Nobody can be in good health if he does not have all the time fresh air, sunshine, and good water.
– Čhetáŋ Kiŋyáŋ
(Chief Flying Hawk)
Summer is finally here. Spring and its newness has come and gone in many places. It’s time to play in the water, go fishin’, and just generally be outside, reveling in the sunshine. As a kid, I would visit the beach with my family fairly often, from North Carolina down to Florida. We’d spend weeks ocean-side, and the sheer number of pet hermit crabs I tried to smuggle home got me in trouble more often than not. I did catch a shark off a pier once and thought it was very possibly the coolest thing I’d done at the time. Start your own fishing journey.
The downside to summer, unfortunately, is the summer-specific natural disasters. Gauge your own risk by learning more about the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index, and find out how to prepare your flock for natural disasters. You also might see a resurgence of pests during the warmer months. Ever found out you had a pack rat problem? I called Josh Lau and asked him how to get rid of – and prevent – the little gremlins. His solutions are more elegant than mine were …
These days, my family doesn’t go to the ocean as often as I did as a child. We tend to spend our summer days teaching our children and grandchildren in the guise of playing: fishing and swimming at the lake, and tracking, foraging, and hunting in the woods. Though we don’t go after black bears, it’s good for the kids to know what to look for!
In the gardens, we coax traditional foods out of the ground for the table (find out more about the Three Sisters), and in the yard, we show them how to use or make the things we gather or need (tan hides with traditional techniques). We even have quiet time on occasion, including little sewing circles in the living room with four or five of the kids (make your own apron on). Cooking a new dish can also provide a moment of quiet in our house (try the Shrimp Scampi recipe). Whoever said teaching valuable skills should be difficult? More homesteading inspiration awaits.
In all of these things, I see joy and satisfaction in the children’s faces – they grew, caught, or tracked down our food, or they made a sibling a gift with their own hands; what better feeling of accomplishment, contribution, and pride could there be?
What’s your favorite summer activity? Write to me: I’d love to see activities and skills being put to good use – for the fun they truly are!
