Out walking in the new neighborhood last week after schoolwork was done, we found a path:
A path like this is just begging to be followed. So, we did. And running along next to this path we found this:
A little creek like this is just begging to be played in. So, we did.
And after playing a while, we walked along the path near the water’s edge some more and eventually came to a place where there used to be some sort of old stone wall that might have been a dam or something that had eroded away and left all sorts of really great waterfalls, and really cool large stone slabs resting at interesting tilts. And walking further up and further along, we found more evidence of old stone walls long since fallen.
And we stopped there for a while and just admired the whole desolate decay of it all. The quiet mystery. The sound of the water trickling over the slabs. The barest first hint of spring green here and there among the ubiquitous thorny brambles.
Eventually, we continued up the path, and it opened (fabulously) onto this
incredible expanse of tall trees. So quiet. So captivating. So
perfect a place to play any kind of game involving a prince, a damsel, a smattering of bad guys, plus a couple thousand horses and at least one unicorn. And a part of me just couldn’t wait until they were old enough to read the Lord of the Rings, the Mists of Avalon, the Chronicles of Narnia. (Well, we listen to Narnia on CD, but it’s not the same until you’ve actually read the words yourself, in my opinion.) Because if there was ever a place where certain scenes from classic fiction need to be re-enacted, THIS is it.
And even if they never play those games here in this little grove, we’ll at least have a place to go to splash around and catch sight of a bird or two. Name some plants and trees. Draw some pictures. Learn to be quiet enough so the deer don’t startle. We’ll come as often as we can. Every day, if possible. We homeschool. So it’s possible.
Because every childhood deserves a creek.
Wow, what an amazing find! I would for sure go there every day. So not only am I jealous that there is no snow in those pictures (2 feet here), but that you have such a magical place nearby. The picture with the kids looking into the creek holding the riding horse is such a perfect childhood moment. It should be a poster.
Wonderful pictures!!
And yeah. I didn’t have a creek, I had a ditch. A deep one. Frogs, water skippers.. loved it.
What an adventure..this brings back so many memories!! There was a “creek” by my grandpa’s house. I’d wander down there for hours following the cow paths. I love the discovery of the open expanse of trees.
Wishing you many more adventures there!
I just love old stone walls, and ruins in general.
Just think what it will look like come late-spring/early-summer.
What are the trees, by the way?
I waded in the creek at my grandma’s house in the 1950’s. One time I was horrified, when I stepped out, to find leeches attached to my lower legs.
There’s no creek on our 43 acres, but there’s a spring and lots of brush and trees. I still enjoy such places. I guess I just never grew up.
So true! I feel like I spent my whole childhood wading through streams and creeks, and judging from all the comments here, so did everyone else. What a lucky find for you & your girls, and great blogging inspiration.
Loved your poem in the last post, too!
Looks like the very perfect spot to unload a picnic basket onto a freah quilt and read Wind in the Willows.
Such a beautiful find!
Lovely. Thank you for the pictures. Makes me feel like I can breathe!
xo
RegSis
That looks like quite the find! When I was young I named places in my neighborhood, like Anne did in Anne of Green Gables. I had “Gloomy Gravel” for a neglected gravel pit in an abandoned lot, and “The Witchy Strip” was a line of blackberry bushes against the interstate that I loved to go pick.
I wish I’d had your spot - I would have loved it.
Sara, what a great idea to name everything. And yes, we too had a creek to wander by for a few years growing up. Although it was more like a small river than a creek.
I’m hoping to get lots of great photos back there this summer.
Oh, I suppose we’ll picnic at least once, but picnics for us never seem all that idyllic. Usually, my 4-year-old makes me pack the entire pantry just so she can sit there NOT EATING ANY OF IT and then complain that the one thing we didn’t bring isn’t there, and that’s all she wants to eat. Of course. Or she’ll eat a few bites of the yoguert and then wander off to play, and then cry when she comes back for it two hours later because I threw it out and she wasn’t done with it. And those ants crawling around on it wouldn’t have bothered her at all. Hell, in some countries, that’s a delicacy.
Ah, picnics. Makes me think I should take the kids on one just so I can write a blog post about it.
We have a creek (or “crick” if you’re like my husband) that’s just “across the road and down the way” a bit. Every season except winter (and sometimes then too), they beg and beg every day to go. When we do go, we wade and build little dams and waste away the afternoon. Sometimes they play while I spread a blanket and read, or just watch them, or take pictures or whatever. Unfortunately, it’s also a great hangout for yellowjackets, and my body reacts badly to yellowjackets, as I found out one fall when a sting made my entire hand and wrist swell to the point I could no longer move it. Ever since, I’ve been a bit reluctant to return to the creek. Thanks for showing me sometimes the risks are worth the reward.
We love creeks. It is THE essence of childhood. Circles of life water flowing forward, sometimes there are rapids, or places of still pools, sometimes there are dams, places of shallow and of depth…
What great pictures! You’re right — every kid should get to go exploring like that. How great that it’s right outside your door! I’m new to your blog and hope to visit back again soon. Happy Weekend!
I am jealous. We don’t have any creeks by us. It sounds like you had an amazing day.
Welcome, Urban Mom. Glad to see you here. Chrissy, sorry to hear there’s no creek near you. But consider the possibility of digging a small one in your yard yourself. My older daughter spent a summer afternoon working on that a couple years back. Good fun.