Spring Break with...

the granddaughters to a cabin at Natural Bridge for two nights.

We hiked to Whittleton Arch, Rock Bridge, our favorite Frog Pond, Natural Bridge. Roughly over 5 miles in all.

We saw…
…wild flowers - wild geranium, wild ginger, red and white trillium, chick weed, bishop’s cap, bellwort, solomon’s seal, the beginnings of the pink lady slippers, wood betony, foam flowers, a tiny maiden hair fern, may apple (not the flower just yet), dwarf iris, jack-in-the-pulpits, violets, columbine all in full bloom.

… wild life (besides the kids) – frog eggs, tadpoles, salamanders,(found a great bargain on a little fish net that we used at the frog pond – probably terrorizing nature at its finest) a tiny snake, butterflies, turtles, life in the streams, a crawdad or two, flying squirrels, all kinds of insects, a jumping spider.

We heard…
….thunder in the evening as a number of storms rolled through the valley Tuesday.

…grandpa’s lessons on rocks, trees, flowers, water, and did I mention rocks?!

…grandpa’s motto: “You can learn something new every day, if you pay attention.”

….”Have they worn you out yet” spoken by a man on the trail when Autumn announced that we were her grandparents. We weren’t sure if he was talking to us or to the kids.

…”Thanks for bringing us here.” Spoken at the Frog Pond.

...”Here again next spring break? I don’t think so. We’re too tired. “ Spoken by Destiny at the end of the second day.

…”You alright Grandma?” Spoken by Deasia many times. I tried to convince her that I enjoy bringing up the rear, more time to take it all in.

The girls were a delight. Even after Deasia fell in to the stream and came up soaking wet she handled it well. Hiking in wet clothes cannot be fun. But she dried off and kept up the pace.

Maybe Destiny along with Autumn and Deasia will only remember the fun times and not how tired they were and they’ll be ready for another trip next Spring Break. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa will be too.