cat--which seemed to fit in just fine with nature time.
Then we got there and there was a big fat school bus and screaming kids running amok. And three other people snatching up all the pecans. And a little girl and her overbearing parents plus professional photographer trying to take her pictures with a giant "2" sign, looking exasperated if we got in their background. And then we went on the trails to escape it all (it took a while; Will kept wanting to join the school groups) and Will became super whiny and wouldn't do anything I asked and demanded snacks and wouldn't share them with me, and then I saw what I think is poison ivy and started getting paranoid.
But we can pretend there was whimsy.
Ok, finding a snail was a genuine highlight. He watched it for a looooong time.
And then fed it leaves.
On a weird note, I suddenly saw kid-me in this picture:
And last, I snapped a picture (while driving, whoops) of my favorite bridge in Shreveport, because I heard rumors that they might be replacing it soon. Actually it's only my second favorite, as my first favorite is a train bridge with steampunk gears that I really should go out and photograph, but I can't drive over that one.
Big ol' rusted hunk of metal, why do I love you so? It fills me with nrrr happiness every time I drive over it. Even more on sunny days as I climb up the hill and explode into the blue sky against those green trees and light filtering through the rusty beams, and the river view I couldn't catch in this image, but really, every time I drive over it, my mood lifts. Inexplicable, especially when I should be worrying more about the thing collapsing and plunging me into the alligatory depths of the Red.
Then we got there and there was a big fat school bus and screaming kids running amok. And three other people snatching up all the pecans. And a little girl and her overbearing parents plus professional photographer trying to take her pictures with a giant "2" sign, looking exasperated if we got in their background. And then we went on the trails to escape it all (it took a while; Will kept wanting to join the school groups) and Will became super whiny and wouldn't do anything I asked and demanded snacks and wouldn't share them with me, and then I saw what I think is poison ivy and started getting paranoid.
But we can pretend there was whimsy.
Ok, finding a snail was a genuine highlight. He watched it for a looooong time.
And then fed it leaves.
On a weird note, I suddenly saw kid-me in this picture:
And last, I snapped a picture (while driving, whoops) of my favorite bridge in Shreveport, because I heard rumors that they might be replacing it soon. Actually it's only my second favorite, as my first favorite is a train bridge with steampunk gears that I really should go out and photograph, but I can't drive over that one.
Big ol' rusted hunk of metal, why do I love you so? It fills me with nrrr happiness every time I drive over it. Even more on sunny days as I climb up the hill and explode into the blue sky against those green trees and light filtering through the rusty beams, and the river view I couldn't catch in this image, but really, every time I drive over it, my mood lifts. Inexplicable, especially when I should be worrying more about the thing collapsing and plunging me into the alligatory depths of the Red.