Norman Who?

A Norman Rockwell sorta day. Carrie, the husband and I started out with waffles and bacon. They hit the patio to hang out while I did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. How much more Norman Rockwell could it get?

I now know why Carrie wasn't all enthused about riding her bike. The last time we went for a ride, she could barely get it moving. It was not one of our most pleasant times riding together. We got about 2 blocks from the house when she gave up and said she didn't want to ride anymore. I had to make up songs and sing them to her to encourage her to get that bike back to the house. Today I made a big discovery. There wasn't any air in her tires. I can now understand why she had such a difficult time getting it to roll.

We have air. Yes sir, we do. I got my mini air compressor from the trunk of my car and filled em up. She came out and climbed aboard her bike and off we went. Her bike was skimming along with very little effort on her part to keep it moving. She  smiled  as the wind lifted her hair away from her face. I followed behind her to make sure she stayed on the right side of the road and to bring my bike up to shield her from the oncoming cars or the cars coming up behind us. A group of bikers approached wearing their helmets and colorful riding clothes. They nodded and smiled and stayed in perfect synch as they rounded a curve, each bike slotted perfectly for the turn.

Carrie actually enjoyed her bike ride today. Lesson learned. Check tire pressure. She wasn't in a big hurry to end our ride.

I like to watch little kids. Later in the morning Carrie spotted  three of them hanging over the board fence across the street. All were within her age group and were visiting their grandmother.  She asked if she could cross the street to see them and after collecting our nods, away she went. She walked right up to the base of the fence and looked up at them and said  "Hi, my name is Carrie."   Without hesitation, they gave her instructions on how to get into the yard. The grandmother must have heard the exchange because Carrie didn't have to go to the front door to gain entrance. The yard gate swung open and she was in.

Little children have no hesitation when meeting each other. They assume if you're the right height, you must be one of them and that's enough to qualify you for acceptance. She slipped right into their game playing and when I went to check  on her, she was enjoying herself and her new friends. I let her hang out with them for a while and then promised her a visit to the park. She said her goodbyes and we made our way back across the street. I'm always amazed that Carrie doesn't argue when we ask her to do something. I tell her it's bath time and she stops what she is doing and we head for the tub. I told her it was time to go today and leave her new friends. She turns and tells everyone "goodbye" and we were on our way. The promise of a park visit probably helped to ease the pain of leaving her  buddies.

Gerald (pronounced "Jer   Rod" ) park is the biggest park here in town and has been undergoing some major improvements lately. New play areas with sponge like ground has been installed. One bounces when walking across this flooring. The children falling down survive without bumps, bruises or pain.

We take bread to feed the ducks that are pedaling around the huge ponds. Nutria's can be spotted in their boroughs at the waters' edge.  Fountains spraying water at the center of these ponds collect light and create mini rainbows. Quaint foot bridges cross from one side to the other. Children with their parents filled the playgrounds. Carrie soon found others her age for play.
Frisbees were flying across the green fields, bikes were racked or being ridden around the paths. A garage band in one of the pavilions was entertaining the crowd. Electric guitars and a drummer provided sound. A trombone was held on a stand. A natural amphitheatre surrounds this bandstand. Blankets were spread out on this  small hill providing the people enjoying the music an unrestricted view. Occasionally a breeze blew through and the  sun would hide behind the clouds. The dark clouds held no rain for us and moved on. 

Carrie has finally left the building and I'm taking a much needed break. Her brother came  and picked her up for a visit to the ice cream parlour. I have a date with a hot shower and some pajamas, a comfy bed and some feather pillows. I'm done.