Here is the sign right as you enter the For Mar wooded area. This is one of Frederick's favorite sayings. I think it's a good motto to live by, too.
As Frederick was crawling into bed with us the other morning (about 6 am when it was pitch black and in the low 30s outside) he said, "Cuddle up." "Yes," Simon replied, "but let's be very quiet." "Entering quiet area," Frederick whispered, as he nuzzled down between us... and then burst into wild giggles and wiggles that, 30 minutes later, got him (and daddy) kicked out of the bed. (I'm sure Simon had had enough sleep by that point anyway. And, besides, he likes to get up early to get the fire in the livingroom up and roaring.)
I'm not sure why Frederick is working on his ASL (American Sign Language) skills, but he is clearly showing off a very fine letter B. [He is standing next to the turtle lake. Within its slimy depths dwell lots of cute little box turtles and three monstrous looking snapping turtles, the largest of which is said by the guides to be 90 years old. If you dabble a toe off the dock seen in the background it will usually come surging out of the murk, trailing algae behind it as it comes, its gummy mouth agape... But not today. It's too cold for turtles, apparently.]
This is a very rickety bridge--great fun. (Unless, like me [Jami], you hate these things.)
Carefully, carefully, negotiating the wet and slippery tree. [Not as carefully as his father would like. But somebody has to take the pictures...]
2 comments:
But where do the turtles go when it's too cold??? Frederick seems undaunted. I hope he's still enjoying school.
xMargaret
Rumor has it that they submerge themselves into the mud on the bottom of the pond (along with the frogs) where they freeze solid. In in 6 or so months they thaw, emerge into the newly melted waters, and the cycle of begins anew. It is hard to believe that anything could survive such an experience but they can and do, as the existence of the 90 year old snapper proves. I am always being told to leave my 10 goldfish to fend for themselves in our pond during winter (they would freeze solid--the pond, though almost 3 feet deep always freezes right to the bottom) but I can't bring myself to do it. I always bring them into the house and keep them in a big tub in the basement. The water temp is in the low 60s there and I don't feed them for the whole 6 months. Since they don't eat, they never crap and I never have to clean the water. Amazingly, they still grow during this time. One of our fish is four years old and at least 7 inches long so the long period of privation obviously does him good.
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