Vacation Day 5: Exploring the Great Outdoors

The girls had their first trip to Effie Yeaw Nature Center today. I feel like a terrible parent having waited so long to take them.

We spied brazen turkeys the size of large dogs sauntering through the grass and nervous jackrabbits darting across the path. A pair of velvet-antlered bucks stopped their halfhearted tussle to look at the girls quizzically before bounding away to a more private sparring ground. The girls listened in wonder, sagely nodding their little heads as we talked about oak galls and coyotes, tule huts and deer beds. They stopped short at a high scream and watched a pair of red-shouldered hawks take to wing and circle overhead. They identified scrub jays and magpies by sight, feather & call.

As they got in their car seats, Alessa sighed and stated, "Mommy, love this place." My girls the Naturalists - I don't know where they get it :)