This post will be a little longer than the first two parts of Chapter 10. Hope you like it just the same!--Lorelei
The next morning Meadow fixed delicious Western omelets. They were going to the Smooth Rock Spa.
The next morning Meadow fixed delicious Western omelets. They were going to the Smooth Rock Spa.
Brian did a little fishing at the stream there and the kids were anxious to sample the mineral springs. Meadow led them over there and then Willow wrinkled her nose and said loudly,
"P.U. Momma! Something stinks around here."
Heath and Brook looked at each other and immediately burst into giggles.
"Well, it does!" Willow stressed.
"Shh, honey, it's the minerals that do that."
"Okay," Willow was somewhat mollified, but then she asked, "What's minerals?"
Meadow looked at her for a moment,
"You know what, honey? You should ask your daddy to tell you all about minerals tonight at the cabin."
Heath snickered and elbowed Brook,
"Daddy probably doesn't know what minerals are either."
"Brian, I would really like to get a deep tissue massage, will you keep an eye on the kids while I do that?" Meadow asked after a while.
The stream meandered all through the spa and he could easily see the children while he fished,
"Not a problem. In fact, I'll take them over to the lunch bar in a little while."
When he and the kids went to eat, Heath and Willow had thought the chicken pot pie Brook got last night looked and sounded so good that they ordered that while this time around Brook ordered the flapjacks with boysenberry syrup.
When her massage was over Meadow paid to get a lesson in giving the massage. After their lunch the kids went right back to the mineral spring.
"C'mon, Daddy, you haven't even been in here yet. It's fun--but it's kinda stinky," Willow called him into the spring.
Meadow joined them finally and told Brian to go get his massage. It was getting dark when Brian thought to ask another tourist to take their picture as a family. The photo turned out good but would have been so much better taken in full daylight.
Once home Meadow supervised baths and bedtime while Brian took the chance to check out the high power telescope in the side yard. It had been another unseasonably warm day for fall, but now it was getting chillier.
What a clear, starry night it is, Brian thought. He could hear Meadow softly singing a lullaby to the girls--after all, Willow was barely over being rocked to sleep at night.
He went indoors and lit a fire in the fireplace, it was crackling nicely when Meadow came in the room.
"Kids all set?" he asked, sitting down on the love seat in front of the fire.
"For the night, anyway," she smiled and plopped down next to him, putting her hands out to feel the heat, "Mm, that's nice."
"Glad we came?"
"Oh, yes, I think the kids are having the time of their lives."
"How about you?" he put his arm around her.
"I'm having the time of my life, too."
They sat a long while in companionable silence, enjoying the fire and each other's company and the absolute quiet.
"I should go take my bath," Meadow finally spoke as she got to her feet.
"Don't go yet," Brian asked.
She looked down at him and smiled as she sat back down,
"All right."
"I know I'm a big boy now, but...I'd sure like to have you sing me a lullaby," he teased. And stroking her pale, silky hair he kissed her--and then kissed her again, this time it lasted longer.
"You'd like a lullaby?" she whispered after several moments.
"Yeah," he had a boyish smile playing about his lips, "Or just something to make me sleep like a baby."
Meadow leaned back in the love seat and crooked her finger at him,
"Well, let's see what we can do about that..."
After a bit Brian spoke softly,
"I bet the view from our balcony is magnificent tonight."
"I bet it is, too, and very romantic. Let's go check it out, handsome."
The children always woke up early at home and even more so on this vacation. Meadow could hear them outside as she was deciding what outfit to wear; the family had no plans to chase around Three Lakes today. She went to the window to check on them and started laughing.
"Brian, come here and look," she called and he came over, wrapped his arms around her waist and gazed out the window.
"I was packing the kids clothes and then thought maybe I'd better bring their sports outfits. Good thing I did because Heath and Brook are out there now doing calisthenics. But look at Willow--she must have sneaked in her tutu, tights and leotard while I had her suitcase open. I think I remember that the phone rang while I was in the middle of it."
It was true. One of the things that had captured Willow's fancy when she had her birthday was the ballet outfit that Brook had outgrown. She'd worn it all the time for the last two days before they left. Now she was out in the front yard, jogging in place in a pink leotard with a filmy little skirt.
Brian headed for the stairs, chuckling,
"She's a trip, our Willow."
When the children finished exercising the came in and got dressed they went out to the pond to fish.
Brian startled Meadow when she came down to the kitchen and he started pounding his chest and making noises like Tim Allen in Home Improvement.
"Pretty good, huh?" he said as he finished.
"Enchanting. What was that?"
"It's the gesture they use to greet someone up here in the mountains--you know--like the "hang loose' one on Twikkii?" Brian explained.
Meadow laughed,
"Possibly you should warn people before you do it."
It had been a restful day and now was another pleasant evening. The slight nip in the air made the mineral spring especially enjoyable. Heath and Brook were still fishing, they had stopped occasionally during the day to eat or get in the natural jacuzzi, but right at the moment Brian and Meadow had it to themselves. Willow had been playing in the hammock earlier and then fallen asleep in it.
The next morning it was wet outside--a light misty rain was falling softly. Before breakfast Brian taught Willow the 'gesture'. She was a good student and nothing if not enthusiastic.
Meadow made pancakes, but this time she scattered small bits of breakfast sausage through the batter. Brian loved it when she made the sausage-pancakes. They needed to finish up as much of the perishable food as they could, very little was thrown out and wasted when they left. All three of the children voted to go back to the Lumber Mill Range.
They took a taxi down to the town and walked the rest of the way since the rain was petering out. But first Brian took them by the campground which was on the way to the range.
"You know, I stayed here a couple of nights with some of my buddies years and years ago," he mentioned. The campground had a pond a little smaller than the one by their cabin and a couple of log roll pools. Small tents dotted the property with grills nearby and comfy hammocks and camp chairs.
"You did?" Meadow sounded surprised.
"Yeah, back in high school, Nicky Ferguson, Adam Brecht and I--didn't I ever mention it?"
"Not that I recall."
"I'll tell you about it some time, but not now. Remind me when we get back home."
"I will," she raised one eyebrow and grinned.
It was a little cooler this day, but the kids could not be dissuaded from playing on the log roll.
"Why don't we try our luck at axe throwing again, Sunshine? I'll let you beat me this time," Brian told Meadow.
"Gee, thanks."
After they begged him, Brian eventually did join the kids on the logs. Meadow sat that one out. He told her later that night that the kids loved falling off into the pool so much that they practically threw themselves in, not trying very hard anymore to balance on the log.
"All three are water babies, all right. They'd absolutely love Twikkii Island," she replied.
"Well, maybe next year we can pull off that trick."
It was time to head back to the cabin; they would be leaving for home late that night.
"It's hot dogs for supper, my pets," said Meadow, "But we did manage to use up most of the food. We ran out of milk last night and I used the last of the eggs in the pancakes."
After their meal the kids spent a while playing and watching TV.
"I hate to leave," Heath said sadly as he picked up his suitcase. They could hear the shuttle driver beeping the horn.
"It's always that way when you go on vacation, son," Brian told him, "But we'll be back. Or maybe next time we'll go to another place that will be just as much fun, if not more."
"No place could be more fun than here," Brook mourned.
"Ah, but we have each other and anywhere we are all together is fun," Meadow said, smiling as she turned out the lights.
When they got back home they expected the snow to be gone since it had been so warm up in the mountains. There were amazed, therefore, to see there was plenty of snow on the ground. Winter had come unusually early to Pleasantview and was evidently there for the duration.
The next morning it was wet outside--a light misty rain was falling softly. Before breakfast Brian taught Willow the 'gesture'. She was a good student and nothing if not enthusiastic.
Meadow made pancakes, but this time she scattered small bits of breakfast sausage through the batter. Brian loved it when she made the sausage-pancakes. They needed to finish up as much of the perishable food as they could, very little was thrown out and wasted when they left. All three of the children voted to go back to the Lumber Mill Range.
They took a taxi down to the town and walked the rest of the way since the rain was petering out. But first Brian took them by the campground which was on the way to the range.
"You know, I stayed here a couple of nights with some of my buddies years and years ago," he mentioned. The campground had a pond a little smaller than the one by their cabin and a couple of log roll pools. Small tents dotted the property with grills nearby and comfy hammocks and camp chairs.
"You did?" Meadow sounded surprised.
"Yeah, back in high school, Nicky Ferguson, Adam Brecht and I--didn't I ever mention it?"
"Not that I recall."
"I'll tell you about it some time, but not now. Remind me when we get back home."
"I will," she raised one eyebrow and grinned.
It was a little cooler this day, but the kids could not be dissuaded from playing on the log roll.
"Why don't we try our luck at axe throwing again, Sunshine? I'll let you beat me this time," Brian told Meadow.
"Gee, thanks."
After they begged him, Brian eventually did join the kids on the logs. Meadow sat that one out. He told her later that night that the kids loved falling off into the pool so much that they practically threw themselves in, not trying very hard anymore to balance on the log.
"All three are water babies, all right. They'd absolutely love Twikkii Island," she replied.
"Well, maybe next year we can pull off that trick."
It was time to head back to the cabin; they would be leaving for home late that night.
"It's hot dogs for supper, my pets," said Meadow, "But we did manage to use up most of the food. We ran out of milk last night and I used the last of the eggs in the pancakes."
After their meal the kids spent a while playing and watching TV.
"I hate to leave," Heath said sadly as he picked up his suitcase. They could hear the shuttle driver beeping the horn.
"It's always that way when you go on vacation, son," Brian told him, "But we'll be back. Or maybe next time we'll go to another place that will be just as much fun, if not more."
"No place could be more fun than here," Brook mourned.
"Ah, but we have each other and anywhere we are all together is fun," Meadow said, smiling as she turned out the lights.
When they got back home they expected the snow to be gone since it had been so warm up in the mountains. There were amazed, therefore, to see there was plenty of snow on the ground. Winter had come unusually early to Pleasantview and was evidently there for the duration.
