Mostly, I love going back to these places because I love seeing my boys' reactions. They both love the farm the same way I did as a little girl. Arthur's writing book contains sentences like, "I love playing at the farm," "I love visiting the farm," and "I go to the farm."
We went to the Cave of the Mounds on Saturday. I had not been there since I was seven; Blythe was six. Dad said he went through when he was twelve. Neither Dad nor Blythe remembered anything about their previous visits. Josh worried he'd have to hike over mountains to get through. We assured him he would not. Arthur and Balin were ambivalent.
The area is more commercial than I remember it, but the caves were exactly the same: beautiful ribbon-like patterns in the rock eked out by streams of water, pools of clear water begging to be drunk, and the security of the cool, dry air.
Blythe and I admired the view a little too long - lost in the natural features of the caves - that the lights went out on us. We froze. Luckily, we stood near a staircase and managed to use the banister to find our way up and back to the group. It was eerily wondrous, being almost alone in a dark, quiet cave. The guide informed us that during Discovery Day all of the lights are turned off and attendants use flashlights to find their way through. Sounds like the most amazing adventure.
After the tour, we went to the gift shop where Auntie Blythe (unsurprisingly) spoiled the boys by buying sacks of sand and treasure. They eagerly sifted through the sand and water, pulling out shiney rocks, shark's teeth, and fossils and collected them in plastic baggies, excited to bring them home.
On the way home, we stopped in Dodgeville. Like most small towns in midwest America, there wasn't much there...except for a Land's End shop and wearhouse! Kind of a strange place to house a major corporation, but then again, Fat Wallet is headquartered in Beloit. Fewer taxes, I guess.
Blessed be.
0 comments: