summer days

June 2041 - Caroline and Charlie Wilder are 39, Riley is 16, Laura is 12, Michael is 8, Andrew is 6, Rose is 2, Lucy is 14 months.

"So what's going on with you and Curtis?" Laura asks.

"Nothing. I mean, we're just friends."

"He's been coming over a lot," Laura says. "I haven't seen George around here lately."

"He's just been busy. George is my boyfriend."

"Just because he's your boyfriend now doesn't mean he always will be."

It's not that there's anything wrong between her and George. But she met Curtis a few months ago at a cross country meet in Bridgeport, and since then he's been coming around a lot to hang out. She really likes him, and they have a lot in common.

Riley doesn't have too much time to dwell on boys though. Summer is a busy time on the farm, with the crops needing to be tended and harvested and all of the kids on vacation from school. Riley helps out by taking care of her little sisters Rose and Lucy.

Rose is almost three, and baby Lucy is 14 months.

Laura has taken responsibility for fixing the old house's leaky plumbing. Even though she's only twelve, she's very good with mechanical things.

The garden is particularly fruitful this year, and Caroline and Charlie spend long hours outside tending the plants and harvesting the crops.

Rose and Lucy like playing outside in the garden while their parents work.

Lucy takes her first steps that summer among the tomato plants.

It's hard work being a farmer and parenting six kids, but the fresh juices from the garden keep them refreshed and energized. Some day they want to open a roadside produce stand, but for now their crops mostly go to feeding themselves.

Charlie and the boys spend a lot of time fishing in the pond in the backyard. Michael loves to fish.

Andrew likes to fish too, but he also gets distracted by other things like playing with the dog.

He's on a summer baseball team, and he spends a lot of time throwing and catching with his dad.

Michael loves working on the farm. His parents have taught him how to tend the plants and how to tell when the plants need to be watered.

Caroline and Charlie are happy that one of their kids likes helping out in the garden. They'd like to plant more crops next year, and they'll need Michael's help.

They've been eating very well this summer. Caroline has been learning lots of new ways to cook fish.

Rose and Lucy are too little to eat fish, but they do get to enjoy some of the fresh vegetables from the garden.

"The fish is really good Mom," Riley says.

"You should thank Michael. He's the one who caught it."

Sometimes in clear nights, Michael and Andrew sleep outside in a tent in the backyard. They love living out in the country, where they can play on the farm all day and sleep under the stars at night.

*****

I love playing the Wilders! The kids are so cute, and I think playing the farming is a lot of fun.

I'm curious to see what happens between Riley and George. They have two bolts, but she has a higher two bolts with Curtis, and she keeps wanting to hang out with him. And they're only sixteen; how many of us ended up marrying our high school sweethearts? I'm going to send Curtis to college, and then we'll see what happens.