Stella is this fabulous little farm-raised doll that can't get into enough, loves bugs, and can't pass up a challenge. 

So when her Mama and sister were out of town, shooting pistols off the back of a horse, and daddy was likely working on his hot rod, Stella came out to hang with me. We went to the beach. I figured there would be plenty there to keep her happy. After all, her big brother had spent countless hours, having a bazillion "adbentures", in that very place. 

I thought for sure it would be a beeline to the dock or the water as soon as we stopped. Or maybe a quick check at the creek for snakes or bugs. Did I mention Stella loves bugs? :-) 

But, nope. Stella hit the jungle gym as soon as she shot from the car. She asked, "Gramagylah, what's this?"

"Well, Stell, it's a rope ladder," I told her. 

"Can I do it?", she asks, but doesn't wait for an answer before she's on it, sizing it all before she will certainly conquer it.

Once she got her feet off the ground, albeit not far, it was enough to let her feel the unstable nature of a rope ladder. So she was concentrating, hard. 

It didn't take but a minute though and she was on her way to the top with nothing less than full confidence. 

She concentrated on every step; every pull. Looking down with every wrung up...

...and then back up again with such excitement. 

By the time she was just a couple of levels off the ground she was sure of herself and up she went like a jackrabbit. 

And there she was! All the way at the top!

And she is hollering, "Hey, I'm on top! At the whole top!"

She was SUPER PROUD!

Then I asked, "Now what?", and she realized she had made it to the top but she was far from done. There was no walk through from the ladder. She had to go over the short wall to get inside the gym. 

"Whaaaaaat?" Her only other option was back down.

But then she thought about it for a few seconds. 

It really must look like a big hurdle to such a small girl, the top of that wall. But that didn't matter to Stella. She fears nothing. So she sized it up a little more. 

 And then she got that look. 

And that was it; over she came. 

"Hey, seeeeee meeeeee?!" The excitement just rang from her!

She was so proud! She'd made it all by herself. Up AND over the top!

And before I can snap a pic of her over and done, she was down two flights and on to see what's next.

She finds the chain swingy things. "Can I do this?" she asks.

"Well, sure," I tell her, "that's what they're for."

That lasted about two minutes before I could tell she was bored. And then she began describing to me her trip up that ladder. 

Then the hands came up on the hips. I knew her decision had been made.

Stella commenced to telling me how swinging on those chains wasn't much fun, "kinda' boring", she'd said, and the rope was just more fun. And by the time she finished telling me, well as she trailed off......it was back to the rope ladder. 

I'm glad she had fun. I did. 

Family and friends, the pics are here if you want copies. Same download password as always.

Enjoy...