Herding Cats....

Just like a housecat who has tasted his first night of summer freedom, my son is impossible to lure back into the house. 

I can't blame him....

the air is sweet,

the breeze is warm

and there are kids to play with. 

There is a newly installed tree swing across the street.  It is a kid magnet and it scares me because it is across the street (fast cars and kids don't mix) and there is not much room to swing between the wrought iron fence, metal mailbox and the parked cars. 

The kids love it, though. 

They don't know the joy of real tree swings that sail so high into the air or splash into a creek. 

These city kids race their scooters with their helmets on, they run up and down the sidewalks to play, not like the deep ravines and woods we explored when we were kids. 

Parents keep a close eye in the city, and kids can't run off to play like we did.  My mom had a cowbell she rang when it was ABSOLUTELY time to come in. 

I could hear it from blocks away. 

It's okay, though... 

Our kids don't miss what they don't know and all they know is that similar joy of twilight play,

when the lightning bugs come callin',

the bats streak across the evening sky

and the moms begin the gentle coaxing to bring their dirty, skinned knees, sun-tired kids in for a meal and a bath. 

It's a tug of war and sometimes the kids win.....just a few minutes more...