Happy Father's Day

I've thought a lot about my dad these past few weeks as I've tromped around forest and field, looking at trees and other things. As kids, my sisters and I were part of a 4-H club, the Jug Hill Jack Rabbits. We got to choose some subject to learn about by doing projects - in addition to sewing and cooking (thanks mom for helping with those), I took outdoor projects like camping and forestry. I remember my dad going up over Jug Hill looking for just the right rocks to use for an in-ground barbecue pit, and helping me identify trees - collecting leaf and twig samples to assemble into a presentation board for the county fair. I'd forgotten a lot of the identifying features of even the most common trees, but I hadn't forgotten how much fun it was to figure it all out. So, thanks dad, for teaching me more than just mere facts about things - thanks for teaching me to love exploring and learning and appreciating nature.
Happy Father's Day!