A couple of weeks ago my middle girl and I were hiking in the woods -- yes, like in trees, we have lots of them here in Jersey -- when I suddenly stopped to take this picture and managed to annoy quite a few joggers along the way.

Can't help it, I want to remember.

The sound of the trickling water was just so calming and then the smell of the wet leaves hit, bringing me back to my childhood, when my twin brother and I would dig for creepy crawlies and begin taking turns imagining the most fantastic stories of hidden little imaginary worlds.

I've since shared these stories with my children AND with my husband, Garth (not his real name) who learned of my fascination with tree spirits on our first "day date" and, well, yes, now that they're older, my kids are just as surprised as you probably are, right now, that he even bothered to, you know, call back.

I was going through some photos, because this is the winter "I swear" to print and display updated pictures around the house and, well, yeah, it seems I really do spend a lot of time looking down on the ground or up at the sky.

"Look at those vines, Momma, let's go swing on them!"

But, there was this one time in the woods when my kid and I ignored the disagreeable looks of passersby, took a swing on a gnarly vine and forgot about life's rough patches...for just a little while, anyway.

"OOMPHUH!"

Aaaaand, I may or may not have gotten a nose-full of leaves for my troubles.  Good thing I wasn't holding the camera, or my kid was too busy laughing, to take a picture, right?!?  RIGHT?!?

[sound of crickets, chirping]

Riiiiiiight, if anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs holding my middle girl's hair back, as we both finish getting SO OVER this warm-ish winter.

Stupid creeping crud!

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