Outdoor Time is Unpredictable Time

Unexpected Turns while Outside

You just never know what you'll walk into.

A beautiful morning at the "Wilderness Park" with an icy pond we threw rocks in, river we threw Pooh sticks in, and gazebo we found food wrappers and a crumpled old sleeping bag in. I quickly tried to shoo my children away from the homeless homestead, wondering who else was lurking around the "Wilderness" edges. But my 5y/o was trying to make sense of it all.
 "Oh! I know what happened! Someone had a sleepover then their mom called them for breakfast and they had to hurry before making their bed."
I didn't argue, knowing that my explanation would come up in mixed company at some inopportune time in the near future and perhaps put the kibosh on Nature Time without an escort.
"That's right dear--Oh look the swings are free and it's only 9am!"

Or the time we went to a nearby canyon trail to enjoy some peace and be at one with nature and all the rest. So we start to get out of the van and I hear this yelling from a house down and across the street.
Dropping the expletives I was able to make out that some poor thing was madly in love with "him" and some evil mother apparently didn't get "her". I thought it would blow over, but no, it continued and probably echoed off the canyon walls for even the rock climbers to hear.
Fortunately my kids were too young to really notice anything but "these sticky little yellow flowers". Still, I think we left early.Now  we visit a nearby park where a frequenting dog with no leash has taught us to close our