Little Sioux Redux

The last photo safari of September was a mixed bag. We went back to the Little Sioux and walked the other way (I think it was upstream but orienteering  is not my strong suit so who knows which way we went). Anyways, it was not the best adventure we have ever had— Sadie fell and filled her boots with cold stream water, George did not have his listening ears on and after the first 100 feet, we were bushwhacking our way along the stream bed. The good news is we made it back to the car without too much trauma and Meg found some wet, slimy clay to bring back to the house. Not too shabby for an afternoon in the woods.

Photo Safari On The Little Sioux

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.