BEING A KID

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Summer is winding down and vacationing families have headed home, or are considering doing so, in time for the start of school and related activities.

In the patch of woods between driveway and Detroit Harbor our grandsons built a clubhouse, or fort, depending on who asks, beyond adult eyes but not too far away from Gramma's kitchen and refrigerator.

Atlas, at 8, is the oldest, a self-appointed leader.  Then come the rest of the pirates:  Aidan, 5 3/4; Magnus, 3 3/4;  and Zander, 3 1/4.    When you are six or three years old, halves and quarters make a great deal of difference.

Among the first things to go up were the Club "Ruls" posted by Atlas, shown above:  

  1.  No crazinese
   2. follow derekchens

It would be well to post such rules in the halls of Congress, though they might cause just as much confusion as the Constitution.

Atlas adds decoration
to the clubhouse

A pallet for a table, chairs, stove grids for tree branch shelving, pirate banners and pirate gear from the Main Road Tent Sale were added to the clubhouse, after pine needles and sticks were removed from the "floor."

Cleaning out the club house, L to R:
Atlas, Magnus, Aidan, Zander

The best additions, though, were two cardboard furniture boxes dropped off by Hoyt, each large enough to make a shelter. Those boxes made it his best summer day yet, according to Atlas, which says a lot for kids who've often swam twice a day, played pirate on a raft we built together in early June, biked and fished.
Here's to summer and being a kid.
   -  Dick Purinton





*** Since publishing, I've had to correct three of the boys' ages.  Atlas is currently 8.  Zander is 3 1/4, not 3 1/2, and Aidan is 5 3/4, soon to be six.
Additional Note:  I haven't been absent, just working on other things, including editing an interview with an island citizen for publication here in the near future. - DP