I had grand plans on Saturday. Out local nature preserve was having an Animal Safari for kids 12 and under. A one mile walk, stations with some animals, sounds perfect to me.
We started out with a good pace walking along the wooden trail that covers the swamp.
Much of the area I live in was once swampland, including right where my house is. There is no way I am wading in this alligator/water moccasin infested water!
We saw tiny baby raccoon's being fed by a bottle.
This visually impaired barred owl was so gorgeous. After this photo he opened his mouth really wide and you could almost see down his throat!
The land in the preserve is beautiful, much like Florida used to be. The area is huge and actually butts up to the back of my house which is why we see so much wildlife here in my busy suburban area.
Little Buddy had a good time walking, well most of the time. He didn't understand that there were stations and we had to keep moving. He had two big crying spells, which is not like him at all. Half the time I had to carry him from one station to the next.
We saw toads, frogs, turtles and snakes. Yes we have had enough of the snakes for a while. He got very upset at the turtle station and cried as we left. When we were home and he was calm I asked him why he was crying so much on our adventure and he said, "I wanted to go in the gate (pen) with the turtles!" I explained to him that only the turtle teacher was allowed to be in the "gate" with the turtles, not the children, moms or dads. He seemed to understand that.
When we got home it was time to wash off the bug spray, dirt and sand from the not so perfect adventure.
Max, the lifeguard stood by ever vigilant to make sure no one got too crazy in that pool.
Not the most perfect adventure but an adventure none the less. How was your weekend?
39 comments:
Sounds like a good adventure for the most part.
I love Max the lifeguard!
It may not have gone exactly as you planned, but Little Buddy will have some good memories of it. It really is a beautiful area, but swamps look a little sinister to me at the same time...very foreign to this Michigan girl.
It still sounds like a good adventure and anything with a kiddo has it's moments of crying and crankiness! Love Max the lifeguard!
hugs,
Linda
Sounds like fun and a dip in the pool after the perfect end to the adventure. Our weather is starting to warm up a bit, but I still get goose bumps when I think of swimming right now! :-) Have a great day. Heather
I bet little Buddy is still talking about his adventure. I bet he would have loved going in by the turtles! What little boy wouldn't! It might not have been perfect, but what a wonderful place to explore!
What a great adventure for Lil Buddy. I love seeing your hubby with him. Turtles and boys just go together don't they?
Hi Liil Buddy. Hi Max!
It looks like a wonderful outing with Little Buddy. He may not have enjoyed all the walking, but I'm sure he loved seeing the animals and he was soaking up lots of learning and new experiences the whole time. You're doing a great job with him, Meredith.
what a lovely adventure and that owl is so cute.
Bless him. The swim with Max on guard looked the perfect way to end the day xxx
I'd say it was pretty good if you made it the whole way. Hard work for that little guy getting around like that but so nice that you are encouraging him to keep pushing himself. Love that Max! Have a good week. Tammy
All in all though I think a pretty good day and what a lovely area you live in although I am not so sure about alligators and snakes! Ali x
Lovely adventure Meredith, even if it wasn't perfect! Good for you guys in attempting such an adventure, I'm sure it will be remembered!
xoRobin
Sounds like you had a good adventure and LB crying because he wanted to be with the turtles sounds normal. I'm glad you were able to spend this time. He will always remember it. What a great lifeguard. He seems diligent!
Hugs,
Sharon
I'm sorry that Buddy found it tough going and was upset to not be able to pet the animals he wanted to visit. Sounds as though it was good though and just a typical day with a little one! xx
My weekend was nowhere near as exciting as that, you do have some scary wildlife in your neck of the woods. The scenery is beautiful though. A shame Little Buddy didn't have the best time, but I bet he was happy to get home and have a dip. I find that sometimes outings work brilliantly, sometimes not so much. We went for a little walk yesterday, just three miles but it took us two hours. Someone is always trailing along at the back holding everyone up - usually the birdwatcher. We're going to the mountains of north Wales in the summer, we're supposed to be in training. At this rate it will take us three days to climb one, we'll have to take a tent. Have a good week Meredith. CJ xx
I agree sounds like a pretty good adventure in the end for Little Buddy-but I would think he would be pretty heavy to carry any distance-hope you are not too sore. hubby wasn't feeling well, the weather has been pretty depressing for some time now too and continues most this week-so I worked on a sewing project mostly
That little buddy! What a sweetie he is. :)
It looks like a lovely outing, barn owl and all. It is not always easy to guess what little ones will enjoy, isn't it? We once took Sam to the aquarium when we has about Little Buddy's age. All he wanted to see was the blue bin at the beginning of the the underwater tunnel! I bet Little Buddy will be talking about your outing for days even though he seemed a little unsure of it at the time. Have a lovely week. xx
Your story reminds me of when my boys were little and we took them to the Okefenokee swamp. My oldest threw himself on the boardwalk and cried 5 minutes after we started our walk. Why? He had not seen any snakes yet and we said there would be snakes. Oh! The injustice. He grew to be an incredible snake hunter/finder/identifier. He would've loved your last post. He's never actually caught a black racer, though he's had them by the tail long enough for them to twist around and nip him!
Look at that beautiful smile he has when he's in the pool. It was a big adventure for him. Some days we all (big or little) can get tearful. I certainly did this morning.
Sending love, E.
Ahh, sorry Little Buddy that you can't go in with the turtles. He was probably getting tired doing all that walking. I bet you wanted to cry carring him. My Quinn would never leave that place.
I think it is just amazing to have all of this out your backdoor!!! My beans would have a blast on a hike like that!! Though like you experienced someone would crash on me...probably my son for the very same reason! He loves animals and would want to be right in there! Adorable shots pal! Happy week to you! Nicole xo
You have had a week full of adventure, Meredith, but in spite of Little Buddy's tears your Animal Safari was preferable to me to your home invasion by the black snake [shiver and shake]!
This weekend we planted some hanging pots of fuchsias on the front porch and replanted the geraniums outside that I had wintered inside...I hope we don't have more killer frosts! xx
Even a less than perfect day can leave you with great memories. And a day that ends in the pool with a happy smile!
Amalia
xo
We just returned from a week in Bradenton. I thought of you. So different than Wisconsin, but so nice to visit. We went to a Brewers game against the Zpirates, who were in spring training when we were in Florida. Go figure.
He did well with the walking, a good way to practice although I guess it was tough for you too! we have days out like that but it always feels better that we went out.
It sounds like a pretty good day out to me. What a beautiful preserve. I'd love to visit it. Kids they have their days -- and really, it seems it was just a small spell or two for LB who is really quite game, eh? I mean he wanted to be IN with the turtles, ma! You're so good about talking to him about his experiences though and his feelings. The 12 year old in LONDON! complained about having to walk so much when he just wanted to hang out with his friend. (Though I did walk him an awful lot, hehe.)
Hi Meredith,
Looks like you had a busy weekend:) Little B looks like he was enjoying the outing at least at some points! I am impressed that he could explain to you later why he was crying. What a grown up thing to do!
I was out hiking in the Rockies this past weekend. It was snowy, blowy and very cold. Not exactly the weather I was hoping for, but oh well. Spring has sprung in most parts of Alberta but at higher elevations its still pretty winter like.
Bestest,
Mary Lynne
Adventures are good even when they aren't perfect. They make good memories.
Things aren't always perfect as we plan them, but I believe that they always happen as they're supposed to. And I'm sure that the fun & exciting memories surpass the little niggles that happen along the way. Little Buddy will remember the delight of the turtles for a long time to come, but the crying will be forgotten soon. He is just such a cutiepie, and I love that Max is watching over him too :-) Love & hugs all round,
xx
I'm just getting caught up on my blog reading. You had a snake in your house?! That would have been my undoing. Seriously. I would have phoned the realtor and had my bags packed so fast had it been me.
The shirts you made are terrific! And I'm sorry your outing with Little Buddy didn't go as smoothly as you had hoped. I bet he has good memories from the adventure though. And next time he'll know he can't get in with the turtles and probably be much happier.
Sounds like a fun adventure to me, all in all! : ) And it's nice that you managed to see such fascinating creatures! xx
Wow, what an exciting day! x
such a great day ... I can't get over how big your guy is getting ... such a sweetie! and precious Max, the perfect life guard. xo
Sounds lovely :) And the crying spells sound familiar! When my son turned 3 we did a wildlife park/zoo trip for his birthday. He cried the whole time. His sister was 18months and was just walking and had a blast. Go figure!
Jillxo
Wow! So many great things to see. Too bad little buddy had a hard time fully enjoying it. Maybe he'll enjoy stuff like that a little more when he gets older.
You have a very cool lifeguard! :-)
Stil sounds like fun .... The path looks wonderful 🌿
Looks like a great place to visit. Love how Max is watching over the pool - what a sweetie! does he ever jump in?
I love those pictures with little buddy though...
He is such a sweet character!
Love from Mirjam.
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