Summer Road Trip One of Two: Part III Adventure Playground

On our late June/early July trip to northern California, the boys and I made a plan to visit Berkeley's Adventure Playground. Built in 1979, the Adventure Playground is one of the greatest things the hippies ever did. Inspired by the way kids play on vacant lots using available materials and imagination, the Adventure Playground offers a space for kids to alter the playground they play on using paint, nails and saws.

The playground in Berkeley's Marina is idea for kids seven and older, although younger children are welcome as long as they are within arms reach of their grown ups.

My seven year old entered the playground and was gone, climbing the structures, riding the zip line (for 6 year olds and older, much to my almost five year old's disappointment. We decided we would come back when he was six.).

If playground goers want to use tools or paint, they must earn them:

My youngest found a "Mr. Dangerous", a protruding nail in a play structure, that was promptly nailed flat by one of the blue-hoodied staff.

My oldest earned the use of a hammer by offering up the rope swing to one of the staff who was demonstrating the safe use the equipment to a summer camp tour group. We followed up our visit with a trip to Moe's Books followed by hot chocolate at Caffe Mediterraneum. Moe's is the same as in my memory, but Cafe Med seemed different, although I think all the furniture remains the same. Perhaps all that has really changed is the experience held in my memory.

Annals of Play

The armada readies for sail to friends and family. Senior son's creation.

Marble track. Free-for-all general marble bedlam in the interior, the sound of glass crisply colliding, the ping of the marble meeting metal. Picked up one by one and lined up like a precision acrobatic team to orbit the rim, spinning round, then gracefully descending to the concrete. A slight push sends them around again with the red, green, yellow swirls in the center fluttering like tiny flags. Youngest son's creation.

And the reason why I've been away. My sweet mother's day gift. The house dirties. Dog hair swirls in tufted eddies under the couch. Suppers are pulled like a miracle from quickly assembled foods. In the evening, the kitchen is tidied. Dishes cleaned. I sit down and play, go to bed too late, and wake up in the morning with my body hazy from lack of sleep to start the cycle over again. I am in love.

Into Plein Air

On the way to preschool early in the morning, my son and I rode next to the San Gabriel mountains near Eaton Canyon. Sage speckled the hillsides with blooming purple spires. Orange poppies fluttered like tethered butterflies with wings splayed open surrounded by the pervasive yellow dots of mustard blossoms. My youngest son asked to pull over immediately, hike a path and paint. I explained we weren't prepared for a painting hike today but we could do it tomorrow. "With snacks?" he asked.

Absolutely. We dropped his big brother at school the following day and headed straight to the area around Eaton Canyon that spoke so clearly to his imagination the previous day. A four year old with a paint brush is a beautiful thing. He paints with such intention yet filled with freedom. A lesson to all.

Painting has it's pleasures and rewards, but really, it's all about the snacks, the open air and adventure.

May this notebook (and many more) be filled with the celebrations and commemorations of being out in the places that call to you mixed with the calm complexity of all that is within.

Ramshackle March Madness

My son posted an open call to all to join the games. The family gathered round.

My oldest son and I began the heat. Little did I know this guy has been practicing. He walloped me in about three minutes, a resounding and quick defeat.

Eric and my youngest squared off for the next round. The lad in green struck fast and calmly, making quick work of team two. Then my youngest and I entered as doubles in another round suffering yet another drubbing by the unstoppable kid. Eric went one on one with the advancing kid and was shut down. Eric demanded a rematch and evened out the score, but it was a hollow victory. The kid played hard and strong, eliminating us all in the advancing rounds. He holds the title as reigning Ramshackle Fastrack Champion.

On Task

While Eric was tending to trailer plumbing and having mummified squirrels drop on him, the boys busied themselves with important tasks at hand. Building a trap.

Pounding rocks and making rock dust.

Evolving the trap into a boat where you eat your lunches, sail with a parent and head out there first thing in the overcast morning to get warm.

A Pirate's Life for Me

A map was found with treasure marked with "X".

Together three lads ventured forth in search of booty.

Hearty swords were forged by an able blacksmith known as Dad.

Treasure found. Riches beheld!

Seas sailed in finely crafted vessels.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!

Weaponry for an Elf

We have a special friend who lives in Bailey Canyon in Sierra Madre. His name is Stiple. He is an elf who rides a raft that he made of found sticks bound together with a tough stalk of grass. He likes to journey down creeks swollen by rains, which have been plenty lately.

My youngest, still obsessed with all things pirate, decided Stiple could use a cutlass, some swords, a bottle and a cup and saucer. Sculpey was pulled out and these fine pieces were made and fired in the oven.

On a recent hike, my sons and I built a home for Stiple equipped with sticks in the fireplace to warm him after his river run.

This morning, I awoke to see my oldest son and Eric have added to Stiple's Sculpey collection with a torch, a spoon, knife, sack of wheat and a "torch sword that you can use to burn your enemy's cake".

The Importance of Halloween

In a day and age where people seem to spend more time indoors, I find myself loving Halloween even more than I already do. Granted, I have a fondness for the holiday. I am reminded of spending time with my father and siblings crafting homemade costumes...a t.v., a carrot, the Headless Horseman to name a few. To this day, I still love the ritual of picking out a pumpkin, designing a face and carving it while pumpkin seeds roast in the oven and hot cider steeps on the stove.

Halloween is the holiday that gets people outside from a trip to a pumpkin patch whether it be an urban lot strung with lights or Lombardi Ranch in Santa Clarita to the anticipated evening when kids venture out in the darkness bedecked in costumes to knock on neighbor's doors in search of candy.

I love how Halloween is linked to a harvest, a time to celebrate the changing seasons.

Over the weekend, we took in two pumpkin patches with grandparents, Lombardi Ranch and Underwood Family Farms. My oldest son sleepily asked after a very full day where we closed out Underwood Farms, "Mom, can we carve our pumpkins soon?" Definitely, I'm ready for some roasted pumpkin seeds.

NWF Federation Be Out There Campaign

Ever since signing up for the Great American Backyard Campout, I've been on the National Wildlife Federation's mailing list. The Be Out There Campaign is a push to let kids have time outdoors. Move beyond getting out there to stay out there.

I was inspired by item #4 in the brief article 6 Ways to Make Nature Second Nature: Impromptu Picnic. I gathered up the boys and headed to a nearby park for a dinner picnic. Nothing fancy. Nor anything too ambitious like a hike in the Arroyo Seco. Just a quick trip to the local park with dinner in hand.

We are all so glad we did. The boys ran like crazy, played on the conventional playground equipment. Found time to draw.

Then ventured beyond and found "The Jungle" and made slides where none existed.

As luck would have it, the Bubble Man, a fixture at a local farmers market, showed up.

As the sky began to darken, I packed up my happy filthy kids, headed home for bath, dessert and a welcomed pillow. I highly recommend impromptu picnics.

The Important Work at Hand

:detailing cars:

:anchoring boats:

Audubon Center at Debs Park

The Audubon Center at Debs Park (4700 North Griffin, Los Angeles 90031) just might be my absolute favorite park in Los Angeles. The Audubon Center is part of Earnest Debs Park on the northwest side. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9AM-5PM. If you live locally or if you are visiting Los Angeles, the Audubon Center is well worth a visit. The park is free and open to the public.

The Audubon Center has a small office where you can check out backpacks with field guides, maps and binoculars. If you'd like to use a Kelty kid carrier pack or an off-road stroller, you can also check those out free of charge from the office. The office also makes available story books, water paints and other items completely free of charge.

In the center, there are a few beautiful fountains filled with native water plants frequented often by bright red Flame Skimmers and blue damselflies. The grounds are planted with California native plants. The area is teaming with birds, lizards and other critters.

The Audubon Center grounds have many great trees for climbing, small pockets to explore from caves to shelters.

One of the most captivating parts of the park for my sons is the water pump. Kids can hand pump water to cascade over the side...

...down a small stream that leads to the pond. As the area can get hot, the water is a welcome respite from the heat. The Audubon Center at Debs Park is a classic example of a play area that allows children's and adult's imaginations to run wild and fosters those beautiful moments of unstructured play.

Imaginary Boat

With so much time spent around the water and boats, Big has reentered our play. My youngest decided to float the boat on the dogs' water bowl.

When my oldest was about the age of my youngest, he picked up this palm frond that he named Big on a walk to one of our local libraries. He carried it the entire way to the library by himself. We put it in the stroller for the ride home.

I had moved Big to the closet thinking it might be time to cycle the palm frond out of our lives if it was no longer of interest to the kids. I'm so happy to see it again so lovingly used. In fact, as I write this, it is moored to a dining room chair with the tail end floating under my seat. Big contains flip flops, a stick and a young boy.

New Toys for Summer

School is almost out here at Camp Ramshackle. Around the corner are the wonderfully long summer days to be filled however we please. Of course, there will be many beach days, hikes, library visits and adventures. There will also be days spent at home, enjoying the garden, dirt, drawing and books. In anticipation, I invested in some new toys to celebrate. We try not to buy many plastic toys. Recently, however, my oldest son and I were introduced to Playmobil.

Playmobil is like a role playing Legos. Our new collection has guinea pigs, wild boar, raccoons and a tree house to name a few. The toys are manufactured in Germany.

But the box is always the best part.

Celebrating the New Year

The Goodyear blimp flew overhead.

We saw some beautiful floats at the Rose Parade.

Some serious cymbal players.

The stunning Calizona Appaloosa Horse Club.

Then we went to Little Tokyo to ring in the new year with morning sake.

Some mochi pounding & kite making.

Then back home to "run like the dickens" to make our kites fly.