Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day weekend, so on Saturday (after deciding against a trip to D*) we decided to go to Metcalf Bottoms for a picnic. In past years it would've been almost impossible to get a good picnic site at this particular place on a holiday weekend, but for some reason even with the current economy it wasn't a problem at all this year. After enjoying a delicious charcoal-grilled hamburger the kids wanted to go inner-tubing in the river. Keep in mind the temperature was in the mid-70's and this river is always C-O-L-D, even in the middle of August. But they jumped right in and had a great time! Miss Bee couldn't believe that something this fun was free! I guess we haven't taken her tubing nearly enough. It was an integral part of my childhood. While in the river the kids found a total of four snakes. This river is known for its water snakes. You can't visit it without seeing at least a few. For better or worse the kiddos weren't frightened of them. As long as they know to be scared of the poisonous ones, I guess it's okay to be comfortable around the non-poisonous snakes.

After tubing and enjoying some watermelon (another staple of summer picnics in our family) we decided to go on a short hike to an old homestead close by. The hike is a bit over a mile each way and is fairly flat the whole trip, so it's an easy hike and also very pretty this time of year with mountain laurel blooming along parts of the trail. Part of the trail follows a creek and we saw - you guessed it - three more water snakes sunning on a branch over the water. Like I said, the snakes didn't bother the kids in the least, but about halfway up the trail Miss Bee suddenly screams the loudest, girliest scream I've ever heard her scream. If you know Miss Bee you know she just doesn't scream like that - ever. She's the biggest tomboy you'll meet. So instead of panicking and asking her what's wrong I turn to her and laugh. Probably the wrong response, but it was just so funny because she was in the middle of the trail and had scared herself into thinking a bee was stinging her because she brushed her hiking stick against the back of her leg. To add to the humor there was a couple passing us going back down the trail - the first of only two groups we met on the trail - so I'm sure they got a kick out of the city kid who was scared of the outdoor critters. Like I said, Miss Bee just doesn't do things like this, so it really was funny! Not to be outdone, on the way back as we were passing over a creek I looked down and screamed myself. There was a craw-dad (old Appalachian term - not sure what the "technical" name is) sitting at the side of the trail. It startled me because these things are crayfish that can't live out of water (imagine a small lobster). I imagine some other creature had gone fishing and come up with a craw-dad then left it since it heard us coming down the trail. I know for sure that crayfish would never voluntarily be sitting outside water. DH helped it back into the water and we continued down the trail, again saying hi to the water snakes as we passed them. When we were almost at the end of the trail Princess had to sit down to get a rock out of her sandal and what should be crawling on her ankle but a tick. As soon as I pointed it out she screamed. She hated ticks ever since getting bitten by one who's pinchers got stuck in her skin. It took me a long time to dig them out and I know it was painful for her. So she now hates ticks passionately. Thankfully this one was stil crawling and not stuck so we brushed it off.

In all, this was one of the most adventure- and scream-filled trips to Little Greenbriar our family has ever taken. But it was also a relaxing start to the summer.