Blue Mountain

We had a lovely memory-making kind of day yesterday. John and I took Devin, Brent and Shannon with us on our church's annual hike up Blue Mountain. (Mark and Tanya and kids had come to Grandma's for lunch.) The temperature outside was just right for hiking, and the sun was bright and welcoming. Interestingly enough, though, several of the photos have a blue tint to them! Is that the blue effect of the mountain?

Shannon climbing the rocky approach to the top:

Can we take a picture of you?

If we can take a picture of you!

Then Shannon and I took turns taking pictures of each other ----

John and the boys headed down the mountain ahead of us, and we girls had a rather musical walk back! I felt like Psalty the singing song book, as we took turns making up verses to the Happy Wanderer song. We would walk awhile, and suddenly a turn in the path, or some pretty leaves, would suddenly make our hearts want to sing!

"I love to go a-wandering along the mountain track,

And as I go, I love to sing with a knapsack on my back!

Fal-de-ri, fal-de-ra, falderi, faldera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha,

Falderi, faldera, with a knapsack on my back!"

Singing funny verses certainly made the long walk back seem a little shorter!

The roots of this fallen tree was the perfect backdrop for Shannon's next pose!

Almost at the end!

Shannon tried to collect several leaves and twigs and acorn hats and acorns, finally arriving at home with just one acorn which she hopes to plant! Who says fall is the end of the growing season?

And here are the real words to the rest of the song, Shannon- but our verses were just as wonderful!

I love to wander by the stream that dances in the sun, (Do you remember the streams we crossed?)

So joyously it calls me to me, "Come join my happy song!"

High overhead the skylarks wing, they never rest at home;

But just like me, they love to sing, as o'er the world we roam.

I wave my hat to all I meet and they wave back to me,

and blackbirds call so loud and sweet from every green-wood tree.

Oh, may I go a-wandering until the day I die!

Oh, may I always laugh and sing beneath God's blue sky!

Falderi, faldera, falderi, faldera-ha-ha-ha.....

Bedtime Prayer

John worked with Stevin on Monday; it was agreed that after my day in Prescott, I would head over to Stevin and Katrina's for supper, in order to get him home again. (The insurance has been taken off the pick-up.) Well, in due time it was bedtime for the girls: stories, hugs and kisses, but as soon as the lights were out and we adults were back in the living room, Naomi cried out that prayers had been forgotten! So I headed back into the bedroom and asked her which bedtime prayer we needed to say. Her response: "the one with Amen at the end."