Revisiting Childhood

I had a wonderful childhood. We moved many times, but lived mostly in rural environs, and I was homeschooled by a nature-loving, creative mother. The result was hours and hours of freedom to explore the countryside, create our own fun, and nurture a wonderful imagination.

There are a few places we lived that stand out as my favorites and last week I spontaneously stopped in to visit one of them. We know the family that lives in the house now, and we were welcomed to explore, so I was able to show my children the things I loved about the property.

After visiting the kittens in the barn (a good farm property always has kittens tucked somewhere), we discovered that the hay was already baled for the season, creating the most wonderful playground you can imagine.

When I was growing up and had friends over, they always loved playing on the hay bales. First, you have to get up a good running speed, and hurtle yourself over the crest of the roll, or else you will slip right down. After a couple tries, the big kids made it up on their own, and the fun began. Jumping from bale to bale is easy, if they are close, and scary, if they are widely placed. Sometimes you fall down into the crack between (where there might be snakes!), and have to place your hands and feet on either side and walk your way up, like kids climbing a doorframe. If you are very brave, and not prone to claustrophobia or panic, you can wriggle on your belly in the space between the rolls from one end to the other. At night, you can lie on your back and look at the stars, feeling the mightiest grace envelop you. 

Holding Finch's hand, hurtling us both from bale to bale, I had as much fun as the children did.

 

If you haven't ever had a willow tree, they are a source of endless childhood fun. Many a childhood prisoner's hands and feet were bound with willow ropes, and guarded with willow whips. I remember feeling utterly lovely with a cirlet of willow on my head. Here Finch is admiring his willow tail.

This property had a creek where we spent endless unsupervised hours. I had a loyal cat that would swim across it to follow me on my adventures, and once we found a hollowed coyote den with babies in the bank. 

We often slept in the tobacco barns, under the richly fragrant, drying crop. In the night the barn would creak and moan with nocturnal creatures and ancient beams. We would clutch each other with terror and delight. Sometimes the fear overcame us and we crossed the pasture, wet with dew, to sleep in the comfort of the house. Other times the terror of the dark pasture was too much and we finally fell asleep in the barn, shivering with fright, only to wake up to a bang in the night.

How wonderful to go for a satisfying prowl around my childhood haunts with my own children, and how wonderful that they were as taken with it as I was.

Comments

[Erika]

What beautiful memories you are making with the kids!

[Omi-Yomi]

And so fun that it was completely spontaneous, unplanned, "happening" upon us as we had more of a "flow" schedule than a spreadsheet schedule. Such wonderful days and nights, every single one. Happy Trails and Happy Homecoming!