Artist at work

We're gonna need more markers if I'm going to properly express all my thoughts. 

Turtle tour

Ollie and Lexi came for a visit this weekend, so we took them on a hike to our favorite turtle pond. It's pretty deep in the woods, surprisingly close to home. 

We got to hang out on the old colonial bridge and check out the really big snapping turtles below. We didn't get a chance to go swimming, but after seeing one turtle the same size as Lexi, maybe that was for the best.  

Space dreams

That's about the right size, now all that's left is to figure out how the rockets attach to the bottom. 

Socially distant swimming

The great thing about getting to the pool early is the six-foot rule is really easy when no one else is in the water. 

I don't remember ordering this

And I have no idea if I can return it now that it's open. 

A sparkling good time

Pop found some old sparklers, then told us we were allowed to run around the yard with white hot stakes of metal. I mean, what could be more fun? 

Yes, there is a fine line between fun and terror. Always. 

Reeling them in

If you've got a lake nearby, you've got to practice your fishing skills. Who knows when Grandmom might forget to buy dinner? Luckily, Pop always has a few worms ready. 

Don't worry, Jonathan wasn't the only one to pull in a squirmy sunny. 

And we weren't the only ones enjoying the fish. The cats were really interested too. 

Shades of death

Don't let the name fool you -- this was just a shady trail up in the mountains. And also there were a lot of dead bodies. 

And there was an incredible waterfall we could walk right up to. It had a really nice, cool mist on a hot hiking day. 

Jonathan had his own ideas how to cool off. 

Just a boy in the woods lost in his thoughts (but not lost in the woods, the trail was right over here). 

The trail was a ton of fun, with some great rock scrambling and big hills. I don't think Grandmom liked it as much as we did, but she was a trooper, and we only had to carry her for the last half. 

Boulder Field pilgrimage

Virus or not, we couldn't visit the Poconos without stopping by Boulder Field. Where else are we gonna get the chance to break an ankle in several acres of loose, oversized rocks? 

Jonathan's legs are long enough now to jump across big gaps in the boulders, which feels a little unfair. If he'd stop growing for just one summer, I'm sure I could catch up to him. 

But he still doesn't have his rock posing game on as strong as I do. 

A trip around the lake

Sometimes you need to travel all over for great views, and sometimes they're just right outside Pop and Grandmom's vacation house. 

We got a lot of chances to explore all over the lake, including Pop and I finding a new, hidden blueberry bush trove. I wanted to bring Grandmom back there to see them all, but we ate them instead. 

We're gonna have to ask Mom and Dad to put one of these lakes in behind our house. They're pretty awesome. 

Relaxing in the Poconos

A whole week of nothing but fresh air and relaxation in the mountains? Yes, please, I'll try that.

Firefly hunting

They aren't that fast, but they are that fun.