If you go out in the woods today....

We try to get out for at least one walk in the woods most weekends. Here are some pics of yesterday's walk. I love to walk by a creek, the boys (and I) love to look for "gold" in the creek and we all just love to be out. Hubby and I did some plotting and scheming to figure out next weekend's camping plan. We are trying to incorporate the need for biking with the need for peace and quiet and hiking, with some hot springs to relax in and some alpine meadows for photographing. We also want to get the boys used to packing some gear and need to do this slowly so are planning a day hike up into the mountains to get E used to the idea of carrying at least some of his own stuff.

This picture is from last weekend's walk...that bag I am carrying isn't my lunch, it is the garbage that we collected along the way. The boys ask me each time why people would throw their garbage out and I never know exactly how to answer. I want to say that it must be because they are pigs, filthy pigs who have no regard for nature and should not be allowed to use it...but I don't say that. (well, not out loud anyway) I do talk to them about how for someone to have so little respect for nature they must have no respect for themselves, we talk about what that must be like and why someone might be like that, how important we think it is to treat nature with respect, why we should pick up other's garbage, etc. More importantly, we take the time to notice nature in all her beauty by appreciating all the things she shows us such as this Mountain lady slipper pictured below.