A Nature Walk

I love this time of year.

Cool, crisp mornings. Clear, blue skies. Crunchy leaves in every shade of red, orange and yellow. Friday night football. Scarecrows, pumpkins and squash. Warm apple cider by a crackling fire. Fresh baked donuts, straight from the orchard.

There is a moment, just after dropping the last kid at school, and just before I start MY day, when there is silence. I find myself saying, I love this time of year.

THIS time of year doesn't mean fall. Or winter. Or spring. Or summer. I love ALL of the seasons. Just when I think I've decided, Yep. THIS is the season I love the most, I remember all of the things I love about every other season and then I'm reminded there is NO WAY I could choose a favorite. That's the beauty of Michigan. We get a little bit of everything here. Sure, the winters can be long, but they just make spring THAT much more appealing. And yes, summers are unpredictable, often changing from scorchingly hot and humid to blustery and rainy in a matter of hours, but there is always the promise of a FABULOUS fall to make everything better.

There is a place near here when you can get back to nature, no matter the season, and drink it all in. It's a nature preserve where you're sure to forget all of your worries, if only for a little while. The kids run free, exploring and discovering.



There is always something new to see-from frogs in the pond, to hollow trees, to deer, who almost seem to enjoy playing hide and seek.






No one is ever bored, no one ever argues, and no one ever asks, Is it time to go home yet?


And you always leave with a peaceful feeling, knowing that THIS, this time spent together as a family, is what it's really all about.