Barton Beach

I remember growing up I would watch TV and read books, and I would think, boy those characters have the life...going to the beach all the time (thanks 90210), going to the mall, going to concerts, riding their bikes to each others houses.  I was so jealous of them!!!  Growing up in rural Virginia we certainly couldn't ride bikes to friends houses...in fact, to call most of my friends it was long distance because they lived all the way across the county!!!  Where I grew up we didn't have red lights, city blocks, or fast food restaurants (we got our first fast food restaurant in our county when I was in the 10th grade!).  I remember sometimes going away to summer camps and the other kids were talking about going out to "exotic places" for dinner like Ruby Tuesday and the Rain Forest Cafe and shopping at the Gap and Aeropostale, and I would just sit quietly because southwest Virginia didn't have anything like that!!!

Instead, my childhood consisted of playing in the creek.  I would build dams, throw rocks, catch minnows and craw dads.  I'd have a farmers tan from the time school let out until school started because I was outside riding my bike, playing with the hula hoops in our giant yard, or swinging in the tire swing in the old walnut tree.  I'd help my mom snap beans and shell pea's (usually against my will), and watch her can tons of vegetables in the sweltering Virginia summers (because most people in southwestern Virginia don't have central air conditioning!) Going to McDonald's or to the mall was a big deal for us because everything was at least a half hour away!  At the time, I was jealous of these kids I read about in books and saw on TV...but now that I'm older, and have Samuel, I just hope that Eric and I can provide the same childhood for Samuel. 

We seem to be on our way (though, we do have a nice big air conditioner that cools our house off nicely!).  When Samuel was about 16 months old, I showed him the creek.  He was fascinated by it!  Once it warmed up enough, I bought a pair of cheap sandals and have now nicknamed our little creek bank, Barton Beach!

We spend most of our days on the Barton Beach: throwing rocks, gathering sticks, throwing rocks, and pushing leaves down the river.  It's a family affair.  The dogs love the water.  Samuel would live in the creek if we let him.   Even when Eric gets home, creek shoes are on and he and Samuel have throwing contest to see who can throw the farthest.  So far, Eric always wins, but it won't be long until Samuel catches up!

Depending on the day we usually visit the creek 2-3 times a day.  In the morning, after nap time, and in the evening when Eric gets home.  We also visit the nearby bridge to throw rocks from there, and there is a hiking path that Samuel loves to hike.  Samuel's great-great-great grandparents house still stands on the site too and I always think about them...even though I never met them.  They had their own little Samuel, and I wonder if she would take him out to the creek, throw things off the same bridge, and hike the same hiking paths. 

Barton Beach is super peaceful and beautiful.  No one lives nearby, so it's just us and the wildlife...and a whole bunch of amazing memories of Samuel.  He's a creek boy...who knew 6 inches of water could be so much fun???