Mental cobwebs ....

Today was an absolutely spectacular day.
The sun was high and bright and it wasn't godawful cold.
It was time.

I packed up ALL the kidlets .... The Boy, lil man, The Wonder Twins (Dweezil & PrincessBitch), and of course Bana.
All in all, 3 boys, 2 girls.
3 of them, The Boy, dweezil & PB are all 13.
Wait, sorry, The Boy is now 14.

You'd think I'd remember ... I DID give birth to him AND he just had a birthday!
Oops ...

Anywho, Bana is 8 and of course, lil man is my 3 year old Abrams Tank, hell-on-wheels.
Now, I KNOW you're all thinking that I must have lost my ever loving mind to take all 5 kids out by myself, but honestly, I love it!
I really do.
It can be a bit hectic and crazy ..... but these kids are amazing.

Anyway, I wanted to share a few of the places I took them to.
We started at Niagara Falls.
I have always loved the Falls .... it's a very magical, and yes ..... mystical place.

I go to Goat Island .... I find the views so much more spectacular AND you can get right up close and personal to the Falls.
But not in winter.
They close down the lower trails because of ice.
But, believe me, it is a feast for the senses!
You can see the rushing water, feel the mist on your face and hear the thundering 'whoosh' of the water. Not to mention you can feel the ground tremble from all the water as well.

I can't explain it, and for anyone who has ever been here, you just feel the it all through your body.
For myself, I love the energizing effect it has on me, and it actually calms me and soothes my spirit.
It's as though the rushing waters are taking away all the crap and bullshit from my soul .... cleansing of the mental cobwebs.

After we visited the Falls, I decided to take them to a few of my old special haunts.
Places that have always felt like home to me.
Most of them were on Grand Island.
A tiny little fresh water island in the middle of the Niagara River before the Falls.
Well, I shouldn't say tiny .... it's really not.

Anyway, after we left the Falls I took them to the west river overlooks.

If you look in the distance, wave to our friends in Canada.
I love coming here as well.
The river on the west side of the island is calm .... and beautiful.
I used to spend hours sitting down there and writing.
Me & my friends would go down there and sit around and party, talk about life and just be.
It was a sanctuary for me to find peace.
It still is.

It's not necessarily these places either, although I do hold fond
attachments to them.
I lived near a huge lake in Florida, and I used to spend a lot of time there as well.
Water is calming.

As I said, I have spent much time in my youth at these places.
They inspire me.

I know the kids loved them .... they want me to take them back.