Have you ever had the feeling that you stepped onto a scene in one of your favorite tv shows? Growing up I loved Little House on the Prairie. I dreamed of swapping lives with Half Pint. Recently I photographed a gathering that could have been a page right out of a Little House story. Creek Day at Wasmer’s Creek is a regular affair around Westminster all season long. I felt as though I had been transported back in time….to a time when life moved a lot slower and everyone was ok with that. I half expected to hear Pa Ingalls calling out for us!
Families gather on invitation from Mrs. Wasmer. Willie (William Winchester) families know her as the teacher who is always there helping kids, wherever she is needed. She taught for over 30 years at Willie and upon retirement knew she just wasn’t done stepping into kids lives. She’s a permanent staple at Willie helping kids navigate their childhood years. We are all blessed by Mrs. Wasmer’s generous spirit.
It’s come one, come all to play at her creek. She wants everyone to be safe and have a good time. The back of the creek shed has a table full of water shoes for everyone to share and chairs for the moms to pull up and take a load off while their kids play.
Moms joke that they love how Mrs. Wasmer keeps the kids in line, just like when she’s at Willie. She’s the perfect blend of fun and firm which is what has made her a favorite of so many kids over the years!
They say no one’s ever hit the tree swinging back on the rope swing and if you come close use your foot to kick you away! The kids have a blast on this rope swing and don’t mind waiting in line over and over again for another turn to sail through the air like Tarzan!
Mrs. Wasmer leads a creek walk with the moms and kids to walk the length of her creek property. Kids tell stories about quick sand and snake pit spots and then spend the whole walk searching out those very things.
Kids aren’t the only ones who enjoy the rope swing! They love watching their health teacher, Mrs. Tobias try her hand at it too! After Mrs. Tobias realized she needed to grab the knot with her feet, she was game to try again wearing her son’s football glove to protect the rope burn she had from the first few rides!
Mrs. Wasmer keeping watch over all the fun! 😉
Moms set aside their work for the afternoon (including myself) and head out to make the memories of a lifetime with their kids!
Mr. Dan, whose fire fighter schedule allows him the flexibility of some creek fun, helps keep order amongst the troops too!
Second only to the rope swing and tubing, is the collection of animals from the creek. Kids pan for fish, frogs, crawfish, and just about anything that tries to swim by them while they are in the creek!
After watching Mrs. Tobias on the rope swing I rose to the challenge also! I metered my camera and handed it off to Mrs. Tobias for her to C A P T U R E me! Climbing up the tree before take off was actually the trickiest part of this experience for me because the incline was so slick.
L O V E the expressions of the boys while I’m doing this! Woah—is that a mom!!?? You know it is! 😉
Mrs. Wasmer is right in the mix of all the fun—including her famous canon ball into the creek!
On this day I certainly saw the smallest frog and catfish I have ever seen! The kids use cups to hold their treasures and then proceed to beg to bring all their wild life captures home with them!
Notice the football glove I mentioned earlier! 😉
Thank you Mrs. Wasmer for all the wonderful memories you have provided for countless families over the years! There is certainly a pile of crowns awaiting you in heaven for your generosoity and committment to the children of our town! The world needs more Mrs. Wasmer’s to make this world a better place for us all!
Jennifer-You C A P T U R E D the best memories!! Thank you so much! Your blog was the perfect expression of how we all feel about Mrs. Wasmer's Creek. I especially love hearing the history of this special place from Mrs. Wasmer, and love that even after spending so much time there, since she was a little girl, she loves sharing this little piece of heaven with all of us. Thank you again Jennifer for adding this blog to your wonderful site. And thank you Mrs. Wasmer for providing us with memories that will last a lifetime. We love spending time with you at this wonderful place!
Jennifer- The pictures are just beautiful! We can see the excitement in everyone's eyes and smiles! Mrs. Wasmer deserves all of the crowns in heaven. She is an amazing human being who opens her creek and her life to allow children to enjoy some "real" fun. They put down their Ipods and game controllers to become one with the creek. Memories that will last forever! Thanks Jennifer for documenting the day so wonderfully, and God Bless Waz!!
Mrs. Wasmer, Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful place with my family. The boys had an incredible time and we really enjoyed hearing the history about the creek as you took us for a walk. Jennifer, you really captured the beauty of the creek with all of your photos.
Ms Wasmer,
These pictures are amazing! The memories that my children and I have made this summer are priceless! There is nothing I love more than having them play in mother natures playground. Thank you so much for opening up your special retreat to us!! We've have enjoyed every lunch and swim so much. We can't wait to do it all again next summer!!! 🙂