The Wild Woods out Back

Daddys are wonderful things to have around. They do wonderful things like cut paths through the briars to allow access to the woods that by this time of year are somewhat inaccessible because of (you guessed it) the briars in the way. So in the process of cutting the path, my little explorers found a box turtle...

which Molly insisted on keeping for a pet. When we told her that the turtle (named Shelly) really had to go back out, there was such grieving that I agreed to keep the thing until tomorrow.

We took a walk to the middle of the patch of woods behind our house, and really, it's all kids need. It's small enough that they can lose themselves in there without ever getting lost. There's plenty of undergrowth to explore, a beautiful covering of foliage, and at the edge, milkweed that supports Tiger Swallowtail and Monarch Butterflies. The kids are thrilled with the paths--not that the lack of them stopped them before. They're just glad they can pass through the briars without getting ripped to shreds. Once past the briars it's a nice walk back into the trees and home again. Molly was sure we were lost, but we made it back--our faithful big-brother guide made sure of it. All two hundred feet (okay, it might have been a little more than that, but not much)...