Fun for Nothing

After spending all day cooped up thanks to Tropical Storm Fay, Ray and the kids and me struck out for Monkey Park. In true southern fashion, Monkey Park is really named Municipal Park, but in the almost nine months that we've been here, I've yet to hear anyone call it by that name. And before you ask, yes, there really were monkeys there back in the '60s and '70s, but my long-time Auburn-Opelika friends say that the monkeys were removed after folks gave them inappropriate food and cigarette butts (of all things!).

The kids like Monkey Park because it has four or five different play areas. I like it because some of their equipment is vintage 1970s or earlier, so it reminds me of the park where I played with my sisters. Plus, there's a tiny stream that runs through the middle of the park. I love streams, especially little streams with rocks where the water bubbles over them. How wonderful is that?!

Before our quest for free fun had barely begun, excitement struck. Just as we were heading out from the parking lot, we heard C-RRR-AAAA-CK followed by loud crashing. Right across the street from the park, a branch fell on top of a van. Only a few minutes later, an old, ragged out Mecury Cougar came through the parking lot barely missing our van, jumped the curb, ran over a small tree, turned, jumped the curb and came to a stop. As soon as we recovered from that excitement, a stray dog arrived, and a fellow park-goer commenced to chase it with a 10-foot limb. The dog had the good sense to flee.

In between all this craziness the kids did have fun. Jack tried out and loved the toddler swings, and he and Amelia had a go at the bouncy seesaw. She had to ride this the "princess way," which to us mere peasants is side saddle.


With the return of the rain, I borrowed a craft from SouleMama's The Creative Family and got Amelia started on "sewing" around pictures we drew, cut out and hole punched. She was so proud and promptly requested more pictures and yarn.