Saturday Afternoon at the Park

When you own a house, there is always something that needs to be done. The front steps are crumbling, the kitchen sink needs to be snaked again, the shed is growing green stuff on it, and we've really been meaning to apply a coat of sealer to the foundation.

Let's not even talk about the deck that could use a good paint job, the clothesline that needs to be restrung, the bushes that could all use a good whacking, or the driveway that hasn't been sealed since I can't remember when.

My husband and I noted all of these things to one another. I'd mention a necessary task. He'd say, "Let's add it to The List." And then we'd chortle like maniacs about The List, even though it wasn't even really funny. We knew weren't doing any of it. Instead, on this lovely summer day, we decided to go and have some fun. (As he said to me a few weekends ago, "LET'S GO - QUICKLY - and try to have some FUN, before the phone rings again with even more bad news!")

Our fun included swimming at Bald Eagle State Park and stopping for hoagies and milk in Port Matilda on our way home. I took my camera along, of course. While I am not much of a people photographer, somehow the little beach at Bald Eagle turns me into a Seurat wanna-be.

All of the people in my scene were bright dots of color against a landscape of golden sand and green grass and blue sky. I spotted an older couple relaxing near the tree, in a shady spot. I wanted to use them, and their tree, to help frame my scene, showing people from all walks of life.

There was a family speaking Spanish at the picnic table next to us, and they had some loud, fun, international music blaring. I bopped along to the beat, and I wanted to tell them I liked it a lot, but I didn't want to insult them somehow. So I just quietly enjoyed the music, which made everything feel more festive.

Two little boys, maybe about the age of 6 to 8, were playing with sticks (remember the thrill of playing with sticks as a child?). Their mama asked them to finally put the sticks down ("I'm not asking you one more time!" she said, in an exasperated tone of voice), and the one young man replied: "But this is my STICK. It is my DESTINY!!!" I must admit that I laughed long and hard over that!

Here is a song to go with a late Saturday afternoon that wanted to turn into one of these. Here is Bon Jovi, with a 1994 MTV unplugged version of Someday I'll Be Saturday Night.