A Teddy Bear Picnic

Since Wednesday had found us basking in autumn rays reflecting off golden fields; heady with the palette, bouquet and aura of fall....

we were eager to plan an afternoon foray with some of our prairie neighbours. The idea was met with great enthusiasm and so I happily started making a big batch of banana bread this morning for the occasion. The girls decided it was to be a "Banana-Bread-Teddy-Bear-Picnic." Doesn't get much sweeter than that. I had romantic notions of colorful blankets strewn airily over sun drenched fields, laying back to soak up some rays and watch fluffy white clouds waft slowly on by. I was especially enchanted as I drove into town this morning for flour (which by the way I discovered I was short of half way into the banana bread recipe, don't you hate it when that happens? Especially when you live 8 miles up a dirt road from town and your oven is already preheated??) to the accompaniment of the Dixie Chicks belting out "wide open spaces" on the radio. The day could have not have been more surreal. That is until the moment arrived to climb into the back of "Aunty Nise's" truck. (Berry Boy thought this; getting to ride in the back of a truck; don't worry B-Girl, I was in the back too; was the be all and end all of "Banana Picnic " ebullition by the way). But suddenly, the sky wasn't so blue anymore. Actually, it was a sickly gray. And the sun was suspiciously lacking. But we were all so sold on the romantic notion of a Teddy Bear Picnic that we just kept a chipper spirit and started driving in the general direction of clearer skies. It wasn't long before a beautiful field stretched out along the road and we stopped to make our way into it, 3 prairie women, 11 prairie kids, 2 picnic blankets, 5 teddy bears, and 1 bag of banana bread. It was not remotely sunny. It was not remotely warm. It was not remotely romantic. And by the time Berry Girl was pulling up with Berry Baby (we had Berry Boy on loan for the morning) it was time to run for cover. We ran, we squealed, we piled 16 people into 3 vehicles, and when we were all in, we smiled at how the kids still had their banana bread in hand.
We drove the half mile back home and I started heating up a pot of freshly processed apple juice for cider. And by the time I came back out on the porch, THIS was the sight that greeted me.

Do they look cold to you?

I thought not.
So after our cider had been drunk, and our friends had departed for dinner hour in their respective homes, the girls ensured that the Teddy Bears got their Banana Bread Picnic after all.

and I daresay the bears were terribly grateful for the gesture.