H is for Hot Spring

One Friday we went to a hot spring near Mount Baker. 

It was the most perfect weather:

pouring rain

low clouds

fog

fall leaves all around

We sat in this beautiful hot water that smelled like eggs,

with cold drops of water falling on our head.

Bubbles of steam, pockets of extra hot.

Summer's End

Here is the scenario at our house here at the end of summer:

The End meaning the last few days when we are very aware of every minute, every activity, every day that is our LAST. 

This was Saturday: the house is in full construction mode, Jim is doing the vinyl flooring himself. 

It's a big job, and it includes "sanding" down the concrete to even the two slabs. Which means there is concrete dust everywhere - all hands on deck to wipe it up. 

AND my dishwasher broke. 

Everything feels majorly chaotic. We are waiting for a part to come Monday before Jim can put the flooring project on hold to fix the appliance. 

The kids are deciding what we should do for our last Saturday before school. 

I need to feed them dinner. 

We need to get out of the house. 

I declare we are going down to the bay and roast some hot dogs for dinner. 

It's chilly, a little windy, grey. 

There's still a burn ban on, but it's been raining for 24 hours and I swear Birch Bay is the wild west when it comes to fire. 

I wonder if we will get in "trouble" - but then a fire truck literally drives by us, and the fire man literally looks the other way. 

Earlier in the day, Christopher got a hair cut. 

An end of summer haircut, but also a cut off his braids hair cut. 

When the Dicksons come and sit around the fire, I try not to make Christopher too uncomfortable by staring or making a big deal - but I do stare! and it is a big deal! 

He looks so different, so handsome, so old, so fresh. I've only ever seen him with a forehead, never covered by hair. 

"Well you look very handsome Christopher". 

Eventually all the kids scatter, leaving me, Lisa, and Lindsay at the fire.

We sit and talk and watch the sun go down, the fire turn to red glowing coals, the sky turn dark. 

 I sit closer to the coals to warm my body -  put a hot rock in my pocket. 

End of summer. 

We are discussing the haircut with Lindsay - this big step in his and her life. 

Then she pulls out her phone and shows the pictures our friend Jen Bogle took of the event. 

I was sitting on the driftwood log, next to Lisa. She was holding the phone, scrolling through each of the pictures. I had to look away a few times, cover my eyes. They are too beautiful, too intimate, too painful?

We both started crying. 

I don't "cry" over many things. I'm just not totally a cryer.

But this...

We both say "I wasn't ready for this". 

I have cried a few times since then. Every time I think about the pictures I tear up, and then Lindsay posts them on Facebook. I can't not cry. And WHY? 

It's because I love my friend and I love Christopher and this is such a milestone! So many emotions for both of them.  

But more specifically because the ART of the pictures makes me see myself, and my kids, and all my mom moments. It's suddenly "about me". 

It's about separation. 

This time of year when we launch into a new school year. 

The kids grow and become less mine and more theirs. 

They spend their days, and I spend mine. 

We come together at the end and tell our stories.

Every day and every year we are just practicing for more and more separation. 

From childbirth to schooldays to adulthood. 

We separate. 

So then the kiss on the top of the head, and the hand on the back - this connection of love that has to be invisible. It's invisible because it has to exist even when we aren't together. 

Group Camp :: Heather Lake

What do you notice, right off the bat... 

PUDDLES?

Yes. 

We got to camp, set everything up, and then the clouds clapped and it started pouring rain. I don't love camping in the rain. We had everything out and organized, but then chucked it all into shelter as the rain was coming. So you know, chaos. 

But then the sun came out and it was so pretty!

You know when the sun and the drops of rain are happening at the same time? It's so cool. 

Burn ban on, of course. There is not enough space for all of us around this fire. 

Next year we are bringing another one. One for adults, one for kids. ey ey ey. 

The next day we went and hiked up Heather Lake. 

There were so many cool trees and roots and rocks on this trail. 

PS All the pretty pictures are from Lindsay and her nice camera. It's the best to have a photographer making every step of the way look extra magical.

Behind the scenes of the selfie. haha

We got a "mom picture" with three extra kids snuck in. It wouldn't be a mom picture without that.  

The dogs were living their best best life for a couple days. 

Koda and Scout kept swimming after the ducks. Is there anything more fun for a dog than to get teased by ducks. 

On the way back down the mountain, Lisa found Hunter's wet undies that must have fallen out of someone's pack. She walked them back down the whole trail. 

When we got back to the parking lot, the dogs became pancake dogs. So tired. 

We were sitting here on the log, waiting for everyone to finish the hike, 

 when a poor girl in a sky blue body suit - that had obviously fallen or schooched down a part of the trail - butt and back covered in brown - backed her car into the Cotter's car. 

crunch.

She was not having a good day. Her car was heavily dented; the Cotters was not even phased. 

Back at camp: 

archery, beebee guns, dinner, 

(surprise! my kids are sick of Mountain House meals! time to go back to cooking real meals)

River.

The crossing to get to the other side is always a thing. Me and Lindsay find a stick, figure where the best place to cross, take it super carefully...meanwhile the kids just wander in and out of the river without much ado. 

Fishing.

Clay bath,

swimming. 

We always end the second night freezing and wishing we brought more towels after swimming in the river. 

Everyone gathers around the little fire to bring the core temperature back up. 

Johanna and Dane were helping the little kids get smores, and of course the teens got in on it. 

I'm not sure why we let the kids take over the fire. Us adults huddled in the sprinter van. 

In the early morning the second rain storm came. 

In my sleeping stupor I heard the drops on top of the tent. It was a lovely, cozy sound. 

But it was also a "dang it" sound. Our morning was overtaken by huddling in our tents, and the clean up was extra dirty with everything soaked. 

I love this campout. We look forward to it all summer. But we also don't want it to happen because it means the end of summer. It means we have to settle down and go school shopping and say goodbye to our fabulous summer days.