"I Love To Go A~Wandering..."

The Happy Wanderer

I love to go a-wandering,

Along the mountain track,

And as I go, I love to sing,

My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:

Val-deri,Val-dera,

Val-deri,Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

Val-deri,Val-dera.

My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the stream

That dances in the sun,

So joyously it calls to me,

"Come! Join my happy song!"

I wave my hat to all I meet,

And they wave back to me,

And blackbirds call so loud and sweet

From ev'ry green wood tree.

High overhead, the skylarks wing,

They never rest at home

But just like me, they love to sing,

As o'er the world we roam.

Oh, may I go a-wandering

Until the day I die!

Oh, may I always laugh and sing,

Beneath God's clear blue sky!

We celebrated my birthday yesterday with the most delightful excursion through the woods and down to the river.

We played for a while in the cool, dappled shade, and then I took a little trip around the bend of the river to see the waterfall. As you can see, I was happily snapping many pictures on the way.

I wanted to get a good picture of the falls, and that rock in the middle of the foaming, swirling current seemed like the best vantage point. It was reachable by this slightly springy, possibly precarious log. Dare I?

No, not there. But here...

What kind of water fowl is this? When I tried to take his picture the first time, he mysteriously disappeared from the frame. I lowered the camera and watched the spot intently, and a moment later he popped up from the icy water. He repeated this a few more times before hurrying away; there must have been something tasty under there.

On our way home, my tricky husband had to stop off at work to pick something up. It happened to be for me (from The Victorian Trading Company.)

Most exquisite packaging.

A darling bird's nest ring with three little pearl eggs. I have the sweetest, most thoughtful husband.

And to end such a lovely day, the wind whipped up magnificently strong, the sky turned rose and orange, the power went out for an hour or so, and we ate the best key lime pie in the dark. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birthday.