Finally, a Spring Hike
Last weekend brought one of our first real tastes of spring and my wife, daughters and I celebrated with a long hike at Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation.
It was a beautiful day. Nature was just beginning to reveal all its latent colors in flower blooms and and chirping songbirds. Browns were giving way to varying greens all along the trail. The sun broke easily through the trees which are only just beginning to unfold their leaves. Mosquitos don’t have a jump on the warm weather yet and weren’t the annoyance they will soon become for a period.
The park service offers “X-plorer Packs” for kids filled with gear to keep them interested in and excited for the outdoors (magnifying glass, binoculars, bug bottles, butterfly net, minnow net, etc.) and it served its purpose. The girls had fun searching for birds, wading for minnows, and catching frogs and insects for a closer look in the magnifying jars.
I’m a fan of winter (I like snow and the cold doesn’t bother me) and we had a good one, but as the snow melted, my thoughts quickly drifted to hikes, kayaking and garden plans. We’re I’m happy to see spring arrive finally.
