meanwhile...

let's explore our new

surroundings

before anyone wakes up...

a carved out niche

of a yard...

smack-dab in the middle

of some

great big trees...

complete isolation...

nice and a bit unsettling

all in the same breath.

the views from the deck

side and back...

or should I say

south and east?

Our preferred evening location

a place to make s'mores...

eat pistachios...

tell of adventures...

listen to comedians...

warm our toes

(yeah, they needed warming!)

star gaze like it is meant to

be done...

without city or neighborhood

lights.

stumbled upon this

out building

or the beginnings of one...

imagining the story

it could tell...

if only.

a brief blog brag...

we brought that canopy tent along...

just in case.

hubby decided to build it with the boys.

after about a half hour mom

hollers out...

"do you boys need a girl to

show you how it's done?"

apparently, the directions were missing.

my guy was trying to find help online.

the other two boys were

staring off into the distance.

same postures about an hour later.

out walks mom.

"let's treat this like a Survivor immunity task.

look...these parts are numbered...

let's put them in order from least

to greatest.

now let's think about the fact that

there are 3 parts here...

must be the roof.

4 parts here...must be the legs..."

within a half-hour it was finished.

to which my 13 year old takes

me aside to tell me

confidentially,

"what you just did...

i'm gonna say it...

it was bad-ass!"

he insists that they would still be

sitting there trying to

figure it out.

being called bad ass

by a thirteen year old...

priceless!

okay...ahem...

maybe not so brief.

heading back...

maybe they are finally awake

and i can share my findings.

come on...

wake up!

it's time to hit the trails!