Next: The Great Outdoors

Today I am grateful for a comfortable bed and my husband Darcy to wake up next to. I am also grateful for the changing seasons.

Yesterday I talked about the great people I was surrounded by Monday through Wednesday on an environmental field trip with 7th graders. We were also surrounded by great weather and natural beauty that I just soaked up and kept soaking up.

The first thing I appreciated was, as we moved north, seeing fewer and fewer structures, billboards and on-off ramps. Those gave way to more trees and open spaces.

The view shown on the Deep Portage website here is from the top of a 55-foot tower that we got to climb to the top of near dusk. The fall colors haven't arrived yet, and will be
short-lived when they do, so our view was more green, but it was still stunning. You can see for over 20 miles and each direction you turn gives you a different view. Even though I get a little nervous with heights, I knew it would be worth it to get to the top, and it was.

That tower view was one of the highlights, but here are some more:

*canoeing at dusk
*seeing the unique physical features of a bog
*being outside at both dusk and dawn as the light and colors change
*getting fresh air, and then getting some more
*walking trails amidst the trees and seeing and hearing the birds and other wildlife
*being with young students in a true outdoor classroom, facilitated by
knowledgeable teachers
*star-gazing away from city lights
*the early morning sounds in the country versus a suburban area, especially minus the traffic noise
*simply being surrounded by the awe of nature and being reminded of a
Higher Power at work

I appreciated this opportunity and I tried to soak up my surroundings. I hope the students I was chaperoning had a similar appreciation as we loaded our bus and headed home.


Comments