We went hiking in the wilds of Turku/Kaarina yesterday with some friends. It was a short but strenuous trek up a forested mountain/hillside (hills easily get called mountains here) that leveled out into a beautiful, gently rock-strewn area for sitting and chatting and playing and, of course, grilling sausages.
I think all three of our kids could have decided right then and there to move to the forest and live there indefinitely. Heck, I think I almost decided that, too! It has been six years since I've been able to go full-on Last of the Mohicans in a place I live. It's so important to be able to traipse through a forest of a Saturday afternoon, isn't it? And clamber over and hide behind and climb up rocks and fling oneself off of them (from low heights, of course) and fall down and not get hurt because the forest floor is so soft. (And to run at moderate speed up humongous rocks jutting out of the bracken and sing that Clannad song, which I did, but where only Jeremy could hear me.)
It was a perfect pre-Easter activity and a reminder of the beautiful world we live in, and the lovely people we share it with.
