A Walk in the Woods

As many of you know by now, Aimee (Mrs. Canadian Renegade) and I had twins awhile back. They are almost 6 months now and, while I am a proud father, there have also been some challenges, especially with raising them in the tiny house with us.

Last Monday, Aimee needed a break from the chaos of two babies and I offered to take take them both for the morning so she could go out and recharge. Since work has been a bit slow, and usually is this time of year, taking a bit of time off wasn't a big deal.

Aimee assured me that she would be fine with one baby and that handling two while out of the house was where it became too much of a handful. We flipped a coin for who would take which baby and I ended up with The Boy, as I like to call him.

What would we do to pass the time while Mom was away? I had just the thing, a walk in the woods.

The woods....

My dad is an avid outdoorsman, who loves to hunt and fish, and some of my earliest memories are of being in the outdoors. As I mentioned, in the Seven Day Black and White Challenge, I was shooting by the time I was six! These early experiences are what made me gravitate towards homesteading and a more natural lifestyle and I want my children to be connected to nature in the same way I am.

Luckily, my parents have a fair bit of land with some bush. I don't know if I would call it a forest but it is fairly substantial. So with mama away and a day to fill I put The Boy in the baby carrier and we set off on an adventure. Like most babies, The Boy was riveted by all the new scenery to gaze at. Mama and I have taken the twins on similar walks and each time they have always been very observant. I can just imagine their little brains are sucking up all this new information.

Left: Me and "The Boy" Right: The sun is very low this time of year.

We ventured into the woods and at first there was total silence. I think the animals were holding their breath as we entered the trees. Who was this intruder and was he a danger? As we slowly made our way along something magical happened, the forest suddenly came alive with sounds. Perhaps the animals somehow sensed we weren't a threat? A variety of small birds flited about and the chickadees started chirping. There were even a couple of wood peckers chipping away at trees to find a meal. Where, just moments before, I couldn't see or hear any creature we had now become surrounded!

Like all living things, this tree is retuning to the earth.

As we continued on, I heard something rustling the brush ahead. Was it a squirrel or maybe a deer? On previous walks we had scared deer out of this same area. The rustling ended up being a grouse. While I didn't get the greatest look at the bird, I can't be certain which type we encountered but, having knowledge of the local wildlife around here, I suspect that it was either a Spruce or Ruffled Grouse. I attempted to get The Boy a look at the grouse but the backwards facing carrier presented difficulties and the grouse quickly scurried towards a thick tangle of willows. Still, I found the encounter very interesting.

While I didn't see any large animals this time there was plenty of evidence of them. Left: A deer rub. Center: Deer droppings. Right: Coyote Scat.

Left: What animal could be calling that tree home? Right: How long has that stick been sitting against that old tree? Was it once meant to be a fence post?

We proceeded onwards and I could feel the weight on my chest change. I looked down and the Boy was asleep! I guess the fresh air and movement had gotten the best of him. Meanwhile, I continued on for about another 45 minutes. Even though he was no longer observing, I am hopeful that the sounds, smells and brisk air will leave a mark on his subconscious, plus I was really enjoying myself with getting a chance to relax and think.

As the world continues to get crazier and technology more intrusive into our daily lives. I believe having a balance and finding both comfort and clarity within nature to be important. This balance is something I also want for my children. There will be many more outings and soon we will be living on our own large chunk of land which will afford our children the opportunity to grow up surrounded by nature instead of the city and the craziness that comes with it.

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