What a day it has been. The weather was beautiful here in Ireland and for Easter Sunday that always seems to be the norm even since I was a child. I'm not really religious but as the day when the son of God was supposed to have been reborn, I find it a tad interesting.
So, yesterday evening I went with my son to The Phoenix Park in Dublin. It is the largest city park in Europe and around 5 times the size of Central Park in the old US of A. It has been a great resource to have during Covid times, Fintan, my son, wanted to catch a living field mouse and so I wanted to show him how to set a trap. The plan was to let him go after we had observed the critter. Fintan loves wildlife and I like to try and nurture his interests.
We set the trap and then ran to a big log to hide behind. On my part, it was mostly just pantomime as I knew we would not catch one that evening. But, for a 5-year-old this was great adventures, I know this from experience. We jump over the log and lay in wait until the sun started to set. Finally, I convinced my fellow trapper that it was time to go home for dinner and we would come early the next morning to check if we caught anything,
When we returned to the car I discovered my keys were gone and so we had to retrace our steps in the twilight to find them. I figured it was a fool's errand as they could have literally been anywhere on the leafy forest floor but I had to try. Finally, I rang Clodagh Aka Mammy and she got a taxi to us with a spare key. I was very annoyed thinking of all the keys to locks that I was now going to have to find and get recut.
The next day
With today being Easter Sunday we wanted to bring Fintan on an Easter Egg hunt and I also want to search again for my keys. I knew the chances of finding them was like a needle in a haw stack. But I had a plan, I would set the Easter egg hunt up around where we had been the night before and as we looked for chocolate eggs we would also be searching for my keys.
As I kicked my way through the leaves to hide the eggs, to my amazement I heard a clink and there hidden below, Just by the log we had jumped behind the previous evening were my keys. I had barreled over it like a superhero for dramatic effect and they must have fallen from my pocket. I was elated and relieved, all that hassle of being locked out was over. We then turned our attention to our egg hunt, which was great fun. The mind of my son is still so open to magic it is beautiful. Rabbits had hidden the most wonderful chocolate for him all around the forest and left a complex trail of signs leading him to them.
We had a nice picnic and then went to a lake to see if we could see some terrapins that live there.
When we were returning again to the car I discovered that yes, I still had my keys but my phone was now missing. Not again! So we, for a second time had to retrace our steps all the way back to where I had earlier found the keys.
I knew my phone's battery was almost dead and so I wanted to be sparring in getting Clodagh to ring it. I searched and searched and then finally in a place where Fintan and I had had a competition just like Robin Hood and Little John by standing on a log and trying to knock each other off with sticks it was discovered in leaves beside it. Fintan had won most of the matches, knocking me off 9 out of ten times. Of course, as I theatrically fell my phone went flying from my pocket.
It was so lucky that I did find it as the battery was now dead and so trying to Find My Phone™ or get Clodagh to ring it was pointless.
It was a great little adventure and we all lived happily ever after for another day, at least. I think we will all sleep soundly tonight.