Summer: Sun., 7/16
A fun day in PA. Andrew left early this morning for FL, driving himself to the Latrobe airport, and Dad and I went to pick up my car later on. After that, I ran a few Greensburg errands (including Gabe's), the most fun of which was spotting my book in the wild at Barnes & Noble.
L&G had a blissful day of playing. They went to the playground, and played with water balloons and regular balloons. I gave them each a new pack of Splashlings, just for fun.
We went to East Park later in the afternoon. There are rich, rich people-watching opportunities on a weekend day here. L&G were wading in the creek near a pavilion where a woman was yelling at her very little kids (like 3-ish) incessantly. She may have been their mother, or the mother of some of them. Or maybe their grandmother. Another woman was there as well. One of the toddlers was wandering around barefoot, in a diaper. Some highlights:
"SHE'S JUST A HOOCHIE! YOUR MAMA'S NOTHING BUT A HOOCHIE!"
"GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL HIT YOUR ASS!"
Also overheard, defensively: "I mean, sure, I whup my kids upside the head sometimes, but who doesn't?"
Ah, SWPA.
We went to a different part of the creek next, where there is a large waterfall. L&G clambered down to the bottom of the falls, where they were walking around on some rocks. A young boy rode over to us on his bike, casually suggesting they may not want to play down there, because last time he was down there he saw six snakes, and one swam over his foot. We hustled the girls to safety.
Meanwhile, above the falls, a whole crew of kids were playing, marginally supervised by two people who may or may not have been parents of some or all of them. One of the boys--probably around 8 or 9 years old--was standing, barefoot, at the very edge of the falls, creeping ever closer, so close to the edge that we couldn't even stand to look at him. His mother (or whoever she was) was paying no attention. She walked to her car and got a cigarette, saying nothing to the boy. It was riveting and terrible.
Then Mom had an idea: "Girls, let's go to the tunnel and the graveyard!" Because this is Appalachia, and of course! The tunnel and the graveyard! The girls cheered. They were both very, very interested in the falling-over gravestones, wanting to know the names and ages, asking questions about the buried bodies, worrying that they were walking over dead bodies. Good times.
We rounded off our East Park adventure with ice cream at Dairy Queen. And more playing at home in the backyard before bedtime. A good day.
L&G had a blissful day of playing. They went to the playground, and played with water balloons and regular balloons. I gave them each a new pack of Splashlings, just for fun.
We went to East Park later in the afternoon. There are rich, rich people-watching opportunities on a weekend day here. L&G were wading in the creek near a pavilion where a woman was yelling at her very little kids (like 3-ish) incessantly. She may have been their mother, or the mother of some of them. Or maybe their grandmother. Another woman was there as well. One of the toddlers was wandering around barefoot, in a diaper. Some highlights:
"SHE'S JUST A HOOCHIE! YOUR MAMA'S NOTHING BUT A HOOCHIE!"
"GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL HIT YOUR ASS!"
Also overheard, defensively: "I mean, sure, I whup my kids upside the head sometimes, but who doesn't?"
Ah, SWPA.
We went to a different part of the creek next, where there is a large waterfall. L&G clambered down to the bottom of the falls, where they were walking around on some rocks. A young boy rode over to us on his bike, casually suggesting they may not want to play down there, because last time he was down there he saw six snakes, and one swam over his foot. We hustled the girls to safety.
Meanwhile, above the falls, a whole crew of kids were playing, marginally supervised by two people who may or may not have been parents of some or all of them. One of the boys--probably around 8 or 9 years old--was standing, barefoot, at the very edge of the falls, creeping ever closer, so close to the edge that we couldn't even stand to look at him. His mother (or whoever she was) was paying no attention. She walked to her car and got a cigarette, saying nothing to the boy. It was riveting and terrible.
Then Mom had an idea: "Girls, let's go to the tunnel and the graveyard!" Because this is Appalachia, and of course! The tunnel and the graveyard! The girls cheered. They were both very, very interested in the falling-over gravestones, wanting to know the names and ages, asking questions about the buried bodies, worrying that they were walking over dead bodies. Good times.
We rounded off our East Park adventure with ice cream at Dairy Queen. And more playing at home in the backyard before bedtime. A good day.
Comments