It is a mixed up time for sure. I tried to think “safety first” in how to get off the beaten path for Memorial Day weekend. The original beaten path is The Loop, as we call it, the circular walk through our neighborhood. Another beaten path is The Trail, which meanders through the woods and by the creek before delivering us politely to Clara Barton playground. We love these and our other beaten paths, but we thought in an effort to welcome summer enthusiastically we could find a new trail. It would get us moving and boost our mental health immunity.
Hugh, Josie and I decided on Kent Island, just on the other end of the Bay Bridge on the Eastern Shore. Terrapin Nature Park has a trail along the beach and through the woods. (Unfortunately to grandmother’s house it does not go.) It was wonderful.
The children did notice there was something slightly different about this beach as compared to, say, a Bali beach. Maybe it was the 20 degree cooler weather, the big Bay Bridge in the background or the smaller strip of sand. Finn lamented the lack of waves. But still – a beach! A small thrill. The children found a small bridge to jump off of, which gave Hugh just enough time to read the Post.
Bali was in dog heaven, digging her way to China, no passport or mask considered. She got away from us at one point and enthusiastically jumped on a man down the beach who was lounging half asleep against a log. Luckily he just laughed.
And the walk was woodsy-marshy and great for chatting with our friends. We slipped on masks when people came by but there weren’t too many. We and the Hathways are in each other’s bubbles, but still, we traveled in different cars. We wanted to explore historic Stevensville, but the second most interesting thing we found was a sign for “blowfish racing.”
The most interesting thing we found was Rita’s Italian Ice, our drop off point for food and book donations for some newcomer Guatemalan families living in Sudlersville. Rita’s has gelati: italian ice plus frozen custard. Tatum had mango ice and vanilla custard, Clara had blue raspberry ice and strawberry custard, and Finn had vanilla custard with chocolate sprinkles. We sat on the grass in the shade and sunshine, surrounded by American flags, and it felt like Memorial Day.
But now I’m a little anxious, wondering if we shouldn’t have left home. Maybe we should have stayed on the paths we knew. Parenting is fraught with new decisions these days.
@theterrace 