The Hazard Chronicles

Growing up, I often had the thought that I could live perfectly happily, all on my own, in a cabin up in the mountains somewhere. Books like "My Side of the Mountain," "Walden," "Desert Solitaire," or "Into the Wild" held a special sort of romantic appeal to me, and I could easily picture myself following in the footsteps of their protagonists (except for the part where Chris dies...In my imagination I never die). In short, I have always been fairly comfortable with nothing but a stack of books and my own thoughts to keep me company. Not that I dislike more social interaction...I've just never really gone out of my way to seek it out.

And that's where Rachel enters the picture. Because of her, I now question all these youthful fantasies of solitude. And it's not just because I want her to be there with me (which, of course, I would). More than this though, Rachel has introduced me into a world where friends come easily, and activities are made more enjoyable by the presence of others. From backyard cook-outs to game nights to going out on the town, I find myself more outgoing and social now than my twenty-year-old self would ever have believed. And I like it.

Oh, I still allow myself the occasional daydream of a quiet, lonely life. There is still some romance to the idea that I just can't shake. In the versions now though, we live closer to a big city (where alienation is, perhaps, easier than ever), Rachel is there to help pass the time, and we find ample excuses to escape our self-imposed isolation.

*****

With that introduction, I want to put a plug in for Rachel's new Facebook group that she has started. Everywhere we have gone, she has either joined, or initiated groups like this, and I have to say that they have added a dimension to my own life that I would probably miss. This week we hosted the second meet-up of the group in our own back-yard, and with the beautiful summer weather, it's easy to "let the good times roll."

There were actually a LOT more kids running around than this picture would imply

*****

Later in the weekend, Jackson and I had a fun time hanging out at Silverwood theme park. The three older kids get free passes for reading in school, making it easy for Rachel and I to grapple some one-on-one time away from our busy lives.

I'll tell you what- this kid is a maniac! As soon as we got in the park he sprinted to the biggest, fastest rides that he was allowed to do. Hooray for roller coasters!

Taking a break on the Ferris wheel. Look at the beautiful sky- it was a perfect day

About halfway through the day we changed into our swimming suits and headed for the water park. These slides were by far our favorites, and we raced down them over and over again.

And of course, my favorite part. Dinner and a magic show. It never disappoints.

Have a good week!

He is winking. It looks like he has a bug in his eye though. He's a cool kid.