Neighbor Logan (10) stayed with us for a few hours, and I know he was pleased that, for once, David was not working. While grandson David and I finished our late breakfast, John did something with Logan having to do with a puzzle of the US. They may have reviewed capitols, but whatever they did, it was mildly educational.

We brain-stormed about what to do next, and Logan said, “Let’s go to my pond and look for frogs.”

That’s certainly the kind of activity everyone would approve. We were outside in the fresh air, interacting with nature, and having fun together. John stayed home to trim shrubs in the garden as David and I walked down the steep hill with Logan. I loved watching Logan search for frogs with a stick to stir the grass and a cup to catch them. It’s too bad the frogs had other ideas and made themselves scarce. Logan had remarkable patience, which was fine with me, since I found a small boulder to sit on.

I waved at neighbor Jeff when he rode his mower within view, and David and I watched iridescent blue dragonflies dart about. Logan gave up on frogging. He called out, “Look! I found a praying mantis!”

He was holding the creature very gently and let it loose to climb up his arm.

I was scrambling to get these shots and did not pick up on the fact that he was very uncomfortable when the mantis got to his neck. David came to the rescue! As I focused on the creature on Logan’s hair, David scooped up the cup meant for frogs and held it for the praying mantis to walk into. Can you see David’s hand with the cup on the left side of the photo?

They set the mantis free, and Logan ran up the steep hill as David hung back to make sure I was safe on the uneven ground. I felt privileged to have been in a boy’s world for a little while.