Off the Mountain Path

One of the benefits to living in the mountains, near the mountains and surrounded by the mountains is that you don't have to travel very far to get to the mountain air. You know, the calmness, the beauty, the tranquility that the area exudes....or in my case the splashing, laughing and energy that 5 kids can exude.

A couple roads down from our house is Bear Farm Road. It dead-ends at a couple of old logging roads, which are just perfect for walking. There are also some nice areas to play in the water. Paved on the bottom for vehicles to drive through and your average river rock bottom on either side.

 With all the rain we've been getting the water was moving pretty quickly the last time we were there. Annika had to stay near the edge or she would get knocked down. The boys, however, ran through, attacked the water, and shredded sticks and weeds in the rapid water.

 We spotted this little guy moving upstream across one of the paved areas. He was hard to see with the glare on the water, but Cale managed to nab him.

Annika and Lakin busied themselves with a couple salamanders they found along the bank.

Annika refused to leave the little things alone. She would try and catch them and put them in the water and watch them swim back to shore. She was content to follow their path until they finally disappeared in the wet leaves and sand on the bank.

While the boys, played their favorite throw-the-biggest-rock-you-can-find game. It's the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer afternoon.

This post has been linked to Family Friday, 

The Baby Bird

A baby bird fell out of a tree.  Cale picked it up and we put it in a bucket under the tree it came from. They boys all sat back to watch and keep it safe from our cats. 

He cried for his mama

Until she came and fed him

Dad came too. They took turns feeding and flying over the little bird.

 

He had some wing feathers, but still couldn't fly. We hung the basket high in the tree while we went about our day. But he wouldn't stay. He jumped out many times. While we ate dinner under the tree he jumped and mama came to him on the ground. 

She jumped and flew over him and tried to do the same. He followed her across the yard into the brush. And started to climb low trees and bushes with many branches. 

 

Good-Bye Little Bird

Critters

In my home:

The birds who have outgrown their indoor living spaces and no longer need a heat lamp. 

Including the lame guinea, who needs to be culled, but we just can't bring ourselves to do it.

And the a wild turkey poult, the last remaining of 4, taken from their nest by a well meaning person thinking their momma wouldn't come back. He can't be rehabilitated by a center here in NC, so it is up to us.

And the critters who end up in my milking bucket:

The big brown toad, whose reflection in the shiny steel bucket made the kids laugh for a very long time.

 

 And the tiny turtle who had a close encounter with a lawn mower. 

And earned himself a couple hours in the observation bucket.

 

Apparently he liked his reflection too.