My wife Kathie has been in the nursing home for the past two months. She is struggling because she cannot understand why she can’t be home with me.
This has led to bouts of anger which is painful for both of us.
Then I got a brilliant idea! I wrote for the magazine Minnesota Out of Doors from 1985 to 1991.
I wrote a children’s column where I featured our family. Our three children, Steve, Jill and Bonnie would go outdoors and have an adventure.
They returned all excited and described the adventure to their Mom and Dad who helped the children understand what they had just experienced.
So, this week I brought the three volumes of Children in the Outdoors to Kathie’s room. Each visit I would read a couple adventures and we would study the activity page that is included with each adventure.
Kathie loved the stories, she even laughed at my attempts at humor in each adventure. It made the old author smile. 🙂
I’m hoping as I continue to read her several adventures each visit Kathie will be able to remember the good times we enjoyed on our 7.9 acres west of town. 🙂
So now that I am enjoying reliving adventures that I created over thirty-four years ago I’ve decided to share a Fourth of July adventure with you. Steve, Jill and Bonnie enjoy the Fourth of July in the outdoors. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
+ + + + + + + +
It was a sunny Fourth of July morning. The “ooah-cooo-cooo-coo” of the Mourning Dove drifted lazily through the quiet, still air.
Suddenly the morning stillness was broken by a series of loud explosions.
“Sounds like the neighbor kids got firecrackers again this year,” said Steve.
“I can’t wait to see the fireworks display in town tonight,” added Jill.
“Why do we celebrate the Fourth of July?” questioned Bonnie.
“Independent means to be free,” answered Jill.
“You mean other countries charge?” asked Bonnie.
“No, Sis,” laughed Steve. “Free means we can come and go as we wish, we’re not slaves.”
Bonnie was quiet for a few minutes. Then thoughtfully she spoke, “Nature should celebrate too.”
“What do you mean?” questioned Jill.
“Animals and plants live free in the outdoors,” Bonnie replied. “They don’t shoot off firecrackers, wave flags or fly banners.”
“Don’t be so sure, ” answered Steve. “Let’s go for a walk and I bet we’ll see nature celebrating its independence.”
Puzzled the two girls followed their brother.
As the three children approached a stand of chokecherry trees a blur of brown broke from the protection of the trees.
“Look a deer!” squealed Bonnie.
“And a little fawn!” added Jill.
The two animals trotted nervously along. Occasionally they stopped and looked back at the three children.
“Look at their white tails,” added Steve. “Bonnie, what do they look like?”
“They look like white flags,” gasped Bonnie.
The three children watched as the two deer disappeared into a grove of ash trees. The flash of their brilliant white tails disappeared as the deer were swallowed up by the greenery of the ash leaves.
Steve, Jill and Bonnie were approaching the edge of the beaver pond when the morning stillness was interrupted by a loud “smack”!
“What was that?” cried Bonnie.
“That was a beaver celebrating its independence,” smiled Steve. “It just smacked the water with its tail.”
“It sounded like a firecracker,” added Jill.
The three children stood on the edge of the pond staring at the ripples left by the startled beaver.
Suddenly the water exploded. Water droplets flashed in the sunlight as a huge largemouth bass twisted into the air. It snapped at a hovering dragonfly and splashed back into its watery home.
“Wow, that was great!” gasped Jill. “That would make a fireworks display seem as exciting as a lawn mowing party with push mowers!”
“I second that,” chuckled Steve.
“Oh, look at that beautiful butterfly!” cried Bonnie.
A black and yellow swallowtail butterfly floated gracefully among the tree branches overhanging the pond.
“That’s prettier than any flag or banner we’ll see today,” marveled Jill.
“Speaking of banners, look at these beautiful ‘nature’ banners,” added Steve.
“Those are flowers,” said Bonnie. “What kind are they?”
“The red and yellow flowers are called Columbine and the white flower is a morning glory,” replied Steve.
Suddenly huge rain drops began to fall. The children had been so excited about what they were seeing that they hadn’t noticed the rain clouds approaching.
“Let’s wait out the rain,” cried Steve as he led his sisters to the shelter of a small grove.
As Steve, Jill and Bonnie crouched beneath the tree branches a loud “rat-a-tat-tat” sounded directly above them.
“What is that?” asked Bonnie.
“That’s a downy woodpecker,” replied Steve. “It’s busy digging out insects from under the tree bark.”
“Sounds like the drummer in a marching band,” smiled Jill.
“Listen to the birds singing in the trees,” added Steve. “They are part of the band too.
The rain shower slowed. Within minutes the sun was peeking through breaks in the dark clouds.
“Yea, the rain is stopping!” cheered Bonnie.
As the children left the shelter of the trees Steve asked, “Do you still think nature doesn’t celebrate its independence?”
“We’ve heard loud noises, seen flags, and colorful banners,” replied Jill.
“We even heard a bird band,” added Bonnie.
“There is one difference,” said Steve.
“What’s that?” asked Jill.
“We only celebrate our independence for one day while nature celebrates all year long,” answered Steve.
The children nodded in agreement.
On the walk back to the house nature provided the children with one final display. A huge rainbow of violet, blue, green, yellow, red and orange spread across the clearing sky.
It was a fitting way to end a Fourth of July celebration in the outdoors.
The End
Be sure to spend some time this Fourth of July watching nature celebrate its independence too. 🙂 Happy Fourth of July!
Until next time
