Three Boys and a Branch

Beautiful crisp and dry autumn weather has been ours all weekend.  What better way to pass the time then, than outside in said beautiful weather.  All our men were working at one thing or another, Caroline was working too so on Saturday afternoon Victoria and I took our three boys and three dogs off up to Watergrove.

For a change we attacked the circular walk clockwise as opposed to anti-clockwise.  Peculiar what a difference that made.  A good difference though, it made the walk feel like somewhere new.  Strange I know, but true.

The boys ran, climbed, slipped, shouted, hunted for woodchopper phantoms and trolls, carried sticks, threw stones…

..rested (briefly) and generally had a whale of a time.

Glorious autumn colours.

This picture makes me smile.  George is digging with a stick for goodness knows what, Nicholas whipped a mask our of his pocket and put it on and Charlie looks like he’s in pain of some kind!   (He wasn’t Caroline, honest).

Now we come to the branch bit.

Find a branch, as you do.  The bigger the better, naturally.  Carry it high overhead.

Navigate through the stiles with it.

Cross the cobbled road.  Where are they taking it?  And why?!

I wonder what was going through their minds? 

I think I know where the branch is going to end up now.

At least they didn’t ask to bring it home with them!  All good fun.

Charlie taking a breather.  See the gun in his left hand.  Charlie is rarely without a gun or a sword.

Nicholas looking very happy about something.

George was the only one with wellies on and got to go in the water and squelch through gallons of mud.

Harley loves to swim.  The little dogs don’t go in if they can help it. 

We’re nearly back at the car park now.  They could go through the gate at this point – but no, they’d rather risk a broken ankle…

..and do it the hard way across the cattle grid! 

Times like this with my family are precious to me and I treasure them.  These three noisy, boisterous, cheeky, loveable, huggable, little boys won’t be this little forever and that’s why blogging is so worthwhile.  It helps to keep these memories alive for me and for them.

Kathleen.