Change of pace

Sometimes I need a change of pace. While I have found ways to sneak the activities I enjoy into my life as often as possible, I still find a need for something “special”. Sometimes that “special” just can’t be the things I regularly turn to for joy.

And so it was on the first day of vacation. We just couldn’t get excited about the obvious choices. So I suggested we put our coats on and play a game we haven’t played for a long time.

We have the great fortune to live near a river that has an intriguing rock in the middle. The rock is split down the middle and has a fairly large gap between. Years ago, we developed a game of throwing snowballs at it and trying to get them to land in the gap. I’m pleased to say that there is no snow for snowball, but there are small rocks.

Our game developed - especially after someone asked us who was winning.

5 points for hitting the rock

5 points for hitting a tree

10 points for landing in between

10 points for ricocheting

5 points for every great noise

That isn’t the whole list. We didn’t tally. That would be too complicated and would have taken away from the joy of the game. At least it would have for us. For each success we gave a high five. Our hands were quite cold and sore from all the high fiving.

Sometimes we threw and the rock went off course. Sometimes it hit a tree as it went. The resulting sound was lovely. Sometimes it even sounded like a tune. The willowy tones were light and fairy-like. The hollow thunk of the decaying tree resonated.

We had started the afternoon with the doldrums. We ended with rosy cheeks and big smiles.