Spring Weekends at 5

Last weekend was the first in possibly months in which one of us parents didn't have to go in to work. We made the most of it on Saturday. In the morning we drive to a nearby town and joined some of Dad's coworkers' families for a tour of a small pretzel bakery. It was modestly interesting, and Limelet got to try twisting some dough into a classic pretzel shape. The event was perhaps a tiny bit long and dry for small children, though. However, we got lots of photos of Limelet posing in and around a giant pretzel in front of the building, so that was all right.

For lunch we all met at a nearby restaurant, where everybody's children were more than patient with the grownup proceedings.

After the expedition dispersed and everyone left was the best part of the day: we went back into town, got ice cream, and spent the afternoon at the park. (I mourned the wasting of our lunch leftovers, but it couldn't be helped.)


We really need to procure some quarters and carry them around so we can buy duck food pellets, play video games at the arcade, and pay parking. In order of importance.

Initially we saw only a few ducklings, but as we passed again later there were several  dozen against one pond wall, all queeping madly, and one lone mother duck trying to corral them all. Apparently she'd been roped into the job for the afternoon while the other duck parents escaped.

It really was a classic small-town America summer afternoon, complete with throwing stones from the railway track into the river.

Ray Bradbury would have approved, had he been there.