April 30, 2007

Fyjording

Late this afternoon, With-a-Why showed me his newest game, something he calls fyjording. To play, you find a stretch of woods partially flooded, carry a long stick, and wear the dry sneakers that you have to wear to school because they are the only pair of shoes you own. The trick is to pole vault yourself over the puddles, balancing on clumps of moss or old logs, trying to keep your sneakers dry as you cross water that stretches for hundreds of feet in each direction.

With-a-Why warned me that the sensible boots I wear in the woods would be no good for the game, and he was right. Boots sink into the mud and get stuck, and sometimes fall off just as you are leaping across a ditch of muddy water. And it's more dramatic to plunge into a foot of water wearing your only dry sneakers. I gave up after a while and just walked through the water, while With-a-Why kept doggedly on, even though his sneakers were soaked. By the time we had reached higher ground, it was getting dark and we were both splattered with mud.

With-a-Why loves science fiction, and the woods this afternoon looked like something out of a science fiction novel. Tangled vines hung from the bare branches of trees, and the puddles were filled with subtle colours – some dark and edged with purple, some filled with green algae, some muddy brown. With most foliage still waiting to burst forth, the forest floor is brown with dead leaves, and the mossy logs from fallen trees look like creatures slithering past.


Slither

13 comments:

a/k/a Nadine said...

That does sound like a fun game. I am often reminded of science fiction books while hiking in wet areas, especially ElfQuest and DragonLance.

zombieswan said...

I love the area around your home! Whenever you post pictures, I am amazed how pretty it is. Mine is not bad, but it wouldn't look nearly as nice.

jo(e) said...

Yes, I'm lucky to live in such a beautiful area of the country.

Rana said...

Also agreeing about the fun-ness of the game, and the coolness of the forest.

We don't have much in the way of wild lands around here, let alone ones outside of parks.

Yankee T said...

I love all your kids.

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

My son especially would like this game. He plays variations pretty often, and you're right, it requires one's only pair of dry sneakers!

The mud has all dried here. We might get one more stretch of rain but after that, no mud until October. Just dust.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I *wish* I lived where you did. Pork Smith is just hot and ugly and full of pollen these days, and there is nowhere to walk.

Anonymous said...

Oops. That was me! delagar.

Bitty said...

Possibly the coolest photo you've ever posted, and that's saying something.

RageyOne said...

I can totally see my nephews enjoying playing that game!

PPB said...

I think the "only dry shoes you own" part probably adds a lot to the drama!

Anonymous said...

My daughter and the pre-schoolers next door managed to soak her dry sneakers with a hose on Monday. She went to school in rain boots yesterday and sandals today. Luckily she has "indoor shoes" that stay at school. Her sneakers are still damp.

Anonymous said...

i grew up indoors, in los angeles. we played a similar game as kids, trying to jump around on furniture without touching the floor. one of those games led to the unfortunate demise of the goldfish.

pretty cool that your son has the outdoor version. even cooler that his mom plays.