We do not have a mall in Chestertown. There is no Chuck E Cheese’s.

And so we must content ourselves with the minor amusements of small town life. And I think this is good. Because if we were more surrounded with the shiny distractions of more amply populated places, we might not get quite as excited as we do when the local hardware store inflates a bouncy house in the parking lot and invites everyone to come by for some free bouncing (and free hot dogs).

Even Robbi could not resist the excitement.

After some persuasion, I, too, entered the fray, giving the kids airplane rides on my outstretched legs while all humanity rattled the floor around me.

As I lay there with my brains sloshing about in my head, I thought to myself how good life is here in Chestertown.

I tell you, we know how to have fun.

Lest you were worried about how we might escape if something went horribly wrong in the course of our bouncing adventure, let me point out that there was an emergency exit.

I’m just not sure that even Abraham Lincoln could have accessed it.

Later, we went into the hardware store, where they were giving out balloons.

Does your hardware store give out to balloons to any kid, for free, just because it’s a nice thing to do?

I didn’t think so.

Right next to the hardware store is a movie theater, so we decided to take in Rio 2.

There are some arcade games in the lobby that may or may not have been made in this century.

There are dark hallways with attractive drop ceilings.

And there are usually fewer than 10 people in any given showing of any given movie. Which means you typically have your choice of seating options. Which I consider a benefit that almost outweighs the very small screens and rather underwhelming speaker systems.

Lest you think I’m trending away from the general theme of Chestertown’s overall excellence, let me point out that we have a Rita’s franchise, which, if you do not know, sells Italian ice and soft serve.

We started by sitting on the bench. But the bench was too cold.

Fortunately, we have sunshine in Chestertown.

And bushes for one to sort of halfway hide in.

There was great cheer and enthusiasm as the ice cream was consumed.

There were almost no casualties.

There was a spirited game of freeze tag in the small, nicely mowed patch of grass next to Ritas. Did I mention how nicely we mow our lawns in Chestertown?

Because we were out having so much fun, we missed the Taste of the Town, which was, apparently, a great deal of fun as well.

There are so many fun things to do in Chestertown that you have to choose between them!

The Taste of the Town took place in a tent so vast that it encompassed the town fountain.

While I stood there gaping at the enormous, empty tent, Alden busied herself by climbing her favorite tree.

  

Yes, we have many trees in Chestertown.

And dandelions.

Enough dandelions to go around, thank goodness.

There are certain liabilities to having three children, but fortunately insufficient dandelions isn’t one of them.

Not in Chestertown, at least.