a morning hike

this morning the kids and i enjoyed the perfect weather, the open spaces and slow pace of a walk together at iron mountain. going with no expectations beyond taking a little walk with mother nature made it a lovely experience for us all.  my little man, of course, loved the opportunity to run and point out everything he saw and sniff flowers and kick and carry rocks and climb and touch with no restrictions (except leaving the trail of course). we saw lizards and rabbits and heard critters scampering through the brush and listened to the tall grasses "whispering" when the wind blew through it. he was most awed each time we'd pass a patch of flowering plants and we'd hear that subtle "buzzzzzzzzzz" of bees at work - once we stopped to listen they grew louder and he'd proudly point out each bee in the vicinity, not one bit scared but definitely curious.  all told we were out an hour, walking the entire time but a ten minute snack break near the end when he was getting tired.  looking forward to being able to hike just a little bit further each year.  i wonder when his little legs will be able to carry him all the way to the top!