Jazmine Practices Her Riding Skills...

But all is not work out here where the Sierra meets the Cascades. There is time for healthy play. What child shouldn't learn to ride a bike, while the family dog keeps guard?

Clean air. Clean water. Good dogs. No traffic. Nature. Helping to build a house out of natural materials. Neighbor kids down the road with horses, chickens and goats. These are gifts not many kids get. Yes, they still have the TV shows and the Ipods. Those are things that can be purchased. But what is the experience of riding your bike without fear worth? Or showing a child a Cougar track, as Bald Eagles circle above? Or hiking down the canyon? Or climbing a tree?

Nature isn't visited here; it is lived. How many children get to experience such, right in their own back yard?