Last Sunday morning, Charlie came in my bedroom and said, 'it's photo safari day, where are we going?'. My heart was happy, it's no small feat to share a passion for the natural world and photography with your kids. Will found an old camera of Jack's in his bedroom that we gave to Charlie and now we are a gang of four for our Sunday safaris. We went to the Little Sioux River (when we were still a gang of three and one George) and hiked down the stream bed, it was another beautiful afternoon in what is turning into a lifetime of beautiful afternoons.
One of the things I enjoy most about our outings is watching the kids bent over a flower, fallen log or a patch of moss and realizing they get it. They understand we are blessed and it is the nuances and little details that tell the stories we carry with us. Finding a beautiful mushroom, a perfectly curled piece of birch bark or a leaf hanging from a spider's web is proof positive that there is magic and divine benevolence in our midst.
Trees are amazing, they find a way to grow skyward and set down roots in just about any situation. I love to see their roots above ground weaving in and out of the river bank. I feel better being around them, they remind to build a strong foundation but remain flexible.
