Play dates

It has occurred to me how much my putting my professional life aside to provide care for Dwane is like when I chose to be an at-home mother and care for my children. During those years I planned a "play date" one day a week when they were out of school. We live in a beautiful region which attracts thousands of visitors in the warm season, and the children and I would enjoy one of the aspects of the region we really enjoy and sample one new region or novelty to see if it would become one of our favorites or one that having seen once was enough. It occurred to me recently to implement the "play date" with Dwane. So every week we are going to enjoy an aspect of the area in which we live. Last week we drove to an area where many go in the summer. It was so much fun to be there when so few others were. We walked familiar trails and enjoyed the exquisite scenery. We drove through a scenic area in which there are bison, Custer State Park, and we were literally weaving in and out amongst them on the highway. I remembered having read that these bison are one of only two groups in the U.S. which contain the original bison genetics; all other herds of bison have their genetics mixed with cattle. Majestic animals! We walked among the giant granite spires this area is so famous for, The Needles, and I enjoyed the healing experience it is for me to be in nature. I also enjoyed the presence of these great rocks, which my sister and I frolicked upon as children; part of the group of "friends" with whom I played. We stopped and ate at fun places we found open. I think it was a very good day for us both and a good tradition to start.