LET'S MEET AN OLD TREE

Always the patient subject, Mikaela let me take her to an old tree that holds many special memories for my childhood. I couldn't find the limb that we kids had carved our initials into, but it is still special.

MIKAELA

PICKING MORNING GLORIES

GRANDPA THINKS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD EAT LIKE A LUMBERJACK WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT, SO I HAD TO TAKE A PICTURE OF MIKAELA'S BREAKFAST ON SUNDAY MORNING. WE ENDED UP SHARING THE FOOD BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH! WHAT A GREAT GRANDPA HE IS TO MIKAELA!

I LOVE THESE FIELDS...AND MIKAELA DECIDED SHE KINDA LIKED THEM, TOO...


BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF MORNING GLORIES, SHE FORGOT THAT THERE MIGHT BE SNAKES OUT IN THE FIELDS...

COLLECTING HER TREASURES IN THE EVER PRESENT TREASURE COMPARTMENT OR BUCKET...

SHOWING OFF HER TREASURERS...

THIS IS MY FAVORITE TREASURE OF ALL - A HAPPY, ADVENTUROUS 3 YEAR OLD.


THE MUD THAT SURROUNDED THIS TREE WHEN WAS A CHILD HAS LONG SINCE DRIED UP - AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE, THE CRACKS ARE OVER 6 INCHES DEEP.

MOMMY AND MISCHA

:( WE WERE ABLE TO RE-CAPTURE THE LOST TREASURE


AND A BEAUTIFUL SMILE FOR TINDING ALL OF THE TREASURE AGAIN

BY NOW SHE IS TIRED OF THE CAMERA...

THIS IS THE COOLEST OLD TREE!

2ND COOLEST OLD TREE! WHEN WE WERE KIDS, WE WOULD PLAY INSIDE THIS TREE. LIGHTENING HIT IT A LONG TIME AGO AND BURNED OUT THE INSIDE...WE CLEANED OUT THE PACKRAT NESTS AND PLAYED HOUSE AND ALL KINDS OF CRAZY THINGS.

BEAUTIFUL MISCHA BUG IN THE COUTNRY

ONE LAST PIC, MOM!

THIS WAS SUCH A FUN ADVENTURE! WE PLAYED HOUSE AT THE BIG TREE, PICKED FLOWERS AND SHE LEARNED WHAT A COW PATTY, STICKER (MEANING SAND BURS, GOAT HEADS, ETC.) AND BARBED WIRE WERE. SHE'LL BE A COUNTRY GIRL, YET!