Monday, June 23, 2008

There is beauty all around...

Another beautiful summer afternoon in America's Dairyland. We went Sunday afternoon for a walk at the state park. I was really struck by how much this place reminds me of home. As I walked through the summer woods the scent of the flora took me back to my youth. I love the smell of dank forest. It always reminds me of a certain spot where we would go swimming when I was pretty little. We had to walk to the river through the woods. I don't remember there being a trail so the smell was especially strong as the grasses and brush were crushed under our feet. I am always transported there when I smell low summer forest and the excitement of the approach to the swimming spot swells within me again, manifested now in nostalgic contentedness.





Julia fashioned a knapsack out of her jacket and a stick so that she would be properly outfitted to sing The Happy Wanderer.



Notice the hay in her mouth. She started slow and grumpy, due to gravel in her shoes, but once she hit her stride she did great.

This is what we see all around, all the time. Rolling hills covered with prairie grasses and dotted with farms, and trees in all the low spots.



Unfortunately, at the end of the evening as I was busy in the kitchen, a tick fell off me. I checked the kids over and found a tick on Julia's head, one in Renie's ear, and one on Devon's head. We will be much more vigilent about checking for them going forward.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

wow! You are always leaving me in awe with your stories or photos of that place! Every time the thought actually creeps into my head saying "ohh-I want to live there! Its so pretty!" but,...theres that cold freezing winter thing, so I really must visit you just for the experience. You guys are so close to Nauvoo too. I mean, closer then me. Anyhow. I love these photos! I have been looking for a place here just like that first photo to photograph my playfully prissy dresses. You need to get some great photographs of your girls in flowing long white (nightgown like)cotton dresses there! That would be so pretty!

Longhurst Family said...

Wow! It is so pretty. Lucky. Everything here is brown as usual with the drought.
Love,
cl

Suburban Correspondent said...

Beautiful! Well, except the ticks, of course...

Did you grow up in that area?

teri said...

wow...that's a lot of ticks!!