With screens distracting us at every moment and temperature controlled luxury it can often be hard to remember how important it is to get out into nature with the kids. If this is never an issue for your family, I applaud you! For my family though, specially with my health conditions it can be a challenge to get out into nature sometimes. We do out best, specially with field trips like the one we took to see the wild ponies in eastern Maryland and hiking in the mountains in southern Arizona.
Thankfully we don’t have to go far most places we live to be close to the wild life! Tonight I got to see this young guy very close to our home. The kids love all the deer on this post along with the ground hogs, foxes, and raccoon. Other posts we have been lucky to have things like javelina and black bears around our dwellings. I can hardly remember civilian like but it seems to me that most of the times we have lived on military posts we have seen an abundance of wild life in the back yard. It really is a treat and it never gets old. (Well maybe having to protect the trash from aggressive javelina got old LOL)
The kids really love walking or driving down certain roads that we always seem to find and nick name “Animal Way” and love to see the different animals at different times of the year that can be found in those areas. My children have learned a lot about respecting space and the nature of wild animals over the years. My oldest daughter just the other night had to run out to the van to get a book she needed to read for homeschooling and she came right back in to tell me that the van was in the space of a very large buck in the middle of the street about 5 feet from our door. She said she would go back out when he had left. Did you know deer sometimes attack people? They are not mean but they can get in moods and while they appear very cute it is best to give them space. I am glad our oldest understood that. I helped her get the book on my kindle fire instead so she didn’t have to wait on the deer who was very much enjoying guarding the street it seemed. Maybe on one of our family walks we will find an antler of his when they drop in a few months! I am fairly certain it is legal to take them from the ground then, even on military land.
Anyway, I hope you are enjoying what fall nature has brought to your area if your in this hemisphere and that you can find some time to get out and enjoy it with the kids. It really is worth it!
