Outing to Fox Chapel Flower and Wildlife Reserve

In the top photo Casey is sitting in the stroller which I was probably wrong to bring. Though it gave us a few minutes of peace from whiny wails, we had to push it over the terrain as if we were traveling in a covered wagon on the way to Oregon. How did those pioneers do it! At Jacob's school last week, I had to watch a one hour film on the importance of bringing kids into nature; I slightly resented the propaganda, though I shared the film's sentiments. I had to admit that on our Sunday AM hike the kids did come alive in the woods. Casey especially loves to run, and all three kids enjoyed the dirt and the water. This trail is famous for having loads of trillium and Virginia Bluebell, all of which was in bloom.



The weather was unseasonable hot (in the 80s) and so our stop at the creek towards the end of the walk was the trip highlight. Josh swung Jacob upside down in the water, which he loved, and Amon and Casey were more into throwing stuff in the water. Also, some of the trail had fences to protect the wildflowers from deer. Deer are basically pests in this environment, and are especially bad for erosion, etc., because they'll eat the roots that hold up the banks of the streams!