It was the day we've been hoping for since the sun moved north of the equator in March, one of those days where you need a jacket in the shade but out in the sun you toy with the idea of a short-sleeved t-shirt. When we pulled in to the Marshland Access parking lot, a man got out of a white van with two big dogs and Sam asked if he was the dog catcher. Eva, of course, screamed at the thought of dogs in her space but seemed to feel secure sitting in one side of the double stroller. We loaded up with raspberries and pepperoni and sweet peppers and the all-important Lunchables, and we dusted off the nature scavenger hunt checklist and we set out on one of our favorite trails in the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge. Eva mostly rode in the stroller but Sammy and I raced and looked for flowers and big rocks and leaves and animal poop. We spied a few small birds and several geese and wood ducks and a mating pair of Sand Hill cranes, and in the distance we could see a ballet of twelve migrating pelicans. The trail was in good shape except the last little stretch before the picnic bench where the water was deep enough to soak our shoes and a few inches of Sammy's pants. After tossing sticks in the water and and eating cheese and crackers and trying to identify the birds, we headed back. Just one quick stop in which Eva learned how to pee outside, and the kids collapsed in the stroller and I thought about how much I loved having a dog on the trail and how much easier it all is when you're not outnumbered.
