We all want a healthy garden, a garden that provides food for the table; adds beauty to the landscape; and contributes to the native ecosystem.  The health of a garden can be gauged by the size and color of plants; the quantity and quality of harvestable fruits, vegetables, and herbs; and the presence of frogs.

Frogs breathe and drink through their skin. On land, adult frogs use their lungs to breathe, but they rely on the extra oxygen they absorb through their skin, especially when they are underwater. They transfer oxygen through their skin directly into their bloodstream. This makes frogs especially vulnerable to water pollutants. Frogs do not swallow water; they get the water they need solely through their skin.

Because of their physiology, frogs are considered an indicator species of the health of an ecosystem because they are the first to be affected by changes in the environment. If you have healthy frogs, you know you have clean water and air.  Also, since frogs are predators and prey, thus affecting many animals, frogs are a good indication of the health of an ecosystem.

Frogs As Environmental Indicators 

Frogs that are deformed indicate unhealthy changes in the environment.  The U.S. Geological Survey studied malformed frogs in Minnesota and found that a combination of factors cause frog deformities.  These factors include parasites, chemicals, and increased ultraviolet light.  “It is likely that one or more combinations of chemicals, biological, and physical factors are responsible for causing the malformations in Minnesota frogs. Chemical combinations may be mixtures of natural and human-made organic chemicals, each of which is harmless on its own but toxic when combined. The number of possible combinations of chemicals, biological, and physical factors is enormous, which may explain why finding the causes for frog malformations has been a difficult task.”

According the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Amphibians, such as frogs, toads, and salamanders, are highly susceptible to contaminants, including fertilizers, weed and pest killers, and detergents, released into their environment.…Amphibian eggs and larvae (tadpoles) are especially susceptible to these toxic substances”.

Keeping Frogs Healthy

To keep frogs healthy, it is important to use sustainable and organic methods to grow food.  Anything you add to the ground surface will eventually make its way to ground water, creeks, streams, wetlands, or lakes and affect that ecosystem. Clean water means healthy frogs. So grow your garden in a way that does not add additional chemicals to the environment. Use compost and organic fertilizers.  Use beneficial insects, rather than insecticides, to manage garden insect pests.  To attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, ground beetles, and lacewings, add a border of native plants next to your vegetable garden.  Other methods to prevent insect damage is to pull out weak plants, build healthy soil, clear out debris and weeds, and interplant and rotate crops.

Frogs In The Garden

Frogs are carnivorous as adults and are a natural means of pest-control.  They eat moths, mosquitoes and their larvae, snails, slugs, flies, beetles, and cockroaches. In fact, frogs remove many crop-damaging insects from your garden each summer.

To attract frogs to your garden, you need to have a body of water—wetland, lake, or pond—nearby. Frogs must keep their skin moist; otherwise, oxygen cannot pass easily through their skin and the frog suffocates. Frog skin secretes mucus that helps keep it moist. Even so, their skin tends to dry out easily, which is why they usually stay near bodies of water. In a pinch, frogs rely on dew for moisture, or burrow underground into moist soil.

Once you have the water source, frogs need a cool, shady place to stay. Vegetable leaves provide the cool shade frogs need, as do ‘toad houses’.  You can construct a simple toad house by using stones or bricks to make a three-sided house.  The house will not have a bottom so the toads can burrow into the soil.  You can set a pot for a container garden on top of the toad house.  This method provides height and color to the vegetable garden and a cool spot for the frogs.   Frogs will borrow in mulch and they also like compost piles.

As gardeners, we strive to sustain our communities, our environment, and ourselves.  A basket overflowing with produce picked from the garden is one way to assess how well your gardening methods work.  Another way is to find a healthy frog or two in your garden.  A healthy frog means a healthy garden and a healthy environment.

Mary Pellerito is a freelance garden writer living in Michigan.  Check out her blog, Muse, at http://mary-goingnative.blogspot.com/.

Outside my Window the rain is tapping lightly on the shutters.  As I peek through the shutters. a hummingbird spreads his wings and stretches his neck toward the sky.  He seems to enjoy his morning shower.  The bamboo orchids next door sway as the basilisk lizard known as the Jesus lizard scurries back to his dwelling.  A gentle breeze wafts by and a coconut drops to the ground.  All the while I sip dark, rich coffee on the front porch. Life is slower, gentler, and seemingly kinder here in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

A mile down the main road, you can find Finca Los Monos Botanical Garden (The Monkey Farm).  I was entertained there by the Howler Monkeys who are in command.  The Gillinghams are owner/caretakers of this 20 acres of rainforest which they graciously share with the public.  Bocas del Toro is a preferred home to many species of oropendola who unique call and conical nests are famous.  Just down from Los Monos, the Smithsoniaqn Tropical Research Foundation have specimens of a newly discovered species of tarantula.  Named Ami bladesi the spider is small, pink, and doesn't spin a web.

Banana. pineapple, mango, and papaya flourish and compliment the array of seafood that are a stone's throw outside my window.

Not since I was child have I been sad to see summer end. By nature, I’m not a summer person. I dislike hot, humid weather. But this summer was unusual. June was quite warm, serving as a prelude for the coming heat. However, the uncomfortable, suffocating temperatures didn’t come. July and August were unusually cool and wet. That’s not to say it didn’t get hot on occasion, but those days were few and far between. We usually have several days of triple-digit temperatures at least once during the summer, but we never even made it to the century mark this year.

A few times during July and August, I turned the air conditioner off and opened up the house. If you’ve ever been in Kansas in the middle of the summer, you know how stifling it can be. It’s like sitting under a wet blanket out in the sun. Air conditioning is a must. So to be able to turn the A/C off and open up the house during what’s normally the hottest months of the year is highly unusual – and to do it more than once is unheard of!

Fall is my favorite season and I eagerly await its arrival after a long, hot summer, but to enjoy a summer such as the one we just had was so refreshing. It was like being in the Rocky Mountains! I talked to my brother, who lives in Colorado, several times this summer and he complained about how hot it was out there. Thanks to a dip in the jet-stream, we were enjoying their normal summer temperatures.

One of the benefits of having a cooler than normal summer is being able to get out and do yard work. Normally, I don’t get out in the yard at all during the summer months. This summer I was able to get out in the yard three times. It feels good to have a head start on the yard work I want to get done this fall. By the way, our grass usually dies at some point during the summer because of the heat and lack of moisture. We had green grass all summer long.

Another reason I hated to see summer come to an end is the availability of fresh garden produce. Several of my co-workers shared bounty from their gardens including tomatoes, zucchini, okra and sweet corn. I couldn’t help but grab several ears of sweet corn – and I picked up a couple of tomatoes for my mom.   

Now that September is here, I can look forward to leaves turning color and crisp autumn temperatures. As I look back on the summer of 2009, I’ll be able to remember it as a pleasant season I actually enjoyed instead of being eternally grateful that it was finally over. The cool, wet conditions we were blessed with this summer should allow for some spectacular fall colors. I hope you had a pleasant summer and you’re looking forward to a fabulous fall.

photo: iStock.com/lakovKalinin

I took a long-awaited week off from work last week. I never seem to get everything done I want to do on the weekends (even if it’s a long holiday weekend). So, I took the time off to work on some projects I’d been putting off.

One of my major projects was to scan my dad’s slides (taken in the late 1960s and early 1970s) and save them to my computer. My goal was to scan at least four trays and I got six done. Most of the slides were of our vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. It was the first vacation our family took without my older brother. Although we missed having him along, it was one of the most memorable vacations our family ever had. As I looked at each picture, it immediately took me back to our trek out west.

The first leg of our journey led us through Western Kansas and the northeast corner of Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyo. We stayed with my cousin’s in-laws. After a tour of the capital city, we enjoyed rainbow trout for dinner. My sister and I slept in the family’s camper and we thought that was a real treat.

After we left Cheyenne, we headed north. We stopped at a tourist attraction called Hell’s Half Acre, 40 miles west of Casper. It’s not the kind of scenery you’d expect to see in the high plains of central Wyoming. Hell’s Half Acre is a horseshoe-shaped gorge with jagged spires and eerie rock formations.

Our next stop was Dubois. I fell in love with this authentic western town nestled in the valley between two mountain ranges. My parents, sister and I took an evening trail ride. I pretended to be a rancher’s daughter surveying our vast Rocky Mountain empire.

I hated to leave my little hamlet in the mountains, but the best was yet to come. We headed further west to Moran, a small community just outside of Grand Teton National Park. The motel where we stayed looked like a log cabin with a rustic décor. The view of the Tetons from the motel was spectacular, but the mosquitoes were so thick, it was impossible to sit outside and enjoy the view. 

Our time in the Tetons was one breathtaking sight after another. We toured the park, stopping at various turnouts to enjoy views of Jackson Lake, Wind River and alpine meadows. We also took a shuttle boat across Jenny Lake. The spray from the alpine lake hit my face – and it was cold!

One of my favorite places was the Chapel of the Transfiguration. The tiny log cabin structure, built in 1925, is owned and operated by the Episcopal Church. A picture window in the front of the chapel frames the Teton Range. I thought it would be a perfect place to get married (they do have weddings there).

Another day found us visiting the town of Jackson Hole. We had a picnic in the park that features an arch made of antlers. We also took the tram up Rendezvous Mountain, but it was so cold when we stepped out, we quickly looked at the spectacular view and immediately stepped back into the tram.

Our travels next took us to Yellowstone National Park. What amazing sights awaited us there!  We saw Old Faithful and other geysers, Mammoth Hot Springs, thermal pools, a mud volcano and sulphur caldron (it smelled like rotten eggs – Eww!). We also took in the grandeur of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone complete with spectacular waterfalls. We had heard that there were a number of black bears in the park, so we were disappointed that we only saw one young bear.

After we left Yellowstone, we spent the night in West Yellowstone, Montana. I felt like I’d stepped back into the 1800s. We took a day trip up to the area where the largest earthquake in Montana history struck in 1959. A vistor’s center told the history of the quake and the area showed evidence of its destruction (a huge landslide and damaged houses) and the beauty it created (a peaceful lake).

We left Montana and drove down through Idaho to Utah. We spent the night in Ogden, then toured Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Aside from the inspiring temple, I was most impressed with the acoustics inside the large tabernacle (built without any nails). Our tour group stood in the back while our guide stood in the front with his back to us and whispered. We could hear every word he said!

The last leg of our trip took us thorough familiar territory in northern Colorado (a favorite vacation spot for our family) to visit some friends and then back home to Kansas.

As I finished scanning these slides, I felt as if I’d been on that wonderful vacation all over again. I’m glad my dad took so many pictures of that and other family vacations. It allows me to not only relive the good times we shared, but take a vacation without ever leaving the house!

How do you take a mental vacation? What is your most memorable vacation?

Photos taken by Kenneth and Velma Kipp

In the last few weeks, I have been entertained by a bevy of birds both at work and in my backyard.

Late spring in Kansas is the time of year I see baby birds old enough to try out their wings, but still young enough to rely on their mothers as a source of food.  I was on the phone with my aunt the other day and something in the back yard caught my eye. On closer inspection, I could see it was a baby robin. I wondered where the mother was. About that time, I saw a female robin hop through the bushes. The baby robin fluttered over to her and opened its mouth. Mama robin obliged by pecking at the ground and coming up with some nourishment to put in her offspring’s mouth. I felt sorry for the little one when the mother flew over the fence and the baby couldn’t fly over or squeeze through. The pair was eventually reunited.

A few weeks earlier, I had the back door open, enjoying the beautiful spring temperatures. Even from the front of the house, I could hear a wren chattering. Wrens have a melodious song that I never get tired of hearing, but they also have a scolding chatter. I went to see what the commotion was all about. I saw a male sparrow sitting on the perch of the wren house, thus blocking the entrance, and the wren was in the tree scolding the sparrow. I pounded on the screen door and the sparrow flew away. Minutes later, I heard the wren chattering again. I went to look and that darn sparrow had returned to the wren’s perch! I pounded on the screen door again and the sparrow flew away. This scene played out two more times before the sparrow gave up and went on his merry way. Once the wren flew after the sparrow, but broke off its pursuit and returned to the wren house.

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen a sparrow do this. Last year I witnessed the same scenario. About the time I was going to pound on the screen door, however, a robin swooped down and scared the sparrow away. I’m sure the wren was grateful to the robin for coming to its rescue, but I have no doubt that in spite of its size, the wren could have handled the situation on its own. 

 I’m beginning to wonder if each spring the sparrows are attempting a hostile takeover of the wren house, but they should have learned from one of their predecessors that the opening is too small for them (besides, they’re not cavity dwellers). I can remember my dad having to rescue a sparrow who had its head stuck in the opening of the wren house.

When I’m out doing yard work, it gives me the opportunity to observe birds more closely or hear calls I wouldn’t normally hear in the house. Once when I was cutting off flowers that had already bloomed, I noticed a robin had been hanging around. After I finished and sat back, the robin came over into the dirt, pecked at the ground, extracted a juicy worm and promptly swallowed it.

Recently, I’ve been able to observe birds of a different feather at work. The editors of Mother Earth News, one of our magazines here at Ogden Publications, have been trying out a new incubator. Over 200 eggs of different varieties were ordered from hatcheries in Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Texas and placed in the incubator. We not only have a variety of chickens – Babcock Browns, Golden Comets, Dominiques, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons and White Silkies – we also have ducks and quail.   

Each day more and more eggs hatch and they are transferred to the make-shift “nursery” (a cardboard box with a heat lamp). The box doesn’t stay occupied for long though. Several of my co-workers have taken chicks home. I would love to take some of them home myself, but my current living situation isn’t conducive to having chickens.

I never thought I wanted chickens, but the longer I work here, the more I learn about the benefits of owning chickens. Now I’m interested in learning more about the different breeds and which ones would suit my needs. Thanks to some of my co-workers, this city girl (I’m really a country girl at heart) is learning about more than just the birds in her backyard.

Are you a birdwatcher? Do you have chickens? I’d love to hear about your experiences with birds.

I can still remember the first Earth Day – I was in freshman biology learning about ecology at that time. I bet I have the original Earth Day button that my teacher Mr. Z. handed out, now squirreled away in some keepsake box in the barn somewhere. Mr. Z., and my own extensive experience in the natural world, made it easy for me to believe that the gift of nature is one that’s worth taking care of – no matter how that care cuts into industrial bottom lines. I am mildly shocked to note that this year’s earth day is the 39^th such annual event. I am, however, pleased to learn that National Wildlife Refuges around the country are planning special events in mid-April to mark the celebration.

Earth Day will be celebrated at many of the country’s more than 550 national wildlife refuges, which are dedicated to the protection of our natural habitat and the many creatures that depend on it for survival. The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife and plant populations. Look for a Wildlife Refuge near you – there is at least one located within an hour of most major cities.

Here is a sampling of Earth Day events on National Wildlife Refuges. For more information on events in your area, visit www.fws.gov/refuges and click on visitors.

Saturday, April 11
Earth Day Litter Pickup
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Cambridge, Maryland

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Join in the refuge’s annual litter pick-up of the roads around the refuge, and enjoy drinks and snacks, compliments of the nonprofit Friends of Blackwater. Individuals, families and groups are welcome. Meet at the Blackwater Visitor Center.

Contact: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 410-228-2677

For more information about the refuge: http://www.fws.gov/blackwater

Saturday, April 18
Earth Day Cleanup and Hike
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

Oceanville, New Jersey

8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Join refuge staff and the Township of Galloway for a cleanup along the refuge’s Wildlife Drive. Then go for a short nature walk led by naturalists. Activities are free, but you must pre-register: 609-748-1535. A light lunch will be served. Rain date: Sunday, April 19.

Location: 800 Great Creek Road, Oceanville, N.J.

Contact: Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge at 609-748-1535

For more information about the refuge: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/forsythe 

Saturday, April 18
Earth Day Litter Pickup and Bicycle Tour
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Folkston, Georgia - East Entrance

8 a.m. – noon

Join in a cleanup of the refuge and adjacent Highway 121. Then take off on a bicycle tour of Swamp Island Drive. Enjoy staffed exhibits and demonstrations along the way about wildlife, plants, wildland fire, fishing, nature photography, swamp culture, hiking, bicycling, recycling and more. Discover some of the amazing plants and animals found in the refuge. Create nature crafts, see live animals and get a free bicycle safety check. Find out what local organizations do in your community. Learn about what you can do to help protect the earth.

Contact: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 912-496-7836.

 For more information about the refuge: http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee

Saturday, April 25
Earth Day Volunteer Day
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge

Seymour, Indiana

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Join in a cleanup of the refuge. Then move on to other hands-on projects for all ages. Among these: improving hiking trails and removing invasive garlic mustard.

Contact: Donna Stanley at 812-522-4352 or via email Muscatatuck@fws.gov

For more information about the refuge: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/muscatatuck

Saturday, April 25
Earth Day Boating Tours, Butterfly Viewing and Fishing Lessons
Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge

Dayton, Texas

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Enjoy an afternoon of free outdoor activities, hosted by the refuge and the nonprofit Friends of Trinity River Refuge, at the Champion Lake Public Use Area. Activities will include canoeing, kayaking and boating tours; bird and butterfly viewing; walking the levee trail; and dip netting and fishing lessons in the lake for the kids. You may want to bring a lawn chair, as seating is limited.

Location: Champion Lake is located at the end of CR 417, two miles east of FM 1409 in southern Liberty County. This is approximately 10 miles south of Dayton, Texas, from Hwy 90 or about six miles north of I-10 at the Cove exit (FM 565).

Contact: Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge at 936-336-9786

For more information about the refuge: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/trinityriver

Nothing clears the mind (and messes up the hair) like a ride in the back of a friend’s convertible. It was such a gorgeous spring day yesterday I couldn’t resist the invitation to “cruise” down the boulevard with three of my co-workers. We all needed to get away from our desks and clear our minds. It was the perfect antidote.

On the way back to work, my friend who was driving cranked up the radio and we hollered and laughed, enjoying the last few moments of our lunch hour.

Spring has a tendency to bring out the kid in all of us. There’s something about the rising temperatures after our confinement from the cold winter months that draws us outside and causes us to be a little giddy.

I’m not totally opposed to winter. I do like snow, the holidays, snuggling under a blanket and the frosty chill in the air. But when I feel the mercury starting to rise, see flowers poking through the ground and the trees starting to bud, I rejoice in the promise of warmer weather.

The other day, a pair of house finches checked out the light fixture on my front porch. It seems to be a popular place for them to make their nest. They’re also attracted to the wreath just outside my front door. The robins, however, seem to prefer the flower pots.  As long as the neighborhood cats stay away, my porch becomes a nursery for baby birds every spring.

For weeks now, I’ve heard birds chattering joyfully, heralding the advent of spring. I get a little annoyed on Saturday mornings though when I’m trying to sleep late and the sparrows and starlings seem to be having an argument just outside my bedroom window.

I always feel sorry for the robins when they make their return on a warm day and then a cold snap comes along. When that happens, I’m sure they wonder if they took a wrong turn or didn’t look at the calendar correctly.

As soon as the spring shows its happy face, the gardener in me comes out. I love flowers and when I took over the yard work after my dad died, I discovered how therapeutic gardening can be. 

I just finished proofreading an article (that will be in an upcoming issue of our sister magazine, GRIT ) about kitchen gardens. Now I want to sprinkle herbs and vegetable seeds in with my flowers, so I can have a functional as well as an aesthetic garden. That’s my hope anyway.

Spring is a season of hope. It reminds us that the winter in our hearts won’t last forever. It’s a promise of a new beginning and renewed possibilities. It is a season in which we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, our Eternal Hope.

I hope I never stop appreciating a beautiful spring day and the uplifting feeling I get from observing the signs of the season.

How about you? Does spring bring out the child in you? What do you like to do when spring appears? Let me know.

The feeling I get when heading out into the woods before the sun has risen is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I feel a combination of anticipation, nervousness, hope, and usually a little bit of fatigue, since it’s right around 5:30 in the morning when I’m heading out to my stand.

For a hunter going out in the morning or evening, anything can happen. It could be the hunt you’ve been waiting your whole life for, or you could fall out of a tree (or some other unfortunate accident could befall you) and wreck your whole hunting career.

What shouldn’t change, though, is that you spend every minute out in the wilderness observing. One of my favorite things to do when I’m not seeing deer and allowing my mind to wander is to watch the squirrels, a habit I began because they trigger noise all through the forest, noise that can initially be mistaken for animals of prey.

While sitting out there, I try to be still enough that either a squirrel or bird perches on some part of my body. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve always thought that if that happens I’m doing everything correctly as far as my tactics, behavior and movement in the tree, or rather the lack thereof.

Anyway, I saw a blog this morning about the natural occurrence of frost flowers during this time of year. I’d always seen frost flowers and wondered how they are created.

As Patsy Bell Hobson explains, frost flowers only occur when temperatures fall to freezing before the ground has become frozen for the winter. The whole occurrence depends on water still moving up through the plant while sap freezes and makes a crack in the stem, allowing the water moving through the stem to slowly seep out of the crack (capillary action) and form very thin, petal-looking ice formations. She has several beautiful photos in that blog entry, and it was cool to read about what I’ve seen so many times, and why it was happening.

But this got me thinking. What else do I see out there while I’m sitting alone that I would miss if I couldn’t hunt?

One thing, for sure, is the attainable proximity with squirrels and birds that I can’t get in any other way. I seem to see the same squirrels each time out, each recognizable by size and distinguishing marks. Subconsciously even, I look for the squirrels to be in their respective trees and wonder about them when they’re not in the neighborhood.

Subtle changes in behavior of the squirrels also can make you privy to something approaching from the rear, although I’d rather see an approaching deer before any of my squirrel pals do the same – that way I’m in position to draw a bow and send an arrow if a shooter shows.

Icicles are another natural beauty in the wilderness--although they can be dangerous and looking directly up in search of them is not something you want to do, ever.

Watching animals behave is something I love doing anytime, but the occurrence of frost flowers is another cool phenomenon not all that many people get to witness. Yet another reason I’m thankful for being able to sit in a tree in the cold, watching and anticipating …

It is so easy to get caught up in all the craziness around us today! It seems to come at us from all angles. The economy is not good right now, which affects our everyday lives in so many ways. We have to worry about our job stability, making payments on loans, and how we are going to pay insurance and taxes, not to mention our light bill, phone bill, and putting food on the table for our families. We have to decide how we are going to take this child here, while another needs to be at another place at the same time! And going on right in the middle of all this is a presidential election. We constantly hear and see ads everywhere we turn, trying to convince us why we should vote this way or that. It is enough to make my head spin.

One of the best ways I’ve found to forget all this, if only for a short time, is to get into nature. Try to make time to get outside and go for a walk. Go to the park, go to the woods, and go find a hiking trail. It doesn’t matter where, just get outside!

Wipe all of the worries from your mind, and pay attention to what surrounds you!

Pretend you are a child again, exploring for treasures. Look up and down, and notice the little things. Listen for the sounds of the birds chirping and singing. It’s music that soothes the soul!

Watch for all those little crawling critters, the many kinds of bugs and caterpillars with their amazing diversity.

Notice their shapes and colors. Perhaps you will see a moth and notice how very fuzzy they are when you get a close look.

Watch for all the many kinds of mushrooms. Imagine that maybe a fairy might sit on the cap to rest her wings.

Take note of all the different kinds of wild berries. Do not eat them if you don’t know what they are, but look at their colors and shapes. Are they round, or oblong? Do they grow on a bush, or are they on the ground? If you have any identification guides, take them with you and see if you can identify the things you see.

Notice the plant life and how it differs from the smallest plant that grows right next to the ground, to the tallest trees!

Watch for wildlife. Maybe you will see a chipmunk run in front of you and here it scolding because you are near.

Listen for the rustle of leaves that could be a squirrel jumping from treetop to treetop looking for nuts.

Maybe you will catch a glimpse of a deer as it moves through the trees looking for acorns that have fallen to the ground!

Oh, can you hear it, the sound of water as it flows over rocks in a woodland stream. Large rocks, covered with moss. Imagine a pixie sitting on one of those mossy rocks dipping her toes in the cool flowing water!

When you get back to your real life, things will not seem so bad and you will find yourself renewed with a feeling that you will be able to deal with whatever comes your way!

This summer, Elly and I have had a lot of time together to do whatever we want. Andrew's gift to us this past Christmas was a new bike for me and a bike trailer for Elly. As a family, we have not taken the plethora of bike trips that we dreamed about in the dead of winter. In fact, other than a short trip around the country block in April, we as a family have only had a chance to bike one other time all summer. So last week, the weather was just right: mid 70s, not too humid and breezy. Elly and I took off. (Andy could not join us as he was building new sheep fence!)

I had figured out our destination. There is the small map dot village, and just outside of that village lies a magical place...

A creek and nature preserve. The creek is the only creek in our county and it connects a local lake to the river that forms the northern border of our farm. When this area was first settled, the people recognized the beauty and potential of the creek and built a saw mill and grain mill over its waters. Local churches would hold picnics in the grassy areas within the forest and some even did their baptisms in the cool waters. In the 20th century, the mills closed down and it wasn't until the 1970s that a group of citizens raised the money to preserve the wooded creek area and maintain the trails for everyone to enjoy. Today, there are hiking paths, bridges and information boards about the local flora/fauna throughout its many trails.

After a half hour of biking, we made it to our destination and had a snack. Then we went in! The whole area is wooded with beautiful native Wisconsin trees and plants. The nature trail is clearly marked because that is the most common path used by visitors. We traversed down some steep stairs and then hit the actual mossy earth trail within. After a hot bike trip, the shade of the canopy was a welcome relief. Elly began her exploration by pointing out every different kind of leaf and asking, "Wazz-thiss?" Soon we heard the babbling of the hidden creek and quickened our pace. All around we could hear birds 40 feet above us and rustling of foliage right near our feet. Suddenly a glimmer caught my eye and then the sun reflected off of a mysterious serpentine creature not 20 yards away. Another few steps and the trees parted enough that I could see the creek meandering past, shining and brilliant in the summer heat. I picked Elly up and asked "Do you see the water?" She pointed in earnest. The path followed the stream for about a tenth of a mile and we could see the water was very red and clear. (There are a lot of iron deposits in this area). Water bugs spun in circles in the shallows and tiny minnows darted left and right between the rocks. I determined that we needed to get down to stream level so that Elly could actually splash around and enjoy the water.

Unfortunately, the creek bank was very steep and rather dangerous. We kept on, looking for a way down. A fallen tree blocked our path, but Elly crawled over like an experienced rock climber! Then I saw a small break in the bank and decided to chance it. With Elly in my arms, holding onto me like an orangutang baby, we climbed down tree roots and reached the creek edge with nary a spec of dirt on us! I set Elly down and the first thing she did was truck right into the water; shoes, socks, pants and all! Silly me, I thought she'd stay where it was dry and just splash a little with her hands. Silly me. I had chosen a spot where a fallen tree limb blocked the rush of the current and allowed for a sort of natural pool to form at the edge of the water. I let her play and splash and move stones and poke with a stick. A little wet never hurt anyone.

All the while, I was in awe of the simple beauty surrounding me. Arching tree limbs formed a half tunnel over the creek, mottled greens and beiges filtered with brilliant light, and the subtle touch of Autumn, easing into the forest's color spectrum. Here and there, a pinch of gold or yellow greeted my eye. When we returned to the path ten feet above us, I realized that I hadn't seen but a few summer flowers in bloom. Actually, as I looked around, what I saw more of was nuts and ripened berries and that aged green that leaves get in late summer.

I realized that Elly and I had stumbled onto a rite of passage in that woods. It was like a secret that we were allowed to witness: the colors, the scents, the feel of the path under our feet.

We had seen the birth of Autumn that day.

As we finished up our trek in the woods, Elly became particularly fascinated with the acorns in the path. So we stopped, sat down in the dirt and sorted acorns. Being on the ground level like that is something we adults would probably choose not to do, but that is why I love bringing Elly to see these things! She brings a perspective that I haven't shared in a long, long time. At 16 months, she will hardly remember our day together, but I will. In fact, I believe she is the reason we witnessed what we did. Only a child's attention to small details could have revealed something so precious.

Please, take the time one of these days to visit a nature preserve near you. You can't imagine how worth it that trip will be!