An Apple a Day ...

"It's finally fall!," Denver exclaimed as he stood on the back porch in the cool morning air.  "And YOU bought apples this morning. You know what we need to do?"

I had no idea.

"BOB FOR APPLES!," Denver exclaimed.  "Can we do it?!"

I agreed if Denver was willing to clean out the metal wash tub and fill it with water on the back porch.  

I brought out three bright apples, and Denver plopped them in the tub.  

He laughed as he reminded me of the Charlie Brown Halloween special where they bob for apples.  "It's crazy that Lucy doesn't see Snoopy in the water with the apples," he said.  "If Snoopy was in this water I could clearly see him.  That's the thing about cartoons."

Before long, he and his older brother, Spencer, were cheering and coaching each other as their heads went up and down in the tub.   

Spencer laughed as the apple kept slipping away from him.  He finally captured his apple, dried himself, and wandered off to complete his writing assignment.  Denver is on his third apple so far.  He is experimenting to see if he can eat the apple underwater.  

"This is SO healthy," he just exclaimed.  "'Cause you know what they say?  An apple a day . . . ."

Discovering History

John Robert inside the Smokestack

Cool air and a sunny Sunday afternoon.  All the boys were up for a local adventure.  Thanks to a friend of mine who had shown me this little gem, I had just the place.

Tower of Exploration

In a nearby town there used to be a textile mill.  As part of that mill, there still stands an enormous brick smokestack and decaying concrete structures strewn with graffiti.  It looks like the remains of an ancient civilization or a bad guy hideout.  

The boys were delighted.  They took picture after picture.  We climbed trees.  We climbed the structures.  We talked about what used to be there and what it could be used for now.

Denver and John were especially fascinated.

As we strolled away, dirty and itchy from dirt and weeds surrounding our discovery, I noticed for the first time a sign tacked to a telephone pole: NO TRESPASSING.  Oops!  

After ice cream and wandering around the Covington Square, we went home and did a little more research on our smokestack.  The boys learned about the bustling little mill town of Porterdale and its contributions to two world wars and thousands of people.  Always something to discover.  History beneath our feet and climbing higher than the trees.

What was this?  What was inside this?
Why is there grey silt underneath?

Tree Climbing

Our only photo with Spencer, who
was hot and ready to leave--
Can you tell? :-)