Sunday Afternoon Trip to Pop Pop's by the Bay

I owed my Pop a visit. And I had to deliver some typing he had sent me to do, some sermonish thing he wanted to send to my cousin in Hawaii who calls him weekly to discuss and argue Biblical ... stuff. Seth had to interview a relative for his history project, so he came along too. Luke likes to run through Pop Pop's garden whenever he gets the chance, so he came too.

As we begin our trip to Pop Pop's by the bay, we drive past and through many blossoming acres of orchards. We were flanked by pink blossoms. I wanted to stop and photograph every 5 minutes, but I just clicked this quickie while driving. It doesn't even begin to do the pink blankets justice.

Once we got there and said our hellos, Seth began interviewing and Luke and I went out. First stop, the kids' favorite beech tree.
Then a walk through the dying boxwoods.
Luke does laps up and down the rows. It's sort of like the Rocky steps at the museum. It just must be done. I let him. We weren't allowed to do all that garden running when I was a kid, but Pop Pop has softened his stance on this now that he's 94.
I always look at this stand of trees. Whatever the season, they're beautiful to me. I want to paint them.
Luke held this up to my camera, a crape myrtle seed pod.
Then Luke and I went back in where the interview was still going on. And on.
As you can tell from his skillful use of Pop Pop's grabber, Luke has heard a lot of these stories before.
Here's a favorite... This railing post holds a memory for my parents. I was barely tall enough to reach the little hole in which this vase sits. But as mom and dad were saying their goodbyes one night, I dropped the car keys into this hollow newel. The keys are still there at the bottom. Unreachable.
On the way home, Seth asked if we could find the dirt road that my dad let him drive on last time. He doesn't have his permit yet, though he's of age. This is me...relinquishing the driver's seat to my son for the first time. Don't tell. It was an empty dirt road through the woods. The greatest harm done was the shock to the chassis.

Then the 11 year old in the backseat was heard to say longingly, "I want to try."

So that's the day in pictures.

Later I hope to write some stories from the information Seth recorded in the interview.