Memorial Day

We did a lot of yard work Memorial Day weekend, and Alan and I even slipped in a date night to see "Robin Hood." I love going to the movies, and going as rarely as we do makes me that much more giddy about it. We had gift cards, and I ordered popcorn AND pretzel nuggets. I'm such a hog. And we liked the movie--we have a penchant for period pieces.

On Monday, Alan was inspired to go fishing, so we headed out to Loch Raven Reservoir.

It was pretty hot, and the girls and I hiked for over an hour in the woods (I know, I am ridiculously pale. Why can't I be like a piece of wood and get darker w/age?? Instead, I'm FADING.) We had a blast, and then we cooled our feet in the reservoir while Alan fished.

AND, he caught a blue gill, which was about the most fascinating thing in Evelyn's life to that point. We wrapped it in tin foil and cooked it on the grill when we got home, and all of us stood around it, simultaneously eating its meat and exploring its insides in a rather unscientific dissection. Neither girl was bothered at all by what happens to a fish's eyeballs when you cook it, or by having to decapitate it, or by splitting it open and dumping out the guts. I was very proud.

We cooked the rest of our dinner on the grill, too, and ate al fresco. We have to do that as much as possible before the mosquitoes form ranks and invade. But, on this Memorial Day, the humans had control of the back yard and celebrated fittingly.