But, for most of my younger life and then the years following my teenage years, I had a yearning for something simpler. I thought about becoming a farmer--reading farming and homesteading magazines. I dreamed of an opportunity to 'live off the land'. My foray into raising chickens was my first project. Those fluffy feathered creatures who miraculously provide eggs and enjoy pecking and searching all day provided a nice start to farming. And I still keep chickens on the property. In fact, my kids have finally decided they enjoy them and have taken over our latest young flock.
Given the chance, I enjoy long walks in the woods. After rare events of snow in Mississippi, I have followed the tracks of animals in the woods just to see how far I could go. I've traipsed through briars, pine thickets, hardwood stands, and meandering paths. I've waded through streams, creeks, and branches--always fascinated with these small tributaries of water. I enjoy trying to map out the lay of the land in my mind. Though I admit I am not good at it, it feels like an adventure to me.
Ask any of the children who have spent time with me and they can probably tell you about a woodland adventure or two--maybe one that involved briars they weren't willing to go through.
My imagination has seemed to wane as I grow older. It was a sad death to me and I yearn for those times when my imagination was sharp and vibrant. Going outdoors seems to awaken in me that imagination that is often lost in a world of technology.
I go outside and see things that interest me and spark something deep inside of me. Today, it was a spider's web across a path where long stems of burnt orange pine straw stuck in the delicate threads. A warning for me to duck. There was a dead tree with its trunk gnawed away by bugs or beaver--only a thin piece of trunk tying the tree to the land and preventing it from falling over. There was the small blue jay feather and a turkey feather--triumphant finds for kids who just studied how feathers work. The finds allowed for discussing the interesting zipping feature that feathers have and how these birds run their beaks through their feathers to re-zip them. There was the baby calf ambling behind its mama hoping for a warm drink of milk. There was the path too filled with briars to traverse, but with a promise made to come back in winter. Future plans were made for a picnic as the weather cooled. The kids recalling with fondness picnics of their past and where they had been held. There were the potato peels from preparing a roast that was fed piece by piece to the goats. The billy pushing his way to the front to be sure he had more than his share.
I'm not surprised at my love for nature. I spent a wonderful childhood in the woods. My imagination was at times, my only companion. Both at my parent's home and at the home of my grandparents there was always a spot of land to be explored. A question to be asked. An adventure to be had. It's no wonder that spending a little time outdoors, sparks my imagination again.
My only regret is that my children aren't as adventurous to go stalking through the woods on their own. I am often their companion. However, our homeschool has allowed me to set aside time each day where they are forced outside. They usually spend this time with their animals. The other day, I was pleased to see they had fixed a problem with a fence with their own ingenuity. Maybe imagination isn't dead. Maybe we all need a little more encouragement to take the time to get outside and explore. After all, God has given man much knowledge and we can build great things, but the greatest of the things are those that God created in the first six days of creation.
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