While you were away . . .

While Gaylene was with her family in Washington State, the kids and I had a couple of adventures. Josh lost his first tooth. I was helping him brush his teeth. He warned me before I started to "take it easy" because his tooth was loose. But it was so loose that when the brush touched the tooth it fell out. It really freaked Josh out - probably because of his traumatic tongue biting incident. You can see some tears on his left cheek. We never found the tooth, so we don't know if he swallowed it or spit it out in the sink with the toothpaste and blood.

We also went on a hike in the San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park. Apparently a hammock is more than an uncomfortable hanging bed, it is also a kind of forest. Here is what someone smart apparently said about Florida Hammocks: "Naturalist in Florida (1994), Archie Carr, zoology professor and naturalist, states that in Florida a hammock refers to any hardwood forest, although the definition varies slightly depending on geographical area. In coastal Georgia the term refers to 'a little island in the salt marsh, usually with red cedar, small live oaks, and saltbush growing on it' (Carr 1994:171)."

Hammocks are also apparently good places to to make moonshine. We didn't see (or drink) any moonshine but the kids had fun running around the trails, crossing bridges, and looking at trees that could be homes for mythical creatures (see below).

We did not get the liquid in this canteen from moonshine creek. Promise. Hiccup.

Ashley thought this tree would be a perfect fairy house.