Day 982

Gus and Sam love their “forts." Every night, they come upstairs and head right to their kennels. They are large crates with soft dog beds, Snuggle Puppies and a host of warm blankets covering the outside. I believe they feel safe and secure…it doesn’t hurt that they are both a jump away from Mom and Dad’s bed!

Asher loves to make forts! When we get a collection of large cardboard boxes, we grab the tape and away we go! Our six-year-old always has a theme and does the interior decorating! Right now, we have his latest creation with lighting and three rooms right in our front hall! What joy!

As a child, our amazing Christian Hill Gang made a number of impressive forts. My own Nanny, who lived next door, had a group of evergreens in her back yard. We deemed it Circle Pines and loved the center area that resembled a room. It didn’t take us long to bring in furniture, hang empty window frames and stock the shelves. It was impressive!

One day we discovered, to our horror, that someone had infiltrated our haven… the Oreos were gone from our stock of goodies!!! What to do…

Someone suggested getting a new container, opening the sandwich cookies, lacing them with cayenne pepper and placing them back in the bag. We were good, obedient, rule-followers, but enough was enough!

I don’t recall setting up a “Spy Station,” but that would have been our style! I do recall that the perpetrators were rewarded with HOT TONGUES and we were vindicated!

Years later, the trees grew old, and a garage was built in their place. There are times when I stand behind that garage and allow my heart to travel back through time to that amazing fort. I close my eyes and remember the smell of pine needles, feel the thrill of creating our space and can almost hear the laughter of our gang as we ran in and out of the opening formed by the branches. Kids and dogs…they all love a good fort!