The day started fair, the fog of the last two days stayed wherever fog stays when it’s not holding the cold so close to the earth.  The day started fair with the faint blue tinged with pink as the sun came up above the Cascades.  A perfect day for winter windfall clean up, finishing up with a campfire.  Arm loads of branches, lichen covered and dead, made their way to the edge of the fire pit.  The raspberry canes were waiting, too, along with some prunings a friend dropped off a few days before.  The sun is getting a little higher in the sky, offering warmth as we work on our project.  It’s so nice to slip on a sweatshirt and work gloves instead of winter coat and muffler!  I even tucked a few bright primroses into my porch pots to join the emerging daffodils.  Before we knew it, school was out and the grand~ones came running through the gate and into the back yard, along with some best friends and their sweet mamas.  We added another set of grandparents and said, “Let the party begin!”

The kids ran around the yard, tossing the football, swinging on the tire swing, and climbing the tall evergreen, but it wasn’t long before they were ready to roast a dog. (No, not Sparky!)  There were enough weenie sticks for everyone and soon there were hot dogs sizzling over the red-hot coals.  The outdoor table was laden with ketchup and mustard, potato chips and fresh fruit (to make the moms feel better) and a tower of chocolate cupcakes for dessert.  Dinner around the campfire, three generations sharing food and stories, what a way to wind up January!  Before long the kids were loaded up and heading home for homework and bath time, but we grand parents stayed around the fire as the moon came up above the skeletons of cottonwood and alder.  The radio played songs from the 70’s, we played ‘Name that Tune’ and reminisced about what we were doing when that song came out.  It really is true, we’re always the same age inside.  The four of us were teenagers around a bonfire on the pipeline road…

There’s no getting around the passing of time, and it does seem to be going faster with each passing year, but as long as we can be together and make new memories to tuck in with our old ones, each year just keeps getting richer.

If someday, I get too old to gather windfall branches or to kindle a fire, I hope they bring me to the party, drape a shawl around my shoulders and remind of these days.  They are grand!

Peace~