Playing Outside

When I was a child, I loved to play outside.  That's where the swing was that my dad had made and the sandbox he had crafted.  That's where the weeping willows were, my favorite childhood trees, where I could while away the hours, my imagination taking me to faraway places.  That's where the snow forts could be built or the "houses" made of fall leaves.  To this day, I love to be outside.  So, on a recent Sunday, when my chore list was longer than my arm, I resisted and took to the outdoors instead.  Fortunately, some of my chores were outside jobs: trimming the dead wood from the French lilac, raking the leaves from between the evergreen shrubs and erecting cages to save the burning bushes from becoming deer appetizers in the winter.  But, it was also the perfect afternoon for a walk in town, followed by a walk with Larry at Devil's Lake.  Everyone seemed to be out that afternoon, either doing yard work or taking walks themselves.  Many of them were wearing shorts just one more time.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get outside, breathe deeply the fresh air and revel in the warm, sunny autumn sky.