Sand Castles

 

I saw this on the beach late in the afternoon and, to my surprise, it was still there the next morning, our last in Florida.  No one in my family builds sand castles anymore -- all the more reason to wait hopefully for grandchildren.

My kids used to spend entire afternoons creating elaborate castles in the sand -- always so close to the water, though, that they would be washed away at high tide a few hours later.  I think that some of the most pleasant afternoons in existence are spent relaxing and talking with a friend as young children work on their outdoor projects.  My friend, the author of Journey to China, has just written about an acrobat show that her group attended last month in China, which reminded me of one that we saw with our children years ago.  Our boys then spent several days out on the porch, stacking up everything they could get their hands on so they could climb on top, where they expected to be able to balance plates.  Thankfully, no broken arms.

Another friend has just returned from a camping trip with her boys.  We did that a few times when ours were small, too.  Everything was so exciting -- frogs, salamanders, roasting marshmellows, swimming in lakes.  Eevn a short Saturday afternoon walk in the woods was an oppotunity for fort building, with energetic children running arouind collecting sticks and small logs while parents relaxed on logs too large to be carted away.

I really miss those times.  Older teenagers are asleep most of the time that adults are awake, awake when we're asleep, and frustrated or cyncial for a large percentage of the short time we're functioning in common.  Even when they are content, they seldom experience the delight in the world around them that they felt as children.

Walked: 4 miles.