We follow the path into the little woods behind the school.

Most of the snow has melted, but the ice of the path remains.

When there is a small patch of snow, we dash across to the other side—

just to see how fast we can run.

Children who live nearby play here.

The property is part of Val-Esterie. It, too, will be sold when Val-Esterie is sold.

Some days, I take a lot of photos. Day after day.

I never want these days of childhood to end!

Some days, I hide from my camera. I don’t know why.

But I take photos of my children because my children make me smile.

I never want to forget your smiles!

I love you so.

In spring, a lonely playground remembers.

The see-saws remember laughter— up and down! up and down!

One boy, by himself, can only sit and wish for up as he stays down.

The crooked boards remember THWACK! a puck and SMACK! and CRASH!

Could this weed-and-gravel ground once have allowed a bouncing a ball?

Someone stands here. Someone with a single eye that watched it all.

Circles within circles wait and wait for children to stand shoulder to shoulder—

take eye, take aim, and then release!—

and wait and watch over the empty field.

The pool remembers heat, sunshine, laughter, splashes.

And the diving board remembers BOING!

The building remembers footsteps and chatter,

whispers and laughter, central heating, chairs sliding,

mouths eating, sleepers sleeping, light bulbs shining,

water washing, people standing, people rushing.

Its glass eyes watch all.

Will children fill this place again?

We check on the piano

Destruction is not so slow and quite deliberate.

Then we walk home through the planted woods.

We go for a walk in the woods, because that is what we are good at.

We stop for a photograph to prove that we have been here.

Ari makes sure her dog is nice & calm and relaxed & smiling in a natural manner for the photo.

Then Ari and I trade places and she takes a picture with me in it!

It takes a while, but at last we succeed in getting Iris to almost smile.

We just go down to the dam behind the house.

We watch the water freeze and flow.

Iris shows off the place where her first two teeth came out.

Two new teeth have come in already.

We had to go to the dentist to have the teeth removed. There, we finally discovered what had caused Iris’s jaw to be in such pain after her accident: she chipped two molars! One was broken in half & we had it capped. The other was only slightly chipped. The sharpness has been filed off. After so many months, her jaw is no longer in pain!

There was a handsome prince. You see?

One day, when he was walking through the forest, he heard a voice singing lovely as the birds.

It was a maiden, trapped in a high tower.

The prince circled the tower ten times, twenty times, but found no entrance.

The prince returned each night to listen to the maiden’s beautiful voice.

Eventually he saw an old woman climb the maiden’s long, long hair to enter through the high window.

What a great idea! The prince followed suit.

At first, the maiden was afraid, but soon she found the prince to be quite charming!

The prince and the maiden held a secret wedding in the tower.

After much trial and tribulation, they eventually lived happily ever after.

Perfect feet on perfect legs.

Perfect toes in perfect snow.

Perfect.

…books to kids.

Actually, he is quite good at it. He is a wonderful reader.

During our visit to my parents house, Iris was finally able to put on a boot.

She learned to walk again.