The Bench

The Bench is located at the top of the hill in our backyard. It really is a hill... it's a bit above the roof-line of our house. Tuesday the grands and their mommy came over for dinner. It was their first encounter with the switchback trails that their g'pa and our friend, Steve, had built. They ran to the top and ran to the bottom and then did it all over again, giggling like crazy. That was the moment we had waited for, the reason we built trails not just terraces! Each of the three spent a moment or two sitting on The Bench at the top but after dinner, Colton walked to the top of the hill, sat on The Bench, and asked his grandpa to sit with him. And they talked. They talked about problems that six-year-old boys face in a house filled with girls. They talked about race cars and rocks, dirt-bikes and dump trucks and dreams for the future. It was beyond precious. We originally wanted a bridge at the top of the hill but the $$ were too much for our depleted budget. One day I decided to hit the antique/junk stores to see what I could find and asked my mom to go with me. She is always ready to go anywhere and asked what I would be looking to buy. When I told her a bench, she replied that she had one under a tarp in the carport that I could have for nothing. Free was exactly the right price! The silly thing is soooooooo heavy!!! But I lugged it to the top of the hill, then sat there for about five minutes trying to breathe. I really wanted to surprise my husband. The Bench is now the destination, the reason to take to the trails. It is the place to tell secrets, to dream, to review crazy ideas. I will forever hold in my heart the sight of Colton and Grandpa sharing their thoughts and dreams, snuggled together on The Bench. It may have been free but it is absolutely priceless to us!