Spring..err..back again!?

Yesterday turned out to be a good day. I had limited my expectations, as my last post suggested...but those were surpassed and we had fun. It was a lot colder than we anticipated, with a strong wind westerly wind nipping at our ears and cheeks. Clear skies and bright sunshine. We made our way to Jericho; River trailing along, but appearing to be in much better spirits, a little tired perhaps. We stopped off at various 'playgrounds'. A pile of gravel and a temporarily abandoned digger. Muffin Break and the lure of carrot cake and muffins. Then on to the beach, spending time attempting to climb trees, scrambling along fallen branches over the duck pond. Adventures in 'killing cattails' (cattails are Nicky and Bronwyn's arch enemies - another story); they busied themselves trying to destroy the remnants of cattails that surrounded the Jericho duck pond.

We walked further down the beach towards Spanish Banks and spent some time on the crab-fishing pier (as we call it). Lots of people out there; swinging out their crab catchers, baited with pieces of raw chicken, into the receding tide. I always wonder where crabs develop the taste for chicken. It is curious when you think about it. Why would a meal of chicken lure a crab into a trap? I know there's a good explanation for this, but I don't know if I want to know it. Preferring instead to ponder the possibilities of how crabs come to develop a taste for chicken. It is questions like those that entertain me during those empty moments we all experience now and then.
 

budding photographer

Mike and I decided that we should buy a crab trap. How expensive can they be? We could then return to the pier and catch our own crabs. Of course we would throw them back. Even the biggest crabs; the ones that are wrapped up and taken to be eaten, are not particularly big.

I have never eaten crab. I have always been put off by the boiling alive method of killing. Also, there is something a little barbaric about how people look when they eat crab; cracking the bones and digging out the flesh, their lips shining while butter drips down their chin. And there is the undeniable fact that crabs look like big ugly spiders - and not very appetizing to me. There is not much meat on the crabs caught around here anyway, so rather than eat them, we'd just throw them back - but it might be fun to catch them, especially for the kids. Nicky reminded us today that we need to buy crab traps...tomorrow.

Feels like summer...

So it seems that summer has arrived with a wallop. We've gone from cool, cloudy weather to bright sunshine and 30 degree temps in about 2 days! Not that I'm complaining. Well...maybe just a teensy bit...I don't like it much hotter than around 25. My other complaint, while I'm at it...is people renovating their houses and making all kinds of banging, crashing, loud-machinery types of noises. Is peace and quiet too much to ask for?

The kids and I have been spending time enjoying the roof deck and splashing in the paddling pool. We're also going down to the beach...but with River's busy intervention schedule (he only has Tuesday afternoon off) it is hard to get a good block of time, without having to run back and forth to the house. Our next camping trip is coming up...yahooo...let's hope the weather hangs around for a while.

Lately River has become obsessed with water-fountains (well, any kind of running water). Last year he was obsessed with signposts. Everywhere we went he would run to a sign post and circle it, while looking at it from all different angles. He seemed to move-on from his signpost fixation, but has replaced it with a new obsession: water fountains. I cannot keep him away from them, which means I will have to be very creative about where we go on the beach. If he sees a water-fountain then it is very difficult to keep him away (flops down, bolts, starts screaming and generally being "hard to handle"). Poor Bronwyn gets stuck. I can't let her go down to the water on her own, while I'm trying to get River away from the water-fountains. We'll try a different beach this afternoon.

It can be quite lonely being the mother of a child with autism (perhaps any disability). River doesn't care about playing with other kids, he doesn't worry about "where's mum?", he will just bolt. He would rather spend time with a water-fountain than another child. It is difficult for him to be in a wide-open space without running and trying to find something he can centre himself around. He has no idea of safety and so he must always be watched closely. I know many people will say (and they do), that every child his age needs to be watched constantly. Of course there is truth in that...but it is not the same. River will run out of doors into parking lots without looking back. I cannot take him to the Mall or a grocery store (he is getting too big for the carts). He will run out of any open door or gate. It is amazing how many places I simply don't go to. And the additional concern is that he cannot really communicate to anyone about who he is, or answer questions (like "where's your mum", which he is asked fairly frequently - usually when I am on my way to bring him back). Anyway, not to moan too much. What it adds up to is that you don't get to talk to anyone at parks, beaches or any other place - you just chase after your son, while keeping an eye out for the safety of your daughter - and look like a "bad parent" who has no control over their child. At least that is how it feels sometimes. Having said all that he is a beautiful, happy boy and I love him just the way he is! It would just be nice to be able to have a chat and not have to chase him all the time. I will just have to come up with a plan for the water-fountain thing. I will try a different beach today and see how it works.

We do like to be beside the sea...

Aside from all this breast-cancer and radiation therapy business, we have been enjoying some time at the beach. Even on a cloudy, cold day it is a wonderful place to go. There have been some really low tides over the past few days. We enjoy walking out over the wet sand and looking for unusual shells. Last Sunday while we were out, we caught sight of an eagle flying overhead with a fish in its talons. I think there are some eagles nesting nearby. Most people don't venture out to the beach when the weather is colder...we feel like we have the place to ourselves. Here's a few pics. River and his rock-star hair!

He is beginning to look more and more like a little boy and less like a toddler...every boy must carry a stick.

When the tide is out it is wonderful to walk along the flats. Bronwyn's favourite time to go to the beach is at low tide. That's when we find the best shells. Mind you, it has to be said that we don't get too much variety in shells here.

Off for our walk...

We count the ships that are anchored off-shore, watch the sea-planes float through the air, over the mountains and into downtown. We breath in the fresh sea air. River, however, likes to throw sticks and stones about...that is,of course, because he is BOY!

My little man looking out to sea..(nice hat?)