Wild in the Woods

  The three boys hung from one of the mid-branches of the elm tree, hidden in the dense forest. With their legs locked over the branch, the trio gazed out over the inverted woods. Peter broke their silent revere, "Y'know guys, we always have such crazy adventures out here, why don't we ever bring a camera? That way we could take pictures of moments like this and save them to show to people?"

   Peter's best friend James didn't say anything. He just kept gazing out, watching a snail's progression two trees over. For an animal that carried its home along everywhere, that little guy sure was inching along at a heck of a pace. James was lost in thought, cheering on the little slimy creature's progression.

  "Peter, I like that idea, I do. We could make whole albums of us hanging like opossums or charging through dragon territory in search of golden goblets!", James's little brother Willy was fully of excitement.

  "Not to mention jumping off the rope swing into the old Greyson Creek."

    "Or taking our bikes off jumps through the overgrown vineyard."

"Or practicing our flips between the trees"

 Peter and Willy swapped ideas adding to their excitement and generally concluding that a camera could only be a good addition to their adventuring supplies.

   James blinked a few times as if waking from a particularly vivid dream. The snail had made it from the base of the tree, winding up the trunk to a half-hidden nook of a knob near the top. James thought to himself that the snail looked happy, if that was possible, like he was glowing with the pride of a marathon runner. For the first time since they had started hanging on the branch James spoke up, "Nah guys, I don't think so."

  "About what James?", his brother asked

"I mean about the whole idea of bringing a camera along for all our adventures.", James flipped himself right side up then launched himself onto a parallel branch a tree over. He stood, a barefoot tight rope walker, ready for his breath-taking act.

  "What don't you like about the camera idea, James?", Peter asked, "We didn't think you were even listening."

  "Its like this: our lives are like rivers. They keep flowing and moving. And right now it seems like the currents not super strong. The school year drags by like molasses." They all agreed that school seemed to go on forever when in session even though summer would disappear the second you stopped looking at it. James continued, "So let's say we brought cameras, right now it'd be like taking a picture of the Mississippi river when we capture our adventures. I bet you that when you take a picture of that giant of a river, well its so big, it'd look like it wasn't moving at all. But underneath that stillness the river's still moving, there's a current driving that beast sure as I'm breathing. If we started taking pictures of all this, our moms and dads and everyone at school would see the stillness of that moment, but not the motion that keeps us going."

   To prove his point, James somersaulted down the branch to the trunk, then grabbed the trunk like an oversize flagpole and slid down to the next foothold.

  "But aren't moments important James? Life's nothing if not a whole series of moments jumbled together. And with photos we could show people our fortress without having to bring them out here", Willy retorted

   "Moments are definitely important. You're right, Willy, but sometimes moments lose power without the context of a story or memory. Not always, but sometimes...I think you're also right that we need a few photos of La Fortaleza de Madera. If we don't photograph it, then no one will sincerely believe we built it twice the height of the Wilson mansion."

  Peter flipped off his branch and tumbled deftly through the air, tucking and rolling in the last instant to soften the landing, "Yeah James, if my mom saw me do something like that...I don't think she'd let me out of the house for a long, long time."

  "Once in awhile then, for unbelievable stuff that needs reporting, like the fort?", Willy asked.

"Yep, the sorta stuff that won't get us in trouble and won't look stale later on. Some stuff needs to be photographed, other stuff maybe not. Like the snail earlier. A picture would have been alright, but it wouldn't have shown his struggle and endurance to get up the tree like I'll remember it."

They decided that was that on cameras, memories, rivers and moments. The rest of the afternoon was spent swinging like monkeys, branch to branch and planning how to stay underwater for ten minutes at the creek.

Not Some Desert Rat

Finger comb your hair
before the guests arrive
Finger comb your hair
but not too neat

not too fancy
not too neat
you're not some desert rat

So show just a bit of class
for these delightful strangers
who came to spirit
you away

They like you for your mind
that's what they said
and they seemed sincere
so spark up,
smile for once
it'll be okay

Finger comb your hair
before the guest arrive
Finger comb your hair
but not too neat
of course

You're not some desert rat
so spark up,
smile for once
it'll all be okay
least that's what they said

Recipe for Building Snowmen

    Wear five layers to prepare yourself for the cold, or wear just enough for warmth without restricting movement. You don't want to get outside only to find you've bundled in such a way that you are now the younger brother from A Christmas Story; only able to waddle feebly. Put on your big snow boots, the ones with a rubber coating, the ones that go halfway up your calf. Sneak past the dogs eager to play, that will come later, and step outside.

  Take a second before starting, let the blank canvas of perfectly white snow sink in. Imagine you are in Alberta, Canada or frost barren Siberia or the Arctic. You are an explorer here in this foreign land as you take your first step into the white. Hear it crunch beneath the weight of your foot. Savor that first sound, that first movement. Okay, now its officially winter, you are ready to begin. Ready to sculpt an army to help you with your explorations in this alien world.

   Even through your gloves the snow will be bitingly cold. That's okay, it'll keep you moving. Roll your ball of snow first right to left, then forward and backward until the small snow ball grows bigger, pulling more available snow in like a burr to velcro. Once its at a good size push it with both hands, zig-zag a path. Create a respectable base. Be sure to switch directions that you roll here too or you'll end up with an oblong boulder that simple won't be round at all.

   If you're satisfied, or cannot roll your base any further, leave it and move on to the next section. It is basically the same process, but this time the key is to stop before it grows just as big as the first. Stop instead when the second section is still small enough to lift reasonably. This measurement is harder to eye-ball than you might think. The snow is always going to be just a little heavier than it initially looks. When lifting, remember to bend at the knees downwards, not with your back. If you bend at the waist or back, you probably won't be able to lift your second rock of snow. Also you'll probably hurt yourself. Don't hurt yourself.

   Your second section might crash or smash upon connection. Don't despair; there's more snow. Rebuild, reuse, recycle. For the head, roll a ball that is 2-4x the size of your average throwing-snow-ball. Attach it, or attempt to attach it as this one will probably be uncooperative as well. Add a hat, scarf, pipe, etc. if you want, I think snowmen are just as fun plain.

The snowmen, sorry if its a little hard to see them

   What now? Enjoy your success. Then repeat the past few steps as desired until you have an army to protect your yard. Also you'll have many more things to hide behind if a snow ball fight breaks out. Extra cover is always a plus.