creek

When we bought the property, the creek was frozen over, and from the property survey, we weren't entirely certain that it would belong to us. We never realized that the pretty little body of water that passed along the north side of the house would become the center of four worlds. For the first few years that we lived here, we enjoyed the creek - my toddler children loved to visit with parents in tow, picking up stones or chasing frogs during summer, when the creek sank down to manageable levels. We enjoyed listening to its music through the open windows at night. We watched the birds…

Dr. Free-Ride: So, you went on a field trip today to a lagoon. Younger offspring: Yeah, I went to [Name redacted] Creek and [Name redacted] Lagoon. Dr. Free-Ride: You know, I'm going to redact the names to protect your privacy. Tell me what you saw on your field trip that was interesting. Younger offspring: I saw a lot of things on the field trip. Some I didn't know what they were called. I saw caterpillars, dandelions, cattails, and I have in my pocket some cattail leaves and some tules. Dr. Free-Ride: So you do. Younger offspring: (consulting notes made during the field trip in a…