Busy times! We are trying to fit ALL of the fun, cleaning etc into the last few days of vacation. Putting Christmas away for another year.
Our hike on Thursday was great. The waterfall was freezing cold. Sam and Issa climbed up and leaped into the pool again and again until they were shivering and blue-lipped. Max and Khalil searched under rocks for crayfish, because that's what Chas was doing. Chas had taken a pair of goggles with him, and spent most of his time underwater, peering into mossy crevices and weeds. I took a million photos, of ferns, moss, foliage, flowers, and Chas underwater.
The hike back was through torrential rain, and we had forgotten our rain jackets. Like in "the princess and the pea", the rain flowed through our clothes; in at the toes and out at the heels of our shoes; into our backpacks where it made everything HEAVY.
Max kept up a litany of woe, the whole two hour hike back. "There is a TRICKLE going down my back and it's BUGGING me! My shoes are sticking! (takes off tevas) NOW I HAVE TO CARRY THEM!"
"ooh, look Max, a magic stick to help you walk!"
"this stick doesn't work. I can't carry a stick and my shoes. I hate rain. There is mud all the way up to my knees. And rain is getting in my EYES."
I take the shoes. "maybe you should put them back on?"
"I hate Tevas! I need BOOTS for this mud. Even though they would just FILL UP with RAIN! Because rain is DUMB. I hate hiking. And? I am COLD!"
"just think, Max. Soon we will be at Kelly's house and have something warm in our tummies, and dry clothes..."
"Why aren't we there ALREADY! Why did we even come on this dumb hike, if it was going to RAIN!?" (slips on rock) "AAAAAAAAARGH! My FOOT!"
"Would you like your shoes back on?"
"NO!"
(muttering and grumbling as three more inches of rain bucket down)
"I can't even SEE. And I am COMPLETELY wet. And I am hungry. And I hate RAIN. This is not a trail, this is a river. Look! Flowing! River! Muddy!"
"not much farther, now, I bet Chas and those guys are at the car already, honey!"
"and I bet THE CAR will get STUCK!"
Ah. I hadn't thought of that. But thinking back on the road, I figured it would be okay.
"NAH, it will be FINE. Soon we will be warm and dry."
"no, we will be warm and WET because the dry clothes are not in the CAR. We will be wet all the way back to the house. And sticky. There is a leaf stuck to my knee. I hate hiking."
"Well, next time don't come. Nobody tied you up and made you come."
"I want to come, but NO HIKING! I am wet, and cold, and muddy, and this is NOT FUN!"
And so on, and so on...
*****
Sharon and family are back! Their dogs, cats and fishes are all alive and well, thank goodness, and they came over to show us their pictures yesterday afternoon. Lots and lots of snow pictures! They had a blast, but are glad to be home.
And NOW, I am going to make breakfast and mourn the end of Christmas vacation. And! I will print out the useful foliage and flower shots, to put into my "source books": I have two big binders full of magazine clippings, pictures of other artists' work, photos, and so on. If a customer wants "hummingbirds" for example, I just check the bird section of my binder for inspiration and stuff. I also do millions of sketches... At the zoo, in the garden. And I have zillions of pictures and sketches of foliage: palms, leaves of all shapes and colours, to fill up backrounds. It works for me! I am trying to get my head back into WORK. But this year, I would like to branch off a little, and try some other media. I don't know what yet. The possibilities are limitless!!! Beginning on Monday!
Our hike on Thursday was great. The waterfall was freezing cold. Sam and Issa climbed up and leaped into the pool again and again until they were shivering and blue-lipped. Max and Khalil searched under rocks for crayfish, because that's what Chas was doing. Chas had taken a pair of goggles with him, and spent most of his time underwater, peering into mossy crevices and weeds. I took a million photos, of ferns, moss, foliage, flowers, and Chas underwater.
The hike back was through torrential rain, and we had forgotten our rain jackets. Like in "the princess and the pea", the rain flowed through our clothes; in at the toes and out at the heels of our shoes; into our backpacks where it made everything HEAVY.
Max kept up a litany of woe, the whole two hour hike back. "There is a TRICKLE going down my back and it's BUGGING me! My shoes are sticking! (takes off tevas) NOW I HAVE TO CARRY THEM!"
"ooh, look Max, a magic stick to help you walk!"
"this stick doesn't work. I can't carry a stick and my shoes. I hate rain. There is mud all the way up to my knees. And rain is getting in my EYES."
I take the shoes. "maybe you should put them back on?"
"I hate Tevas! I need BOOTS for this mud. Even though they would just FILL UP with RAIN! Because rain is DUMB. I hate hiking. And? I am COLD!"
"just think, Max. Soon we will be at Kelly's house and have something warm in our tummies, and dry clothes..."
"Why aren't we there ALREADY! Why did we even come on this dumb hike, if it was going to RAIN!?" (slips on rock) "AAAAAAAAARGH! My FOOT!"
"Would you like your shoes back on?"
"NO!"
(muttering and grumbling as three more inches of rain bucket down)
"I can't even SEE. And I am COMPLETELY wet. And I am hungry. And I hate RAIN. This is not a trail, this is a river. Look! Flowing! River! Muddy!"
"not much farther, now, I bet Chas and those guys are at the car already, honey!"
"and I bet THE CAR will get STUCK!"
Ah. I hadn't thought of that. But thinking back on the road, I figured it would be okay.
"NAH, it will be FINE. Soon we will be warm and dry."
"no, we will be warm and WET because the dry clothes are not in the CAR. We will be wet all the way back to the house. And sticky. There is a leaf stuck to my knee. I hate hiking."
"Well, next time don't come. Nobody tied you up and made you come."
"I want to come, but NO HIKING! I am wet, and cold, and muddy, and this is NOT FUN!"
And so on, and so on...
*****
Sharon and family are back! Their dogs, cats and fishes are all alive and well, thank goodness, and they came over to show us their pictures yesterday afternoon. Lots and lots of snow pictures! They had a blast, but are glad to be home.
And NOW, I am going to make breakfast and mourn the end of Christmas vacation. And! I will print out the useful foliage and flower shots, to put into my "source books": I have two big binders full of magazine clippings, pictures of other artists' work, photos, and so on. If a customer wants "hummingbirds" for example, I just check the bird section of my binder for inspiration and stuff. I also do millions of sketches... At the zoo, in the garden. And I have zillions of pictures and sketches of foliage: palms, leaves of all shapes and colours, to fill up backrounds. It works for me! I am trying to get my head back into WORK. But this year, I would like to branch off a little, and try some other media. I don't know what yet. The possibilities are limitless!!! Beginning on Monday!
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Max doesn't whine as a rule, but WHEN HE DOES! There is no stopping him till he feels that justice has been done. My mother in law says he will be a great lawyer!