outside

Yesterday the girls and I went "fishing and frogging" in the creek across the road.  We went prepared with the hermit crab terrarium we found at a rummage sale.  You can never be too prepared.  You never know which fish might LOVE those blue rocks, you see.  The girls were sure we would catch something.  We didn't have poles, we had butterfly nets.  I was sure we would not.  I tried to keep my mouth shut so as not to spoil their big dreams.  When we got to the creek the water was very high, muddy and fast flowing.  I told the girls we wouldn't be able to catch anything today.  We walked along the creek for a bit, and Iris found a spot where she was sure there were fish (we had seen them there on an earlier trip).  She dipped in her short handled net.  Nothing.  She begged me to try with my long handled net.  I told her I'd try but I was sure we wouldn't catch anything, the water was too muddy and deep.  First swipe of the net nothing.  Second swipe of the net....Iris sees it first.  Wriggling in the net, shiny red stripe sparkling.  "You got a fish mama!"  Seriously?

This is why I love nature.  It takes all my expectations and turns them upside down.  It humbles me.  It surprises us everyday.  From the shiny red minnow to the bizarre skunk cabbage flower, to the fallen pheobe nest beautifully woven with our horses tail hair, wool from our sheep and gilded with the softest mosses.  Amazing.

Hope you get out this week.  Happy Monday.