Picnic

Usually, when we plan a picnic, I do it the hard way, making hardboiled eggs and oven-roasting chicken at home, baking cookies or packing sandwiches. But, last week, when we headed up to the beautiful and expansive Tilden Park, we didn't plan to have a picnic until we were on our way. So, we stopped at the local grocery store to pick up provisions. Honestly, why did I ever go to so much trouble?

We chose containers of Brussels sprout salad, broccoli slaw with dried cranberries, and flank steak strips cut into steak bites by the obliging deli workers. I got sprouts and My Beloved didn't have to. He got rare steak, and so did I - Cora got the end pieces that were more well done. We all sat on the grass under a shady tree - we didn't even need a blanket - and watched the little children at the next shady tree having a birthday party, complete with gaily wrapped packages, colorful balloons, off-key singing of the birthday song, and a tire swing the parents had brought along.

Our tree was across the street from the steam trains, so we were treated to musical whistles as we ate, and the kids streaming back from rides on the trains were wild with excitement, straining to be first to describe their experiences.  Next time, we are going to ride, too. Even Cora is welcome to ride. The young operator told me that one guy comes every Friday with his Alaskan malamute, just the two of them for a ride.

While we were away eating and exploring the steam trains, a very industrious, tiny spider spun a web across the rear view mirror on our car. It spanned from edge to edge and was beautifully constructed - all in an hour or so!  If you enlarge this photo many times, you can see the strands of her web and, in front of my fanned fingers, Charlotte herself.

Impromptu is one of my favorite words, both for its sound and its meaning. It was that kind of day.