Our Back Yard

Use the turquoise slide to leave the tree house platform.

Saturday night the Emmaline Schultzke joined the Brooks kids for playtime in the backyard.

Xavier was swinging, Tarzan like, from a branch of the tree in the playhouse and landing on the ground.

Naomi was collecting the lanterns to put in the tree house so that there would be enough light when the sun went down.

She was also gathering snacks for anyone who was too hungry to come down from the tree house.

The evil  trampoline where Naomi fractured her femur.

I was cooking chicken burgers, to be served with ketchup only, and to be eaten on the run so that food didn’t interrupt playtime, too much.

People were jumping on the trampoline.

The dog, Gryphon, was chasing balls and joining in with the children’s playtime.

Instructions for playtime on the south facing fence.

Rhiannon had cleaned out the little red wagon in the afternoon, removing the leaves from last fall and making a good seat for herself – begging me for this spring’s first ride in it.

When it was too heavy for me to pull, she substituted the dog in her place and pulled him around the yard herself.

A friendly neighbour gate to next door.

Later in the day I had seen another family sitting in the sand pile that is underneath the tree house, moving the sand around and getting it dried out for tomorrow’s playtime.

I don't know what the attraction was, but they didn't move from that one spot for over an hour.

Horizontal and diagonal lines of the tree house floor.

I haven't climbed up into the playhouse ... yet.

I don't know if I will be doing it in the quiet of the afternoon when no one is around, or if I will have a few spotters there to help me should things go astray when I first try to enter.

Still there is an attraction about it, just looking at it from the outside with my camera.

Naomi's Horse Balloon
...the ownership of which is much envied by Rhiannon...

Now the playtime of the backyard is off limits to Naomi ... at least until next week when she gets her fiber glass cast on and can move around again. While the balloon that Leo brought home for her is nice ... and the ownership of it is much envied by Rhiannon, still it is not worth immobility ... not for 7 days, and not for the six week it will take until Naomi is able to run and play again.

Arta