Dear Lake,

We've been a part for a while, and I've missed you. 
Thanks for welcoming us back like an old pal.  

It only takes a couple of minutes of gazing at you
to feel some restoration.   

Painting rocks next to you brings out our creativity,

and makes us feel like Renoir.

Paddling along on top of you is my idea of good times. 

And the girls?  Well, ya know they love ya too.

Thanks for being patient with them.

They are trying to fill you up, 

one rock at a time. 

I don't think you mind one bit.

Someday soon I am going to kayak on you.  That's a promise. 

Gratefully yours,

Your old buddy

An Island of Wild Horses

While in Ocean City, we fell in love.

We ventured out to a nearby wildlife preserve
and fell in love with Assateague Island.  

How could you not?

This an island where wild horses roam

among marshes, egrets, seagulls and ospreys. 

Where little girls learn to see beauty in nature. 

Not through books,

but through

hearing the sound of crabs clicking on a wooden boardwalk,

through wading into the cold water,

and exploring trails that meander through wetlands and sand dunes.

It is an island with a perfect, pristine beach. 

Untouched by hotels and restaurants. 

It is beach perfection.

Family bliss.

How many can say that they have seen wild horses?
We left in awe. 
Blessed.

Determined to never again visit the OC 
without a day spent on Assateague Island.  
And kayaking there?

Added to the bucket list, friends. 

We shall not cease from exploration.

And at the end of our exploring

will be to arrive where we started

and to know the place for the first time.

~ T.S. Eliot

Part of the Silence

On day two after the big snow of 2011, we were still completely iced in.  Roads in our neighborhood were a giant sheet of ice with no signs of relief from a plow or salt truck.  No complaining here though. 
Cabin fever?  Not a chance.  No work, no school, no meetings, no errands=times to savor. 

While we were out enjoying some snowy fun, we decided that the birds and squirrels must be having a hard time finding groceries.  Always up for a little nature study, I jumped at the chance to talk about animals during this cold season.  We have been reading a book about birds, so S was concerned. Not wanting to end it with talk, we decided to help our little
 feathered friends out.
 

Using old hamburger buns, cheap peanut butter and birdseed, we made DIY bird feeders. 

The girls loved spreading the PB and sprinkling on some bird seed.

After punching holes and adding raffia, we crunched our way through the snow to the woods behind our home.  Sophia hand picked places to hang each feeder. 

We admired how pretty each little feeder looked,

and sat back waiting to catch some birds or squirrels munching on all this homemade fast food. 

Although no animals partook while we watched, we had a feeling that they were nearby watching and sniffing.

Before going in, we decided that a little under deck swinging was in order.  (Not a good pic, but the face was priceless.  She was NOT a fan just a few months ago!)

Today we went back out and spent some more time watching for birds.  We sat very still and once again took in the beauty of the shimmering blanket of icy snow on the floor of the woods.  We were thrilled to see a few birds nibbling way. 

"In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence." ~Robert Lynd

Frosty?  No worries.  He is still smiling like the perfect ice ball that he is. 

Gnome Home....or Elf Gazebo

Deck Garden Pot Property For Sale:

Potential Gnome Home or Elf Gazebo

This post inspired us to create a little magical garden pot of fun. So, with the weather being gorgeous, a new deck to green-ify, and momma feeling crafty, this was the perfect weekend project. The fairy land at "and everything nice" is MUCH more fabulous, but we had so much fun making ours. The peanut helped by doing a bit of the gazebo painting (and now rearranges the rock path regularly). We couldn't find an adorable white house, but we did find a little gazebo. Not sure who/what will come to inhibit this. An elf or a gnome? Maybe a fairy?
It will be fun to wait and see.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~John Muir

Sidewalk Paint

We finally tried the sidewalk paint that we have seen on multiple blogs lately (not sure who gets credit). The recipe is just one part corn starch to one part water with food coloring added. It made easy and fun paint.

Our little artist didn't spend too much time on this. She was too distracted by the swing, but her mama painted for a long time! It dried really brightly, and rinsed away easily. We'll do this again soon. We'll make lots more in many different colors.