We started at Anderson's Pond, a small fishing pond accessible by wheelchair. But before we got very far, the boys had to stop and pick some of the many tiny wild strawberries beside the trail.
Once we got to the pond, we stopped to admire the view. JJ was excited to see some fish in the water. (The pond is stocked with salmon.) The rest of us were not as lucky.
We continued down the boardwalk. The boys asked me to take pictures of several things they noticed. We had brought our nature journals, but as the bugs were plentiful, I was content with some quick shots with the cell phone.
Even MM joined in. I'm not sure what he saw, but what I saw was him enjoying the nature walk...
Eventually the trail led us to Mooney's Pond. The boys ran to check out the map. They love maps.
The trail goes completely around the pond, but the wheelchair-accessible (and stroller accessible) portion only goes half-way. Still, it's a good long walk for little boys.
But here's where it got crazy. We got to the stairs where the trail gets more difficult. SA took my cell phone, and before I knew it, he and JJ were gone. I waited at the top of the stairs with MM (in the stroller), fully expecting them to reappear in two minutes or so. I felt proud of my masterly inactivity, letting them explore a bit on their own. But only JJ reappeared. He told me SA was finding a geocache. I was a bit worried now, though SA is my cautious child and I did not expect him to come to harm. I carried the stroller down the stairs, and started through the woods to find him. The trail had a lot of roots here, so it was not easy. And we got to the end of the trail without finding him. He had started the trail again! He was sheepish when I found him...he sensed somehow that I was not happy. I explained that I had been worried about him and asked him not to leave me behind again. We headed back down the trail and had our snack before heading for home. It was a good afternoon, even with our little adventure at the end.
