Saturday was a good day. We woke up early and made ourselves a good ole country breakfast…err…tried. Corey set the recipe for pancakes in front of me and wished me luck. The problem was, the recipe was for 2lbs. of mix, and there is no way we could eat that much. So, I set about using my common sense and public school math skills to freestyle the recipe. I set out to make pancakes…I ended up with a plateful of crepes?

Oh well…moving on. After breakfast we headed down to Fontenelle Forest for a composting workshop co-hosted by the Green Omaha Coalition. We were shocked by the turnout; there were probably 70 people there.

Topics ranged from ‘Composting for Beginners’ and ‘Composting with Worms’, to ‘What to do with Finished Compost.’

I am very interested in the Vermicomposting. It would be nice to have it as an available option during the winter. From what I learned, we can make a homemade setup for our basement. We should be able to compost all winter with no risk of smell. I’ll let you know how that turns out.

My attention started to drift near the end. I have a hard time sitting still inside on a nice day.

So Corey and I decided to wander around the forest to check out the Eco Huts display. The display includes practical interactive displays sharing information about the environment and our homes. The displays were amazing. I’m so happy to see these learning opportunities available to kids.

Fontenelle Forest (FNA) is easily our favorite destination in the metro. FNA owns and manages 2,000 acres of conservation land and 26 miles of marked trails. Depending on the trail you choose, you can explore various ecosystems including oak savanna, prairie, and wetlands.

Corey and I like to mix it up. We often start the day at the visitors center, and follow the winding trails through the hills. But on occasion, we head for the Gifford Farm trailheads and wander through the wetlands.

Last week was our eighth wedding anniversary, and we decided to celebrate with an early morning hike. We chose the wetlands, and picked a trail that we hadn’t walked before. It was wonderful. The trail took us through marshes teaming with life. There were little toads hopping out of our way as we trudged through the tall grass. Then the trail transitioned into the forested floodplain, under a canopy of ancient trees.

We were thrilled to be out in nature, and thoroughly enjoyed the morning.

That being said…wow. Nature threw some challenges at us. The mosquitoes were punishing if we stood still, but for once, other insects took the role of ‘most annoying’ away from this little winged pest. As we entered the forest, it became perfectly clear that we were the first people to pass on this trail that day. About every 20 paces I went crashing through a spider web, and I loathe spiders. After a couple of, I’m sure comical, experiences of trying to swipe webs off of myself I decided to pick up a long stick to sweep the trail as we went.

That process went on for about 2 miles of hiking. It was slow going and a little frustrated. It definitely took our focus off of the natural experience.

When we finally saw the trailhead that led back to our car, we were totally relieved. That was when Corey began to brush herself off, only to discover that she was literally COVERED in ticks. I’ve never seen anything like it. We brushed her off as best we could, but it they were tricky little buggers.

A few days later, there are no lingering problems. We both had insect bites of various types, but nothing serious.

Don’t let this discourage you, it isn’t going to keep us away. It was just a reminder that the ease and convenience of our daily lives must sometimes be sacrificed if you want to enjoy the peace of nature. We had a great experience and have already picked the trail that we are going to hike next time.