It's such, such a perfect day...

I was in the midst of writing a long story last night when I suddenly drifted out of consciousness.  So in the meantime, this will have to suffice (I'm confident it will...).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb9X5jMofEo

Something Untraditional (we hope...)

"Well, what'd you do for the Fourth of July this year?"

I broke my cousin's left toe.

We were having our usual reunion in the mountains of Tennessee with the Halbrooks side of the family (often dubbed the 'less-than-normal side' - and for understandable reasons).  Friday  brought its usual joys - the special ingredient pancakes (vanilla ice cream this time, which received top marks in every category), monkey tree madness at the river, a rousing game named after an idiom of fruit comparisons, and a restful nightly sabbatical on the top bunk hammock.

Saturday of course was equally enjoyable, but for the one moment of tragedy.  Tradition has it that whenever we set foot on the waters of Honey Creek, a tree of boatlike proportions must be felled or dragged into the water for transportative purposes.  It was during this dragging that Jacob's toe was poorly placed beneath my folly. 

"Alright, we're all going to pick it up on three," I suggested.

"One, two....three!"  We lifted.  It was at this fateful moment that I realized the end of the log I was holding was more than I had bargained for.

"Okay, I'm gonna drop it."  No one-two-three this time.  Just the drop.  And the ligaments that had been merrily holding Jacob's left toe to his left toe bone were merry no longer.

Ben still insists that the blame rests on us all.  A kind brother, and I'd do the same for him...but we all know the truth.  Jacob's toe has every right to pay me back in full.