Down in the Crick

I took the kids down to the crick last night for their weekly bath. Just kidding. But it was bath night.  We have a wet weather creek that feeds our pond, which is dammed with a culvert for the spillover to continue feeding the creek on the other side of the dam. This year it has pretty much been flowing steady with all this RAIN. Now, I have never been one with the water. If I can't see what's in the water with me or my feet, I'm probably not getting in unless forced. Which means for the majority of the creek and the pond, I will never step a foot in. But on the overflow side, it is shallow and clear, with a sandy bottom. So this is where I took the kids to play. (Plus, I can easily look for snakes!) Who needs a swimming pool when you've got your own wade pool?

They had a blast and were having too much fun to look at the camera for pictures. They ran and splashed, made me drink lots of cups of "tea", made sand piles and sand cookies, tried to catch minnows, army crawled, and just generally entertained themselves being kids. This was followed by stripping down on the front porch for a hose down before heading inside to the bath. Levi was already asking to do it again when I tucked him in bed last night. Mom for the win!

Crrrooak!

I have loved frogs as long as I can remember. It probably started with Kermit on Sesame Street, but I have never been afraid of real frogs either. I grew up catching them and trying to keep them as pets - big old warty ones down to the cute little teeny tiny baby ones. I even have a distinct memory of licking one by accident - I had a grape popsicle in one hand and a big old frog in the other and, well, you get the idea. I was probably about 6 or 7 and was terrified I was going to get warts on my tongue. Of course I didn't and even that memory did not diminish my love for all things froggy. So, I still get excited seeing the NUMEROUS frogs all around our property even though they are ridiculously loud down at the pond. This little guy was croaking his loudest on my front porch, but I still have a place in my heart for him.

Now he's moved to the wind chime. I'm amazed at how he got there.

Dewberry Season!

 

I put this picture front and center to really grab your attention and make your mouth water!

I have been so excited and not so patiently awaiting dewberry season this year. I was bound and determined to collect enough to make something from them this year instead of just a couple of handfuls that we ate as we found them. I kept an eye out and mentally mapped everywhere I saw those white blooms and thorny vines every time I walked around the property. And they are finally ready to start picking! I've picked the first round of berries and came away with several cups of them. My hand is scratched to heck and I've got a bit of a sunburn, but I've also got yummy berries to eat! There are plenty more that are still red, almost ripe and ready to go. So far, I have made a cobbler and a pie and the kids and I have eaten handfuls of them. Now I want to collect enough to make jam.

The first sign of the coming berries, the white flowers.

ALL THOSE WHITE FLOWERS!

Macerating my berries, muahahaha.

My cobbler:

Making the pie at 5 in the morning, because what else do you do when you are wide awake at 5 am?

Made it extra pretty:

Although I was sorely tempted to eat this for breakfast, I held off until after dinner!And then I made fresh whipped cream to top it off.