Friday DC Public Schools did not have school
which made Thursday a little more like Friday
freeing us up for some unconventional post school activity
Thrusday arrived with spring in all of its splendor
when I left off to pick up the boys I brought two bags
a bag packed with snacks and water
and
a bag filled with a variety of sporting options including a football, frisbee, and soccer ball
the days prior we had gone to the public park around the corner from the kids' school
although I knew there would be a pull in this direction
I was going to fight it
the day seemed too special to give into more of the same
I arrived at the boy's school with a bag slung over each shoulder
knowing that I may have to tell the troops what we were doing rather than trying to rally the troops in the direction I would like to go
the younger kids come out the door earlier than the older boys
young Grant came out the door with his neighbor and friend with the notion that they were headed to the park down the block
my refusal was met by objection
which meant that all my future suggestions could be rejected as well
with Grant already agitated by me I focused on Dean and Dean's peers
as I moved around from parent to parent I started to find that other families had already scripted "playdates"
so I scrambled to find someone from Dean's grade to join us on the hike
all the while knowing the boys have fun with other boys
certainly more fun than they would have with their lame old dad
I asked a few of the waiting parents then moved to the exiting children
I was able to enlist a boy name Kaleb on our hiking adventure just before another child invited him over to his house
some exchange with Kaleb's mom about our aim to hit the Billy Goat Trail and we were off!
in the car and out the of the city I drove
the boys were amped
my boys were acting like total spazzes with the new recruit in on our mission
at Old Angler's Inn I was pleased to see how few cars were in the lots
on the old service road I moved at a brisk pace and worked to have the three boys maintain the same pace
as we got closer to Great Falls I started to get excited
some older hikers came my way and I asked them if they had come off The Billy Goat Trail
to my displeasure they told me that the Billy Goat Trail was closed
BUMMER!
sure enough
after the bridge over the C&O I saw a sign
I did not even approach it
I knew what it would say
so... we stayed on the tow path and looped back to Widewater
the boys climbed the rocks and played along side the yellowish orange man made tow path
having grown up in this area I familiar with the basic outline of these trails
the boys were playing a game that meets my "respect the trails" objective
they were jumping from rock to rock
staying off the ground which represented hot lava
well... our playing on various rock formations worked such that before we knew it we were on The Billy Goat
which was fine
we decided we would hike the rocky dry sections and get back onto the towpath before we get to the muddy or submerged sections
the boys scrambled as I walked
with the Canon G10 slung around my neck I played photographer
regretting all along that I did not bring my newly acquired Nikon D70 with me
which made Thursday a little more like Friday
freeing us up for some unconventional post school activity
Thrusday arrived with spring in all of its splendor
when I left off to pick up the boys I brought two bags
a bag packed with snacks and water
and
a bag filled with a variety of sporting options including a football, frisbee, and soccer ball
the days prior we had gone to the public park around the corner from the kids' school
although I knew there would be a pull in this direction
I was going to fight it
the day seemed too special to give into more of the same
I arrived at the boy's school with a bag slung over each shoulder
knowing that I may have to tell the troops what we were doing rather than trying to rally the troops in the direction I would like to go
the younger kids come out the door earlier than the older boys
young Grant came out the door with his neighbor and friend with the notion that they were headed to the park down the block
my refusal was met by objection
which meant that all my future suggestions could be rejected as well
with Grant already agitated by me I focused on Dean and Dean's peers
as I moved around from parent to parent I started to find that other families had already scripted "playdates"
so I scrambled to find someone from Dean's grade to join us on the hike
all the while knowing the boys have fun with other boys
certainly more fun than they would have with their lame old dad
I asked a few of the waiting parents then moved to the exiting children
I was able to enlist a boy name Kaleb on our hiking adventure just before another child invited him over to his house
some exchange with Kaleb's mom about our aim to hit the Billy Goat Trail and we were off!
in the car and out the of the city I drove
the boys were amped
my boys were acting like total spazzes with the new recruit in on our mission
at Old Angler's Inn I was pleased to see how few cars were in the lots
on the old service road I moved at a brisk pace and worked to have the three boys maintain the same pace
as we got closer to Great Falls I started to get excited
some older hikers came my way and I asked them if they had come off The Billy Goat Trail
to my displeasure they told me that the Billy Goat Trail was closed
BUMMER!
sure enough
after the bridge over the C&O I saw a sign
I did not even approach it
I knew what it would say
so... we stayed on the tow path and looped back to Widewater
the boys climbed the rocks and played along side the yellowish orange man made tow path
having grown up in this area I familiar with the basic outline of these trails
the boys were playing a game that meets my "respect the trails" objective
they were jumping from rock to rock
staying off the ground which represented hot lava
well... our playing on various rock formations worked such that before we knew it we were on The Billy Goat
which was fine
we decided we would hike the rocky dry sections and get back onto the towpath before we get to the muddy or submerged sections
the boys scrambled as I walked
with the Canon G10 slung around my neck I played photographer
regretting all along that I did not bring my newly acquired Nikon D70 with me