Of stinkbugs and skunk-weed

I had been listening to a book on tape titled "Last Child in the Woods" about the paucity of natural experiences in todays children. It is an exceedingly pedantic book (and read by the most pompous ass with a bad lisp "mitothith" indeed!) but the point of it is good and one I subscribe to: Our kids are being separted from nature and outdoor experiences to their detriment. How can kids care about a rainforest in Brazil when they don't even like to get muddy? How can they hope to save spotted owls when they are afraid of perverts on every wooded trail? I have found a great deal of comfort on hikes, bikes and campings out of doors. And I am the last generation whose parents unceremoniously threw us outside to fend for ourselves when we were being too rowdy indoors. Now we are all afraid of the candy-toting, puppy-calling Stranger(-Danger!) who will kidnap our beloved kids the minute we turn around in our own front yards. Really, the best thing a mom can do is skim this book and reread "Protecting the Gift", say a prayer, and lead our kids out into the great unknown world so that they can learn to navigate it themselves. That said, I took Brianna on a mini-hike to the culvert off 53rd. We were just slipping down the steep embankment when she said "EWww, smelly gas, mom". Why I get blamed for every bad odor, I am not sure, considering the cubic feet of stink that little four year old can output. As it turns out, we had stumbled upon a pasture of Skunk-weed. Okay, I don't know the official name. But it is decidedly skunky in the skunk way. Not as strong as an actual skunk, but there were a lot of clumps of it. It has a beautiful purple flower. So we got down close and smelled it with great theatrics and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Many flowers were picked, water was touched, grass blades were boated, and Brianna was that much closer to the outdoors. She was a treasure that day. Later we took a trip to the Fairchild Oak for a picnic. Near or far makes no difference in her appreciation for the outdoors. Interestingly, it is a lesson that I keep having to teach her, as her inclination is NOT to go out, but play imaginitive games indoors. But then I have to keep teaching myself too, because I am not outside every minute I could be, yet I never regret being there once I am out.
So I mowed the lawn today. It was looking pretty shaggy and bad, and it is impossible to rake when so scruffy. Normally I wait until it actually goes to seed, but with another impending rain front and the ground still damp from the previous, now was a better time than most. The mower only took ten tries to start, and it wasn't long before I got a nose-full of that other odor synonymous with a Floridan spring: the stinkbug. You know you live in FL when you have to leave your Christmas tree outside a few hours so that you don't end up with stink-bug ornaments. Yes, a year ago November, I did have to wrangle a giant two-inch long specimen out of the house, hoping that it would not unload indoors. The stinkbug is slow-moving, bold, and pretty fun to play with, but watch out for its spray. Am I the only one who thinks that the smell is similar to that of red delicious apples? I really hate red delicious apples for that reason. I cannot bite into one without thinking of: This tastes like stink-bug smells. So I managed to mow over or near two stink bugs today. Yummy. Think I will go eat some apples. Happy Spring to you.