Down by the Beaver Pond

We started our summer adventures by going to visit the beaver pond to see if we could see signs of animal life.  It sounded like there was a party going on down there with lots of bull frogs letting us know they were down there!  A beaver swam under a log and away from the loud croaks.  Birds, butterflies, and the stirrings of reeds and tall grass brought us closer to the nature all around us.

We watched the cattails rustle and red-winged black birds alight on them.  The sun was out and life was all about us.  We sat still, well trying to be still, Michael had so much to comment on it was almost too impossible to not blurt out what he was seeing.  He was so filled with observations and the joy of being out there in the woods with his Nora that he just gushed and gushed.

There were man made bridges to cross, ferns to stand by to calculate how tall we were, blue and pink flowers, and butterflies and moths fluttering everywhere.  A cool breeze in the shade of the trees that arched over the worn path gave instant relief.

We swatted at the bugs, jumped over logs, and even grass-stained our knees as we slipped and stood and hiked through the paths.

The felled beaver trees were covered in a sea of ferns now and we are unable to locate them any longer.  The fiddleheads were now wide open and taller than Michael.

We made our way to the Winooski River and spent moments tossing rocks, watching dragonflies, and beading up with sweat. An impulse to throw myself into the water almost overcame me but I persevered in the heat and made my way back up to the cooler path.

Michael held Nora's hand as they giggled and pointed down the path.  I could hear him, "I love you so Nora."  She squeezed his hand and said, "I love you too Michael."

Nora said maybe next time we could bring our nature journals and draw while we are there.  What a great idea!   Here Nora signed the guest book at the trails.

 We came home and she went right to sketching in her journal while Michael took a much needed rest.

 Here is Michael's journal.  He wrote the title:

The moments are made more dear as we share the world with the kids.  Their fresh way of looking at life is inspiring, their joy and comments wonderful.  I can't wait to fill our days with memories of Natural Vermont.