Cultivating a love for nature

On our drive to Oakhurst, I  mentioned we stopped at the mall. Just to give perspective of how significant that is, let me explain. We live 30 minutes from a small town where the only places we visit are Safeway, the hardware store, the bank, the post office and sometimes the library and Alco. I only go into town once a week usually. Rarely do we go to Tucson which is an hour and a half away. When we do there's no time to leisurely shop. I have a list of things I need to get and it's a wham-bam-thank-you-mam exhausting kind of day. 

So when we went to the mall, there was this guy at a kiosk trying to sell David a flying helicopter. I admit, it was pretty neat. Orion was of course enthralled too.  Then there were the pretend cars that go up and down when you put money in. There was a toy shop, and for me, lots of clothing shops. I could see the desires of my kids, and myself climbing...wanting more...and more.

One of the highlights for the kids was riding the escalator. You can't ride the escalator without trying to go down the one that is trying to take you up. It's just so much fun, right? I was at the bottom watching David and the kids as they tried to make it down, but alas, there was someone who wanted to go up. It was an older lady dressed really sharp. I didn't really study her enough to be able to describe what she looked like exactly, but I do remember distinctly the impression I had. Very forcefully, as if in big bold letters flashing above their heads, I read "YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE." I thought to myself, "Wow, I didn't realize we were such country bumpkins." The contrast was just too funny. Here she was, her hair, clothes, nails, make-up and shoes all spoke of distinction, refinement and artificial sedentary life. In contrast, my husband was wearing his work clothes: Carhart boots, stained jeans, a thermal shirt and an unshaven face. The kids were wearing their rain boots and had already gotten food stains on their clothes from breakfast.We just didn't fit in at the mall.

I'm proud to be a non-city dweller. I do not want my children to grow up feeling like they need "stuff" to make them happy. Or thinking that they need to look fake in order to be considered beautiful. That is one reason I'm thankful for the opportunity to visit my mom and step-dad.  They provided fabulous opportunities for us to enjoy the beauty and simplicity of nature. Consider this concept:

For breaking the spell of fashion, the teacher can often find no means more effective than contact with nature. Let pupils taste the delights to be found by river or lake or sea; let them climb the hills, gaze on the sunset glory, explore the treasures of wood and field; let them learn the pleasure of cultivating plants and flowers; and the importance of an additional ribbon or ruffle will sink into insignificance."  (Education, 247) 

So here we come to phase one of our vacation which included time with Neena (my Mom) and Grandpa Jim (my step-dad). We got to enjoy the wonders of Yosemite. The week before we left we all watched a National Geographic video on Yosemite so the kids were looking forward to seeing it in person. 

Beauty #1: Snow...and sledding!  Orion enjoyed the danger and excitement of sliding down a hill a little more than Omega. She preferred just eating it. She certainly went down, but not as many times by herself. David would take Orion to the top of the hill, get him situated on his sled, let go and he would come flying down. Jim and I were at the bottom ready to catch him from going into the little creek or pick him up quickly in case he fell off. One time the sled bonked right into my shin and I still have a bruise two weeks later.

Beauty #2: The giant Sequoia trees. Did you know they are the fastest growing trees in the world? They can grow up to 1-2 feet per year until they are between 200-300 high, then they grow out. They are also the biggest in width with bark as much as 4 feet thick.When there are forest fires, they don't burn up because the bark has tannin in it which is fire retardant. But, the pine cones actually need the fire in order for them to open up, drop seeds and reproduce. Pretty interesting huh?

David was rather amused by a sign on the fence that said to keep away from the base of the tree because they didn't want soil compaction. Yet the fence was only fifteen feet away and the walkway was paved. The parking lot was not too distant either. So, he went to the ranger booth and asked them about that and they humbly admitted that they were discussing that contradiction in their staff meetings and were developing a plan to be more consistent.

Beauty #3: Mighty granite rocks and serene ponds.

We ate a delicious lunch of avocado, tomato and tofu scramble sandwiches with wheat thins and grapes over on the picnic tables past the bridge. Of course the tables were covered in ice so we sat in the sunshine on the rocks near the water.

David tried to teach the kids how to skip rocks. They were more impressed with the sound of the rocks going plunk right down into the water, five at a time. We all enjoyed the peaceful scenery and fresh air.

Beauty #4: Wildlife. We saw deer, birds and even a fish splashing out of the water, but the coolest of all was a bobcat hunting in the snow! That was quite a treat :)

Beauty #5: Cascading Waterfalls



The falls at Yosemite were beautiful, but on our last day in Oakhurst we took a hike to some other falls closer to my Mom's house. We packed a lunch and enjoyed them up close.

 David built a bridge for us to get across the rushing stream to see what was supposed to be "hot-springs" but they were more like warm springs. Not quite as impressive as we were hoping for, but it was still fun.

Omega and Orion have developed really good balance and climbing ability. They are like little mountain goats. They liked finding little "caves" to hide in and pretend they were bears.

Spending time in nature was delightful and refreshing. We forgot all about the toy helicopter, the escalator and new clothes. Those things lost their appeal when we were surrounded by the glories of creation.