Around noon, Aidyn, his grandma, our dog Niki, and I went hiking at Caswell Memorial State Park. It was the first time there for grandma and Niki, so Aidyn had fun giving her the grand tour and pointing out the tree scents and natural sights. We walked down to the beach area for a view of the Stanislaus River. Since Aidyn was a pro at spending time in this spot, I asked him to tell us something about the location. He narrated that the river is green, very cold, and the current goes "that way," as he made swift motions to the right.
We dunked our fingers and hands in the icy cold water and walked on the beach before Aidyn asked if he could put his feet in the water. I thought that was a wonderful idea. I stripped Aidyn of his shoes and socks and followed suit myself. It is amazing how much more you absorb and learn by going barefoot in a place you've never been barefoot. We proceeded to squish our toes with mud, sink our heels in the sand, and rinsed off briskly in the river water. Aidyn loved it. He practically rolled in the mud and emerged from the beach as a mini-mud man, but it was all in the name of education!
After wading, mud-squishing, rock-collecting, and scenery-gaping, the four of us hiked a bit farther down some trails and explored the park. The outing refreshed us all, and we returned home spent but renewed.
No comments:
Post a Comment