boys' club

Thursday we met up with some fellow homeschooling pals at a playground in Glastonbury, CT (from left to right, Zoo Boy, J, E, and R on the see-saw), where we hung out for awhile so the kids could run, slide, climb, scramble, and jump. It was a warm day, and with local schools being on vacation, the place was mobbed. So eventually we bugged out to a less populated locale.

The place we landed was the Laurel Marsh in Manchester, CT, where we went for a 1 mile +/- hike and exploration along the river and it's adjoining marsh. From l to r, J, Zoo Boy, R, Little J, and E, and in front is Joy, one of our collies. Missing is R2, who actually is probably that blur in the right rear of this photo....it's difficult to catch that child on film, he's usually too busy being a spy. Or a bat. (Does he sound like anyone else you know?!)

E and J traverse the trunk of a funky tree at the marsh's edge. The marsh marigolds and trout lily were in bloom (sorry, Dad, I didn't get any photos, but those marigolds were GORGEOUS!), and it was SUCH a nice day to just be out enjoying nature with a bunch of friends.

Our little band of merry men -- l to r, Little J, Zoo Boy, the elusive R2, R, J, and E, all preparing to throw something in the river. Unfortunately, that something ended up being R2. (Well, he wasn't thrown exactly, it was more of a bump-and-slip, and he didn't end up in the river exactly, more the massive mound of mud alongside of it. Enough to make him wet and messy, though.) He survived. His socks probably didn't.

J and Little J, hand-in-hand (and FAR too cute!), heading down the trail, followed by Joy.

Have I mentioned that it was a nice day? Really, really nice.

Really.