The Gorge of Eternal Peril

We live in an area that, at times, has extreme weather.  July occasionally will reach the 100s.  February will see us waist deep in snowy blizzards.  Heck, we even had an earthquake this summer.  And a hurricane.  Come to think of it, maybe those Mayans are right on with the whole Apocalypse thing. 

Anyway, this is just a long introduction to our playgroup last week.  It was springtime weather here, even though it's January.  So we headed to the Tyler Arboretum.  We ran in fields, climbed trees till we got splinters in our little hands, experimented with throwing big versus small stones in the pond, ran with sticks, explored a spring house and in general, had a perfect day.  Well . . . minus the splinters.

Almost 2 years ago, the Salad and I explored the Arboretum for the first time together.  We stumbled upon a troll bridge display, complete with hidden speakers croaking out an old troll's warning about crossing the bridge.  You'd better believe me when I tell you it traumatized the Salad.  We've been to the Arboretum maybe 20 times since then and never once have ventured to that area again.  They often point to the left as soon as we enter and say "Not that way.  Not near that troll bridge."

But on this day, we had friends along who made us feel brave.  We went left, towards the bridge.  M and Peter gallantly said they would cross the bridge first, to ensure the lady folk safety.  They faltered just long enough at the foot of the bridge to allow baby Thomas (not knowing of the horrors that lay in wait) to pass.  Once he was headed across, the other 2 boys tentatively followed suit.  The girls (A, S and Lucy) acquiesced to crossing once they saw the boys had made it across unscathed, only if they were holding my hands.  We crossed slowly, with many a whimper of the bridge being "too slippery", "too troll-y" and "too grumpy."  But we made it across.

Monty Python would have been proud.

"What is your name?
What is your quest?
What is you favorite color?"