Highlights of a Fun-filled Week

When Brianna and Hunter arrived to spend a week

with us, we set out to do all the things we had anticipated.

Lots of games, lots of great food (courtesy of Grandma

Judy), and plenty of time for whatever struck our fancy.

I think we outdid ourselves.  Here are a few glimpses,

and this is only part of the story.

Brianna turned 9 on April 18, but this was OUR chance to add
to the celebration. Yummy ice cream cake!

Granny and Granddaddy gave her twin Hatchables.  I wonder if
this is Twin A or Twin B.  Bri has proven to be a very good and
attentive mother. Of course, they do have an OFF switch.

Hunter always looks cool in his "Tie" T-shirt.  Chipper copied
him by getting a tuxedo shirt.  He hopes to go to the prom (NOT
Hunter).

When Kirby cousins arrived there was great jubilation.  We also
played Roy Rogers.  Ryan likes to let Bri be an extra big sister to him.

Evan is usually Roy Rogers, but it looks like he has turned
into "Bad Roy." And his dragster represents Trigger.

Hunter lifts his hands in surrender, but does he mean it?  You can
see from the shadow that Evan (Roy) got the drop on him.

At some point cowboy suits got a little hot and unwieldy.  Then
they get piled up while the kids play other things.

It was exceedingly hard to get all five grandkids in one picture,
but I did it, and somehow got Judy, too!

Not all cowboys can do stunts like this.

Bri handcuffs a remorseful outlaw Hunter to the thermometer.
How humiliating!

The next day we visited the old property and did some stream
hiking, among other things. Bri braves the deep falls.

Hunter guides these discs downstream with a lacrosse stick.

Bri and Juliette show what "Best Friends" truly means.

Brandi, Juliette, Brianna, and Judy

From top down: Bri, Hunter, and friends Sawyer and Juliette.

Hunter and Sawyer take a sweet tea and chocolate chip cookie break.

We later took a drive through horse country and saw this fine steed.

After dinner, we tried popping some corn in the chiminea. Success!

Hunter pops this batch while Bri captures some thickly falling
holly flowers.

It looked like it was snowing.  Somehow we kept them out
of the popcorn.  I think.

Campfire rule # 1:  Everything tastes better outdoors.

Bri made sure there were no leftovers.

Then the kids donned their glow masks. Pretty fierce, Bri!

Hunter's mask is a pirate.  Then we all strolled through the
neighborhood.  When we got back they played a while longer
in the dark back yard.

No matter how tired the kids were at bedtime, they always felt
like reading a little.  This night, Hunter read ALL TWELVE of
these short fairy tale books.  I wonder what he dreamed about.

Our friendly neighborhood kitty got comfortable with the kids
before the week was over.

Granny and Granddaddy provided a special Saturday night treat
with ice cream and supper at the Ice Cream Parlor in Southern Pines.

When you get brain-freeze in an ice cream shop, some folks like
to go sit outside in the sun.

Our hero and heroine strike dashing -- or at least odd -- poses.

Bri shows the results of a game that was new for us: Rummikub.
Lots of fun and more flexible than Rummy with cards.

The kids decided to construct a tower, and cooperated to complete
a fairly tall structure.

Don't fall!

Tah dah!

Hunter inside his creation.

Likewise for Bri.

I haven't mentioned the hours spent working on jump

rope skills and rhymes.  And plenty of time on bikes.

We watched Davy Crockett and High Feather.

We played Six Cubes, Skunk, Farkle, Muggins,

Don't Wake Daddy, War (with Pinochle cards), and

many more games.  I hope to share some videos soon,

perhaps on Facebook.

It was a great, great week!

Spring Wonders at Weymouth Woods

When a rainy morning turned into a fair and cool afternoon,

Judy and I headed to Weymouth Woods for an hour or so of hiking.

We were sure we'd get exercise, but we saw more natural wonders

than we had bargained for.

We began our hike on the Pine Barrens Trail which follows rolling
hills and valleys through ever-present groves of longleaf pines and
other plants native to the Sandhills.

The darkened trunks are evidence of a controlled burn in the
not-too-distant past.  It's all for the health of the ecosystem.

We were surprised and delighted to see Birdfoot Violet along the
trailside.  We were to see many more along the way.

This is Trailing Arbutus, a late winter/early spring bloomer.
Never had either of us seen it in such abundance as we saw
along these trails today.

I haven't identified this colorful species yet.

This is Cranefly Orchid, a dainty one-leafed plant which also
grows on my SFL Nature Trail.

This is the purple underside of Cranefly Orchid.  Each plant may
produce a single flower later in the season.  Or not!

As you can see, those Cranefly Orchids were not solitary specimens.

This is Wild Ginger, another favorite from the SFL Nature Trail.

Rattlesnake Plantain, whose white blooms resemble a rattler's rattle.

The whole colony of Rattlesnake Plantain

Wild Iris looks similar to the Birdfoot Violet, but their stems and
leaves are easy to distinguish.

Pipsissewa, or Spotted Wintergreen.  This was my "Indian Name"
at Camp Cherokee 45 years ago and will always be a favorite of mine.

The Pine Barrens Trail gave way to the Gum Swamp Trail with
great differences in flora and fauna.

This is James Creek, which bisects the Weymouth Woods Preserve.

The sign for the foot bridge didn't specify if this refers to footwear
or "cottonmouth" moccasins.

This boardwalk allowed for close-up observation of the swamp.

Evidence of deer on the tree

This is not a closeup, but we startled and WERE startled by the
takeoff of a large Sandhill Crane.  Look to the center and to the
right to see it in flight.

I can't see the crane in this picture, but it's there, blending in nicely.
Judy and I watched it for ten minutes or more before starting our
journey back.

Here's video of the crane in his swamp environment.

There's not much motion, but I was able to zoom in

for a good look.  This was a highlight of our walk,

needless to say.

The Sandhill Crane is easily hidden in the tangle of branches and
reeds of this habitat.

Another herb I haven't identified yet.

On our route back to the ranger's station, Judy spotted these
"fiddletops" of Cinammon Ferns. They will soon unfold in splendor.

This was a fitting specimen as our stroll drew to an end,

because it was a reminder of just how many other spring

wonders await.  There will be many more walks and many

more pictures.  I hope you enjoy some Spring walks yourself.