Maddie Takes A Hike

This post is written by my daughter Maddie, 5 months old. This is one thing we do to prevent nature deficit disorder.

Today I went for a hike at Grandmother and Granddad’s ranch in Texas. I rode in a sling on Mommy's back. She and Grandmother had quite a time getting me in it, but I was snug and comfy once they were done. I also wore my new bonnet to protect my face from the desert sun.

The first thing we saw on our hike was a bunch of small animal tracks in the dusty road. Some were from the roadrunner. They look like an X in the sand. We couldn’t tell what the others were, but think they were small peccaries, and a ringtail. We should buy Granddad a wildlife camera for his birthday so I can see a picture of all these critters that come out when I’m sleeping.

The next thing we saw on our hike was a swarm of bees at the base of a mesquite tree. Dad got a close-up picture with his zoom lens. They were in search of a place to build their nest, and were all gone the next day. Sometimes we see a lot of bee hives that the honey people put out along the road. The bees pollinate the farmer’s crops so they will produce vegetables.

After we walked for a while longer, we came to the lake that is close to the Rio Grande. Salt cedar trees surround the water, but we were able to look through and see a few birds swimming around. Some of our dogs who came along went for a swim.

After that we saw a flock of large birds flying high above the ranch. They had long necks and were white with black under their wings. I think they were migrating from a faraway place that I will visit someday.

When we finished our hike, I was all dusty from the trip so Grandmother and Mom gave me a bath in the bathtub that Great-Great-Grandmother used to wash all the babies. I had fun taking my bath and then got to try my first vegetable -celery. It was long and green and I didn’t really know what to do with it.

After that I got to accessorize. Daddy dressed me in his cowboy hat and bandana. Grandmother says I will get to ride one of the horses soon. I can’t wait to ride around the ranch on a horse and see all the sights.

An interesting bird lives here in the desert. It is called a pyrrhuloxia. (Aren't  I smart?) It looks like a grey cardinal with a bright red belly and a tuft on its head. We saw one visiting our palo verde tree in the front yard.

We also have a lot of snakes and lizards around here. When I was taking my nap, a lizard was walking on the screen in the window. I love watching all the wild things that live around the ranch. When I’m older, we will ride the horses to a bat cave to watch all the bats come out at night.

Well, I had a really fun day and am really exhausted from all the hiking and nature watching. Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.

What is this thing?

See you on the trail.