The Melcher Family Spring Break: Day Two

[windinthemaples]

We woke up late, broke fasts with pizza and breadstick leftovers, and loaded into the car for a trip to the Grassy Waters Preserve. It seems outrageous that just a mile or so from our house is twenty square miles of (relatively) untouched wetlands, alligators and all. Graeme was sad to see that the "park" I'd promised him had no playground equipment. I think he thought it a betrayal. He eventually perked up when I dug around in my backpack for his toddler camera and spent the next hour or more running ahead of us on the boardwalk and taking photos of insects and ferns and his blue velcro sneakers.



It was hot and sunny and beautiful. We saw lizards and swimming snakes, giant fuzzy bees and papery wasp nests, water-striding cypress trees, tiny silver fish and even a silently stalking alligator. We watched in shock as a group, led by an official guide, stepped off the boardwalk in their shiny white tennis shoes, walking through the swamp with only some nervous giggles and walking sticks, knee deep in the murky muck and tannin-brown water.

It was so beautiful and so alien.

At a certain point, we were too overheated to enjoy it anymore. We got back into the car, bought sandwiches at Jimmy John's, and then picked up Daniel at the airport. Here at home, Daniel took the kids swimming at our pool while I talked to Rhiannon on the phone and nursed my sunburns in the cool of our darkened bedroom. We had gnocchi and salad for dinner and have been playing games all evening long. Such fun! :)

















Tomorrow, Daniel works for awhile and tries to get our car's airbag system fixed at the dealership. (eep?) We'll stick around home, maybe walk to one of the neighborhood parks, and then pick up Daniel's mom at the airport in the afternoon. :)

Comments

[willow-cabin.livejournal.com]

Wow, it looks so pretty there. :)

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

It is! The crazy thing is that we just discovered it a few weeks ago. It is down the road from the entrance to our housing development here--at most a mile away. Who knew?? It is the source of our city's drinking water.

[kehleyr.livejournal.com]

Oh cool to have such a place nearby :-D.

[neva-butterfly.livejournal.com]

So beautiful! Maybe you need a different word for parks without playgrounds...

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I know! I totally slipped up on that one talking to Sequoia about it in Graeme's hearing. (Little pitchers and all that...;) )

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

These are SO beautiful!!! Oh goodness, wow. :) Thank you so much for sharing these, Rachel~ <3333

I hope your sunburn is a wee bit better!!