Kylie's Driveway...

I was reading the Nature Conservancy magazine the other day about the drastic reduction in visitors to National Parks. It seems that kids (those 35 and younger) who grew up with Video games are not interested in outdoor activities. No camping, hiking, fishing, rock climbing for this nature challenged population. A shame.

We discussed this last night over dinner. Kylie promised that even if I ever do buy her a "Wi" that she would always want to be an outdoors girl.

Kylie has made it her project to repair the damage to the driveway that the bulldozers did. She loads the rock into a wheelbarrow, and then I dump it for her. She then rakes out the rock...


Her progress as of this morning. I laid out the rocks, as they are "bigger than my head" and therefore, are rejected from the rubble trench.

A few words on the changes in Kylie and Jazmine over the last two months. They have been remarkably patient with this change of life. They gave up really good friends and a school they loved to move here. They have certainly had their moments. But all in all, I'd have to say they are troopers.

They love riding the bus to school. They like their new school and are quickly making friends.

Other changes: They don't ask to watch TV hardly at all anymore. Part of the reason is that we strictly apportion the juice from the PV system. But more than that, they have much more to do outside. Bike riding and just puttering seems to take up their time. Catching bugs. Going to the swimming hole. Finding rocks for the trench: these things seem to have made up for the loss of Webkinz and Hannah Montana.

But don't get me wrong, change is hard on everyone. And these girls have been through a whole heck of a lot in their short lifetimes. Tact necessitates not writing about it. That's the girl's story.

Still, the girls have been very brave during this move. Red Cross Shelters, Two months of 100 plus degree weather. Much less electronic babysitting. Having to stay close to Joni and me during sunup and sundown (due to the Mountain Lion danger). And having to learn how to occupy your time in a wild area... Good job Girls...

At least they won't suffer from "Nature Deficit Disorder" like many of their peers in the city.

What happens to a country when a whole generation is disconnected from the wild? Protecting the wild will be the first thing to go. Hello off shore drilling, drilling in ANWAR, greetings Nukes. Anything shall be sacrificed to preserve the electronic way of life.

Goodbye Polar Bear, Seals, Salmon, ancient forest, clean beaches, uncluttered ocean views, National Park funding, biodiversity, wildlife corridors and viable populations of most species.