Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Queen of the Mountain



It’s called Afton Apple Orchard but my granddaughter, Ali, and I  are focused on the mountain made of tires. Ali has been here before with her kindergarten class, but it’s the first time for me.

The tire mountain seems to get bigger as we approach it, sand packed and monstrous. Ali scrambles over the old tractor tires to the top and thrusts her arms to the sky, grinning wildly. I think, “Queen of the Mountain”. Suddenly she disappears. I am startled, staring at where she was just a moment ago, a little afraid. Then I hear her calling me and I see her half-way down a giant black PVC pipe slide, on her way back to me.

As she emerges the fall sunlight shines in her long hair and the eager cries of dozens of kids running towards us almost drowns out her small but excited voice, “Did you see me, Grandma?” In the next moments the others ascend the tire mountain and she is no longer the Queen.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh the memories this elicits. In my history Queen of the Mountian was atop a huge pile of sand the county stored across the street where I lived. I was somewhere in the neighborhood of nine or ten. My siblings and I would burrow into the sand, creating secret hideaways. Little were we aware of the danger we were in. Your granddaughter will forever have this memory, and the great feeling it inspired.

Mom said...

There were so many ways we were in danger as children! It's a wonder we made it through. I'm so glad we lived then and had those experiences.