I get some beautiful photos from folks in my community in Florida called “The Great Outdoors.” Click on the “Photo Page” to the left. When there, you can click on a person’s name to see a history of their photos.

I did a little internet research on why do some of us love the outdoors. Here are some comments I found:

1 .  Increasing evidence demonstrates there are many benefits of being outdoors in nature on children’s psychological and physical well-being. 

2.  Frances Kuo, PhD, founder of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, says “The basic finding of our studies is, nature is really good for kids,”

3.  Martha Erickson, PhD, said, “My kids were very likely to head off on their bikes, canoe down the creek that flows through our city or rally some friends to create an outdoor adventure,” she says. “Now, as young adults, they are fit, creative, adventurous and striving to protect the environment.”

4.  Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit-Disorder” (Algonquin Books, 2005).

“It is pretty tough to have a sense of wonder when you’re playing ‘Grand Theft Auto, on your computing device, Louv says. “We’re raising a generation of children under protective house arrest. Where does that lead us in terms of our connection to the natural world?”

5.  A study by University of Maryland sociologist Sandra Hofferth, PhD, shows that between 1997 and 2003, the amount of time children spent participating in outdoor activities such as hiking, horseback riding, fishing, camping and gardening declined by 50 percent. 

My observation:  Nature is good for children, – and it doesn’t hurt us 80 some year folks either – but psychologists may need to act fast to get children back outside before there is another 50% drop.

I have spent most of my week gardening, dealing with poop from six horses, enjoying my barn, pasture, & trees – mowing, clearing winter debris from my trail, saving turtles and snakes, studying ants, watching squirrels, hawks, eagles – looking for new-born fawns, beavers, and otters and trying to get good photos of a King Fisher and Pileated Woodpecker.

Here are a few photos I did take:

Hey, got a Kingfisher

Said he: “Looking back at you – Why you looking at me?”

Funny looking stump – where is the tree?

Oh my – what sharp teeth you have!

The beaver did say to me – “I may not be a neat builder – but my Lodge is very comfortable – and since my front door is under water and the roof is mud as hard as concrete I feel safe.”

Drummond is loaded with beautiful rocks created during one of the Ice Ages – Will show you more in future posts.

Gloria has been in art class using live models and still live setting on the tables of the class room – well I could not resist thinking my rock was a still life setting on the shores of Lake Heron – took our my digital brush and abstract mind – I made my master piece. Tell my what you think. Oh my, there is one of Nature’s faces looking back at me.

Oh my – Wish I had more time to tell you of the “Great Outdoors” in Florida and around the Lake called Heron. But if you swing bye in a few days and I will show you more!