Travelingjenny

 

Growing up, I spent hours on French Creek catching crayfish and minnows and hauling them around in buckets to show my parents before I dumped them back into the water. Naturally, it is important for me to teach Gracie about this fun pastime. She's a bit young to catch crayfish herself (they're fast, and hide well under rocks!), but I wowed her with my ability to catch them with my bare hands. I taught her how to hold them safely, which of course she got the hang of very quickly. However, it was entirely her idea to hold two at one time — and to let them pinch her.

Her grandpa and I also taught her all about making temporary "homes" for toads — Gracie is already a seasoned toad-catcher — and she loved being able to watch the toads hop around. We had up to a dozen toads in there at one time!

When I was a kid doing these same things, I never imagined I'd be able to teach my own daughters how to interact with the critters on the creek — and I certainly wouldn't have guessed that my lessons would be embraced with such enthusiasm!