The Secret Stream

Everytime a little soul is out having an adventure with their parents and walks by my house I try to tempt them into The Secret Stream (formerly known as the Love Stream and before that, Campbell Spring). I show them the secret path to the stream, then the stream and I usually end with “this is a good place to come and play Goldilocks and the Three Bears”.

Photo: Judy Weidlich

... and into the woods the Woods go ...

The last troop that entered the arches of the cedar trees were Moiya’s little grandchildren – this time a walk of only girls: Celeste, Sidney, Nora and Evangeline. I like to have the chidren walk along the stream and come out where the water goes under the road. But this group were out to explore.

 Celeste started the adventure, hopping from one side of the stream to the other. Sidney joined her, and soon Evangeline was on the other side, climbing the steepest bank on the far side of the stream, hanging onto Celeste's forearm who was in front of her, with Celeste ripping Evangeline’s weight off of her and telling her to climb on her own.

That wouldn’t have worked for Evangeline for she couldn’t get her footing, so I let get of Nora’s hand and reached for Evangeline. I felt my foot go into the stream.  What the heck, none of their shoes were dry by this point.

Celeste had gone ahead and I could see her off through the trees where the sunlight was streaming through the branches of the trees. She was calling to the rest, “Come over here. It is beautiful.”

Photo: Judy aka Nanna

Maxwell, Moiya's "smart" baby

... the little boy left on the outside

of the adventure ....

Celeste had found a secondary stream, a tributary, one I had never noticed before. The girls were out of my control, each taking their own path through the woods. No single file for them.

Spread out and see the world.

The large wagon that had been left on the road broke loose and I could hear an alerting call  from their mother or their nanna and the rumble of wagon wheels as it took the curve and proceeded down the hill that it had just been pulled up.

At least there was no baby in the wagon.

Another lovely day in the woods and with the Woods.

Arta