a common bush, afire: the days were just packed . . .

. . . packed loosely, though, and as full of stillness as they were of activity. So lovely long and slow, the handful of days felt like luxurious weeks. Last week my Farmer took off work and stayed home with us to play. Here's what we did:

The girls helped my Farmer set up the tent, and we embarked on the good life - out of doors.

Campfires galore were on the menu, followed by roasted hotdogs and s'mores at every opportunity. All three daughters slept in the tent overnights till the weather betrayed them, three nights in all.

Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice went mushroom hunting with my Farmer ...

Cheesemaking started on Monday and the process pretty much continued all week. Check out the whole story here.

On Tuesday we tried papermaking, something Sugar has been waiting to do for quite some time. There were a few hitches along the way, but it ended well. Details required a separate post.

More campfires ...

And then, an ambitious project out of the blue, courtesy of my own roving mind: to create a playspace in a generations-old junk storage spot. I present to you ....

.... The Loft.

..... the workers ....

.... and the results!

We were not the only ones creating something new. My brother and his wife blessed the family with a new member and we were thrilled to be available to visit him.