Enjoying my day on the mountain

Our family headed up the mountain to stay at D's grandpa's cabin for the weekend. We had a good time where the kids ran around and built forts, the big guys played games, and the girls visited and made meals.

Today felt like a gift to me. I really enjoyed the mountain itself today. I woke up to four deer outside the cabin this morning and knew that that would make my dad's day. He being an avid hunter trained us children to always "watch" for deer. I think about him every time I see one. I still get excited.

On our way to church this morning I discovered this huge nest in a tree. I quickly swerved off the highway and had to see if it was a beloved bald eagle. I don't know. This picture was zoomed and cropped like three times. I'm going to go get me some binoculars. I'm afraid I've become a bird watcher. (The bald eagle is my favorite animal!)

Down the road a ways we saw a strange bird walk across the road. I quickly stopped the car IN the road and put the car in reverse. There they were, twenty wild turkeys out for a Sunday walk. I told the kids we should go catch one for Sunday dinner to break our fast. G was all over it and quite disappointed when I told him that I was kidding.

My girls are so fun to watch. They are just cute little friends getting into everything together. I'm constantly smiling.

As we were heading down the mountain this afternoon, A swore he saw a porcupine. So, we quickly found somewhere we could turn around and sped back to where he might be. Sure enough. A big fat porcupine on the side of the road. We weren't sure if he was dead or not so I instructed the kids how to touch the back of his tail with a long stick. He didn't budge. So, the kids had fun pulling quills to prove to D and C that were a ways in front of us, that we had indeed seen the porcupine. The kids thought it was great.

Right after we got back on the road I saw elderberry bushes. I quickly went back to my childhood and remembered gathering elderberries every year for pies and jam. Time to pull over again. I handed the boys pop boxes, capri sun boxes and taco time bags to gather elderberries for the "best pie in the world". It was fun hearing the boys say that it was fun picking the berries since I too had loved it as a child.

As I drove down the mountain I was in awe at how beautiful it all was. The fact that I had grown up seeing it, but somehow it was beautiful and appreciated now.

Tonight we sat around the table pulling the teeny elderberries off of the branches. What was a lot of fun soon turned into a lot of work. I pointed out that the pioneers did this much work for everything they ate. The kids asked, "Really?" It was great having the opportunity to teach that to my kids.

Once the berries were rinsed I quickly called my mom for instructions to make the pie I had promised my boys. I made the filling and then the crust and showed my boys that I could make a pie. It was a great feeling returning to my roots on being self reliant rather than keeping Betty Crocker in business. As the pie baked, we bagged the rest of the berries to put in the freezer for future pies. The pie smelled yummy as it was baking and I could hardly stand the wait for my first bite after several years. Finally, I sliced myself a piece of elderberry pie. It was delicious. It was just as I had remembered it.

I loved my gift of a day. My day of wildlife, my children, the beauty, and my pie will be going into my "Joy Journal" tonight. My heart is overflowing.