to laugh like a brook when it trips and falls...

so today i went on a hike with 15 of the kids and one of the teachers from the school. this is only the second weekend so far of such hikes but we plan on continuing indefinitely as a sunday tradition.
we walked through the acres of yellow flowers that have grown so tall and thick that you could only see the tops of the kids heads when they were wading through them.
and hiked through the hills while passing grazing cows and babas tending to them.
then during the breaks the kids played frisbee while i answered "how do you say (insert word or phrase here) in english?" questions.

the whole time i had this almost uncontrolable desire to bust out in "sound of music" songs as that is exactly what it looked like with the beautiful nature all around and the kids frolicking and singing. (bez nazis and matching homemade window curtain outfits of course)
anyway, it was great.
well, if you like that kind of hiking singing hanging out with kids thing.

and yesterday i went exploring by myself the hills around my town.
i managed not only fall in the river but also be chased by what i can only assume were hornets or wasps of some sort for a good quarter mile but surviving with only one sting, relief that nobody saw the crazed swearing 400 meter sprint and the knowledge to be a bit more careful next time as apparentally they aren't too fond of having their home disturbed.
however, also during my sunshine filled excursion, i also discovered that there is a sand beach on our river hidden from the road down past the railroad tracks and, like most places once you leave the center of town, completely secluded. i lay there on a blanket for a good couple hours just enjoying the sunlight and the birds and the river and the fact that it was warm and spring and i was in bulgaria able to get chased by hornets and fall in the river because even with things of that sort it still beats being back in detroit wishing i was anywhere but.