"Winter is great to stay in and cuddle, but put me in summer and I'll be a... happy snowman!"

It has been awhile since I have posted anything, but that does not mean that I have left for good. My time for creative pursuits is more often spent inventing dances to disney songs and ways to get all manner of gooey foods to be eaten. Baby girl is just a few weeks past seven months, and while she takes a great deal of my time, energy, and sleep, life with her couldn't be more wonderful. I have very little experience with other babies, but Ana seems particularly happy and calm. Her laughing brightens any dark winter day. She is our whole world. 

Recently, we escaped the southern winter to soak up some Indiana summer. It was a glorious respite that we all very much enjoyed. Ana loved swimming, and she got to be the center of attention both with the family and when we took her for her first visit to camp. The eight year olds crowded around and cooed "oh a little baby, she's so cute" as I thought the same about them. But it seems it makes no difference if you are eight months, eight years, or 80 years old, camp is always fun. We splashed in the lake and sat on the pier. We said hi to the horses and took in the stillness of the trees. There are few other ways that I'd want to spend a summer day. 

Camping in the desert can be tough.  While you don't often have to worry about rain flooding your tent, in our neck of the woods, or lack there of, it is wind and curious beduins that keep you up at night.  Without trees or much of anything else to stop it, the wind can rattle the tent so strongly that you are sure your will find yourself in Timbuktu come morning.  And if you manage to sleep through the cacophony of thin plastic whipping against itself, headlights and shouting are likely to awaken you.  You can drive off the road, through fields of lava and swear that you are in the middle of freakin' no where, but don't be fooled, other people are not so far off.  So, do not set out into the desert for a good nights' sleep, but do go for the food and fun.  There is nothing like an empty night sky and potatoes roasted on coals.  Conversation with good friends and learning to cooperate in rough conditions.  And most of all, the next day, when you crawl out of your tent and enjoy a barbequed french pastry while enjoying the sunrise and watching the camels off in the distance, you'll know that it was worth it.

The next morning, sleepyheads :)

In pursuit of french pastries.

who was happy I brought eggs :)

Mordor.  No really.

The place looks like Mount Doom, or maybe Mars, and it is certainly many miles from the Shire.  It is formidable both from the areal view and at ground level.  There are hardly any green things growing, just the occasional masochistic daisies, and the ground is crunchy hard lava waiting to collapse on you should you happen to walk over a once forgotten terrestrial lair.  The lava comes in two forms.  Smoothish ribbons that you can picture flowing at thousands of degrees, red hot, covering anything in their path.  And then there is the other stuff.  The sharp knives of pumice that perhaps cooled faster (or is it slower, I don't know my geology that well) and these guys, they are out to get you.  You should avoid them at all costs, walk around these ominous patches, take a detour if you must, sharp rocks are not your friend.  

Autumn in the Kingdom

Things don't change a whole lot around here.  Forget about senescence and crisp breezes, we're lucky if Fall brings three clouds to the sky.  Twelve months a year, the camels somehow manage to pluck cryptic leaves from the spiney acacia trees.  The approach of winter means nothing to them.  No matter the season, or lack thereof, Arabia as I know it remains rocky and barren yet still wild.  Wild in its isolation and severity.

A few weekends ago for Saudi National Day vacation, we took a trip into the desert.  Once you get off of the highway, just past Medina, the lava fields await.  The road signs disappear and you're left with only GPS coordinates to guide you.  The drive over the once-flowing igneous rock was not easy.  We thought more than once that we would certainly have to use the spare as well as the patch kit but luckily, we made it through.  We found ourselves a nice little tree to park under, and decided to take advantage of the remaining daylight hours for a hike.  Our quest was to summit one of the two dormant volcanoes that had erupted some one thousand years ago....

I just thought I would share a few more photos of perhaps my favorite place in the entire world.  After our swim at the lake, we hiked up to Lake Ridge and then passed over to Pine Ridge.  The gnats were attacking us, but we battled on and came down Haunted House trail with a glimpse of the pines.  Many-a-Sunday spent sitting amongst those tall straight trunks listening to stories of all of nature's goodness.  After creeping around Mr. Hole's spooky house, we hiked the rest of the way back to camp where we sat on the porch and watched the hummingbirds zip from tree to tree while we pet a lazy cat on our laps.  We ended our trip to camp by purchasing a new camp book and enjoyed some strawberry ice cream with Alice.

"It was Fred's job and the nature of his work to make life an adventure for his campers every day.  And no matter how mundane the adventure, he always brought an enthusiasm to it that made it seem like you just had to 'join in and help whitewash the fence.'" - back cover of book

go play outside

There are few places in this world where you can be a kid no matter how old you are.  Places where you can find trees growing out of old trucks, and horses untethered in a field.  Places with butterflies and ferns and baby frogs hiding in the brush.  Places where you can nervously hang on to that rope until you know you have to let go.  And fall screaming into the cool water below.  

It is rare to find these kinds of places, but when you do, you must revel in their greatness and simplicity.  Play, like there is no tomorrow.