momentous no. 3: take a walk

Texas this time of year is hot, hot, hot. I have been down here near Dallas visiting my sister and her family for the past week. It's been a wonderful trip full of summertime fun in the sun. We have been graced with sunshine a lot, but the past couple of days have been filled on and off with terrific claps of thunder and shocks of lightning. I love a good storm any old time, but down here the cooling effect of the rain makes me especially appreciative of them.

This morning, post-rain, the air was humid but so much cooler that I decided it was the perfect chance to take the kids on a walk to a nearby trail which runs parallel to a slow moving creek. I was hoping the cooler temps and rain would bring out some interesting wildlife and I was blown away at what 4 attentive kids were able to spot! We saw silkworms spinning a pod like web, a baby turtle resting on a log, a seriously camouflaged toad, 2 squirrels, and a bright green caterpillar the length of a stick. Cleo managed to collect 2 dead cicadas with their stained glass-like wings to bring home to her insect loving Dad. It was a very successful morning!

The level of enthusiasm and enjoyment each kid showed was especially poignant to me because just last Friday we traveled to a very cool wildlife safari, one where you drive your car through acres of preserve filled with exotic African animals like giraffes and ostrich and strange looking antelopes. This place was seriously impressive and we had a great time. But it also cost a lot of money, relatively speaking, and it took considerable effort to drive there. And though clearly the kids and Ame and I enjoyed the experience immensely (nothing quite like hand feeding a giraffe out of your sunroof!), I can honestly say that the shock and awe factor exhibited for this wee little turtle spotted creekside 5 minutes from home was right up there with those giraffes.

I love to be reminded of how little children need to have their imaginations and curiosity ignited. As parents and loved ones, we like to give them the world but I think sometimes we just need to remember that its really as simple as opening the front door and stepping out with an exploratory mindset. You just never know what you might find out there!