To Elven Woods
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wednesday morning, Collette and Puck headed out to the enchanted forests of Cuivre River – there was something mystical about the greenery and the sun shifting through the trees. Although on the way there, the rain misted along the paths, which was equally as beautiful. The undergrowth had been pruned between the trees years before. There were no lurking thorns or bushes or weeds – only fairy-like greenery and bewitching trees, whose limbs grew high, away from the ground.
It was the prefect place to have a summer camp. A few beaches were tucked away between the hills. And it seemed as though the paths might continue indefinitely through the woods and the moss-covered glens.
Upon arrival, Collette and Linnea played several rounds of Blokus while Mom gave Puck his bottle and Dad turned on Pride & Prejudice while Francis waited for the rain to stop. Sometime before lunch, the clouds swept away the last droplets and they walked around the campground and to the little park with Puck tucked happily in his stroller and Francis and Linnea zoomed through puddles and mud on their bikes. The wind picked up and Puck went down for a long cozy nap while lunch was served over a few games of Stratego and more Pride & Prejudice. Dad’s favorite scene soon came up:
Mr Bennet: “I understand Mr. Collins has made you an offer of marriage. Is this true?”
Elizabeth: “Yes, sir.”
Mr. Bennet: “Very well. And this offer of marriage you have refused?”
Elizabeth: “I have.”
Mr. Bennet: “I see. Right, we now come to the point. Your mother insists on your accepting it. Is it not so, Mrs. Bennet?”
Mrs. Bennet: “Yes, or I will never see her again!”
Mr. Bennet: “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins. And… I will never see you again if you do.”
“That’s great,” Dad laughed.
From past experience, both Dad and OLeif seemed to get a kick out of Mr. Bennet more than any other character in Pride & Prejudice.
Come later that afternoon, after Collette had nestled in for a bit of a nap herself, next to Puck, Dad drove into town to return some calls on his cell. And the rest of them headed once again over to the park in the late afternoon sunshine. Francis and Linnea were already on the swings in the middle of jumping contests. Francis took a flying leap and landed in the wood chips below. He scooped up two handfuls and tossed them into the air.
“Fireworks! Yay!”
But soon Francis was distracted once again by Puck’s stroller (who was at that moment sitting in his grandma’s lap on the other swing). Before long, the stroller was being zoomed through the playground, wood chips flying behind him.
“Mushrooms!” He exclaimed, running over to a fresh patch from the recent rain.
Stomp, stomp.
“Francis!” Mom scolded him. “Don’t do that.”
“Aw, mushrooms can be reinflated,” Francis laughed, and returned to tearing up the wood chips with the stroller.
“Mom,” Linnea called from the other swing, “when you touch someone, you’re not really touching them because there are atoms in between you and the other person… So you’re never ever really touching anyone. What would happen if one billion atoms suddenly disappeared?”
That conversation was left for another day, and it was time for Collette and Puck to return home for the evening. They were later joined by OLeif who left shortly later for a meeting regarding the church website with Judah and Ben-Hur at Smokey’s BBQ.