Boy Oh Boys (North Carolina photographer)

Last week, I bravely boarded a bus of boys, in the rain, that was headed up a mountain. Scared yet? You should be.

I served as a chaperone for my son’s class trip that included a 3-mile, strenuous, round-trip hike up Mt. Pisgah, described as “easy” by a friend who didn’t consider the 15 pounds of camera equipment I carried on my back which left me panting and sweaty halfway up…but enough about me.

This class trip was unique because it was divided into two groups. The girls hiked on Monday and the boys hiked Tuesday. And while we climbed the same mountain and took the same trail, I’m pretty sure our experiences were completely different.

First off, the weather. The girls, of course, had beautiful blue skies, sunshine, and pleasant temps. I imagined birds chirping from above, deer galloping in the distance, and sweet little voices singing songs as they skipped up the trail holding hands. The boys’ hike? Rainy, cold, and foggy weather; one sprained wrist from a fall on the way up; and a Fitbit that was lost during an ambush by the boys who finished first on the way down. But they had a blast!

Let’s start with the bus ride there. First off, I adore my boys. I was made to raise boys. They make me laugh every day. So riding up the mountain with a bus full of them turned out to be quite enjoyable. Lots of little boy conversations. So creative. So funny. So outlandish. I actually took notes so I wouldn’t forget and, most importantly, so I could share.

In no particular order, these are the little snippets of boyhood wisdom I heard uttered that day.

“We should buy the fountain of youth. I heard it’s for sale on eBay.”

“We’re not going to Mexico! We’re going to Mt. Pisgah!”

“Do you want to know what your future wife looks like? She has bad teeth.”

“Maybe you could create the zombie apocalypse.” Followed by…”It’s a zombie named Dave.”

After these little tidbits were recorded on my phone’s Notebook app, someone pulled out sunscreen, “accidentally” pushed the button, and sprayed another in the eye.

This was followed by someone yelling out, “Diarrhea!” which led to another commenting with “Explosive!” Gosh, I love boys.

So the hike itself was a symbolic one. After the boys climbed Mt. Pisgah with teachers, the assistant principal and a couple of parents in tow, they moved over to the Buck Springs Gap Overlook for the ceremonious rock throw. Next school year, the boys will enter a grade with more responsibility and expectations which includes becoming “buddies” to younger students. To mark this change, each boy brought a rock with a special word written on it about their hopes for the new school year. The assistant principal gave a little pep talk, the boys lined up near the edge, (no one fell, jumped or pushed their friend which I consider a success), and together they tossed their rocks over the edge. It was a sweet moment and one that made you realize how quickly this craziness of child-rearing goes by.

“Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature of a boy.” -Author Unknown

Snack break at the country store while the boys unsuccessfully try to dislodge a Pepsi in the machine