May Day

Under the Maypole.

Don't misunderstand me--I do not mean May Day as in my ship is going down (although on some days...). I mean May Day as in the celebration of the first of May and a welcome to spring. Nelson holds a great gathering every year on the town green with a maypole, Morris Dancers, and a cakewalk. I wasn't sure what a cakewalk was, and have since learned that it involves kids walking around the maypole and then stopping all at the same time. If you are standing on a wooden plaque, and the number on the wooden plaque matches the number called, then you win a cake. A whole cake! Sounds good to me.

loving the live music

with mom under the may pole

Morris dancing is a style of folk dancing that has been around since the middle ages or before. It involves ribbons, sticks, bells, lots of hopping and some shouts. It is quite a sight to behold. Olive was fascinated and kept trying to get involved, until finally one of the guys picked her up and made her part of the show. She loved it. 

checking it out

part of the show

Things like this make me really thankful to have settled here. I feel like we are setting good roots in glorious soil.

This maypole celebration happened to take place on Anne's birthday weekend, so it was a good time filled with homemade waffles, a quick hike on a local trail, and dinner and a movie for Anne and I, our longest outing together since Olive was born.

spring hiking

 And in case you haven't noticed, Olive has a thing for hats. Here are a few shots of her trying on two very different hats. The green tam is a bit big and is overshadowed in this shot by her round and proud belly. The Yankees cap fits her just right but is most amazing in the way that it really makes her look like a little kid, not a baby. So I love it, but it kills me to look at it all the same. Who is this big girl? Where is my little baby?

big girl

a big little girl