SUMMERTIME!
life has changed
as life does
my boys Dean and Grant are both in college
Dean is finishing up at Syracuse
Grant is starting his second year at Boston University
so proud...
it is summer time...
so good to have the boys home in DC for the summer
we have gathered for hikes, meals, bike rides, and movies
but no "family vacation"
my boys are not small children
they have their own friends and their own agendas
they plan their own vacations
they can par take in their own adventures
all without my permission
it can be hard to schedule with them
I had ideas... they had ideas
there was talk about them going to Boulder Colorado or maybe Curasol on the island of Curaco
early summer Grant's try outs for the US U23 Rowing Team was cut short by a foot injury
while Dean was focused on his Muy Thai and Jujitsu workouts and tournaments
luckily...
Dean and Grant do not mind me tagging along on some of these adventures
earlier this week my buddy TJ hooked me and the boys up
TJ took us to The Anthem to see QOTSA
yes...
Queens of the Stone Age!
one of my favorite bands
one of Grant's favorite bands
a band that Dean had never heard of before
as Dean listens to Rap and Hip Hop
the show ROCKED!
QOTSA DELIVERED!
The Anthem is an AMAZING Venue!
THANKS TJ!!!
on the drive back from the show there was some talk
Grant talked about wanting to head out to The Cliffs
then also The Rope Swing
WHAT?
BOTH!
IN A DAY?
what is that?
an Adventure Biathlon?
I said it could not be done
I had my doubts
Grant was convinced that it was doable
rather than argue and make a firm plan
Grant suggested that we reevaluate after The Cliffs
there was some texting back and forth
with Dean having a Jujitsu Tournament Saturday
I did not want it to be too much for him the day prior
so... as cool as the suggestion of involving bicycles may have been
I opted for driving and taking the dog
saying
"Didg wants to go too"
it was decided
we would drive
Grant was dead set on the back to back adventure
his ability to guide the decision was subtle
I was hesitant
Grant tried to keep that option open
we drove up to Old Angler's Inn
on the drive up Didg had his nose out the window
he was wearing a wide smile
not just smiling because dogs love that wind in the face sensation
but because he smelled familiar smells
Didg could smell the we were headed on an adventure
with the notion of the double adventure
we did an abbreviated Billy Goat
shortening the hike
getting out to some of the more interesting rock sections
then to The Cliffs
it was Friday
Friday is different than Saturday or Sunday
fewer people
fewer hikers
fewer newbies
times have changed
off leash dogs are public enemy number one
and
jumping at The Cliffs is frowned upon
but...
although The Cliffs are not a Certified Jumping Spot
the teen network of word of mouth continues
just as peer groups in my day shared this locals secret with each other
this happens now
upon our arrival we were greeted by a handful of muscle bound high school kids from St Albans
they were blasting some electronic music on their Blue Tooth speaker and involved in doing some jumps
I am of the notion that it is a great spot
but too much time at this spot could get you in trouble
maybe I am paranoid
I guess a ticket is the worse that could happen
these kids... they are just stone cold chillin
my boys did a few jumps off the top ledge
then... they did a few jumps off the lower ledge
some flips... some dives...
all executed with confidence and precision
we left out...
taking the quick bypass from the Billy Goat to Widewater
passing two groups of young hikers
one group with towels
clearly... more people headed to The Cliffs
I guess I am more paranoid than I need to be
perhaps the concern should be more on safety and less on the potential conversation with "the man"
these actions give me great pride
watching my boys do these dynamic and somewhat dangerous things
while also
these actions give me anxiety
as I am their father
I do not want my boys to get hurt
I do not want my boys to get in trouble
in raising these sometimes wild children I have always tried to stress the dangers
allowing them to be wild
but with control
if that makes sense
do what you are gonna do... just do not get hurt or die in the process
execute things with control
we hiked out along the C&O Canal on the towpath
the lower water levels disturbed me
not all change is good
we drove down towards Brickyard Road just a mile down from Old Angler's and went to the rope swing
Grant drove and parked in the neighborhood around the corner
clearly he has done this before
Grant had been to The Cliffs and The Rope Swing a number of times this summer and wanted to share this second spot with his brother
it amused me that we were headed to these spots
as both of these spots were part of my active Tom Sawyer\Huck Finn youth
in fact
when I first met the boys' mother
she and I went to this same rope swing
Didg was stoked that the adventure was not over
we had hiked
Didg had dipped in the water and rolled in some mud
but he hadn't gotten to do much swimming
this second adventure gave us all a chance to do a quick swim
at the rope sibling rivalry kicked in
there was camaraderie
while there was also competition
each of the boys worked to get the most amplitude to heighten their attitude
jumps, dives, and flips
SWEETNESS!
what a day!
maybe the best day I had all summer
it was like a one day vacation for me
it was a special day
a special day for me and the dog
and
I would like to think that it was special for my boys as well
on the drive home we picked up some Thai food
everyone showered and then we feasted
we could have ordered one more dish
as the hunger of the boys can be shockingly impressive
it was a good day
"raison de tre"
so happy to have these people in my life