The Twelve-Inch-Tire Version of Life
“Hurry! We’ve got to catch those people!” The boy yelled, picking up his bike from where he had tossed it on the road. There was something reminiscent of a person hopping on a motorcycle and blasting off, the way the boy jumped onto that twelve-inch-tire bike and sped off.
“Oh no! We’ve got to catch the people!” The tot shouted in the twelve-inch-tire version of a voice. She started the twelve-inch-tire version of a run, which I could manage to keep up with pretty well with my twenty-six inch tire version of legs.
I ambled onward, looking at the sky. The Florida version of Mother Nature isn’t convinced that the seasons are shifting. Today she took a day off from her work toward autumn, and decided to sic some nasty summer thunderstorms on us. The clouds were still swaying about the sky, slowly clearing off, as the sun gave over to the moon.
“We’ve got to catch the people! We’ve got to catch the people!” The tot chanted, her words garbled up here and there as she stumbled over little nicks in the road. I picked up the pace a bit, dragging an umbrella stroller with a mind of its own along with me. The thing was bent on turning in any direction that was not straight, and we skittered along together to the sound of the tot’s garbled chant.
Onward. Down the curving streets, as twilight started to seep in. There were no other kids out so late on a school night; just us homeschoolers. Nobody in our house is getting up at 6:30 in the morning to pack a school lunch tomorrow.
“Hurry! Hurry!” The boy egged us on, held back by the rule of not getting too far ahead, dragging us along like a rusty anchor. “They turned the corner!”
We soon stood at the crossroads. A left turn to be homeward bound; a right turn to further the chase. I looked up at the moon, almost full, shining down on us. My mom used to say that walking in moonlight was good for you. I decided I agreed.
![IMG_20180822_223031.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmfMLc2G9bSEWxUtoMi7qYw4H8qZoF1ZYccgZmFJXt5WN1/IMG_20180822_223031.jpg)
Chasing the Moon
“We’ll take the long way tonight, because the moon is almost full,” I told the children, who cheered and continued on. The suspects were getting away—they had to act fast.
The moon followed us, sneaking a glance at us through the pine trees. I watched how the branches of live oaks, so normally appealing in the daylight with the stately way they stand horizontal to the ground, suddenly looked eerie in the growing darkness. Everything loses its comfort in the dark. All that full moon light soothes us.
The boy was still held back, dragging along his anchor; a breathless tot made a false move in a shallow ditch and landed her butt in muddy water. Tears were shed, mud was sloshed, and then again: “We’ve got to catch the people!”
By the next bend I could see our heroes were growing tired. The tot’s trot was becoming a waddle. The boy’s enthusiasm had waned. The sun sent out its last burst of color, bits of pink here and there—a backdrop of light to all the silhouettes of Florida: Short needle pines, miscellaneous understory scrub, and palmetto fronds.
![IMG_20180822_211440.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTJ5baW1cxdLsPPuV6o9MK5MbJ1MdkGQfBvpzAsKDqQuX/IMG_20180822_211440.jpg)
The dramatic version of Florida, that exists in my imagination.
Sadly, the people’s distant figures disappeared around a curve, too far off to be pursued any further. The scent had gone cold. I don’t know what the neighbors did to be chased like that, but no doubt it was something very offensive—the twelve-inch tire version of offensive anyway.
Hahahah... What a fun adventure for your kids, they definitely must have done something "offensive" lol.
Beautiful photos!
Thank you. I can only imagine what the kids had dreamed up :)
I sit on an old park bench in my back yard and watch the river run by at sunset. Sometimes I think it ought to be chased like your neighbors, but I look across the river and see a Bobcat of my acquaintence on the opposite bank looking back at me. He's one of natures' critters and sees no reason to chase the river. I take his advice.
He sounds like a good fellow to take advice from. Your own sunset river, how nice. Must be a bobcat and not a bob-cub or surely he would be trying to chase something.
My "escape" home in the northern part of the state is on California's last untamed river, the Cosumnes. My Bobcat buddy has been around long enough to become a wise cat. We commune like that often.
That sounds wonderful.
Splitting my time between northern and southern California can be confusing. There aren't many Bobcats to commune with in Hollywood. Come to think of it, not many rivers, either. ;-)
That's a good balance I'm sure.
If it wasn't for my fascination with film history, I probably wouldn't set foot south of Bakersfield.
Bakersfield. I have no idea where that is, but it sounds quaint and writer-friendly.
Don't worry kids, next time you will catch the people!
Got to get the tot on wheels, and then there's no stopping them. Although that might not be a good thing...
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Catch the people! 😂 Kids never cease to make me smile. I love the tot’s admiration of the boy. So cute.
Playing is an art for them. I am always amazed at the skill they have for it.
Hi ginnyannette,
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Wow, thanks!
I am sure ginnyannette that you and your children sleep well at night with all your adventures.
Yes we do! Or they do at least. I don't have a lot of time for sleep :)
Children are the main generators of happiness. leave them as long as they follow their heart to develop their instinct ... friend you can go through my last message knowing a little my story and the reality that many are unaware
Yes, they are experts at creating happiness, within themselves and elsewhere.
Thanks for stopping by.
Children are the main generators of happiness. leave them as long as they follow their heart to develop their instinct ... friend you can go through my last message knowing a little my story and the reality that many are unaware
well well well..look who decided to do some creative writing. or at least try to. hey Florida only has a dramatic version in your mind?
I think curie's confused, I think curie was trying to get to my blog. lol. no curie wouldn't touch mine with a ten foot pole.
Aww, you are too hard on yourself...or on me...or on both of us :D
Florida has a serene version to go along with the dramatic neon colored version, too. What does your Texas have to say to that?
oh man..uh....lol. no really have you ever seen those amazing websites that show the stunning variety of Texas geography and sights? forests and canyons and lakes and caves and beaches and mountains and grasslands and fields of wildflowers and vineyards and deserts and crop fields and on and on, it blows my mind.
But I haven't seen any of that, I'd love to do some traveling though.
The dramatic neon colored Florida is what?
I'm sure your right, Texas is huge. That's really a shame you haven't explored more. You should just start close to your house and start checking things off a map onward.
well we will when we figure out how to make some money.