Today's hike/harvest/whittle session

[unit]

My oldest son (9) got a pocket knife from his dad for his birthday back in September. Every week since then we have gotten out together in one way or another to put it to use. Either we go hiking, or mushroom hunting, or just harvesting wood in the back yard to whittle. Regardless, he is learning some knife technique from me and to say he looks forward to these opportunities is an understatement.

I am utterly thrilled to have found this subforum as a place to share our joys of knives and outdoors together. I figure you guys share some fantastic photos all the time...so the least I could do is post a few phone images from our trip to the lake today.

It was an utterly crazy day for November in Central Missouri. Windy as heck and temps in the mid to high 60s! No question, we would get out and enjoy it. The water on the lake had white caps.

We started our hike, and as always we hike a few miles while harvesting some supplies before finding a nice place to sit in silence as we enjoy nature sounds while whittling some sticks. This is what I saw most of the time as I struggled to keep up with him as he rushed to find a "carving spot".

At one point he even stopped to turn around and inquire WHY I was lagging behind.

The reason I was so far behind was, I was harvesting some bark for the fire we would enjoy later (I have been teaching him how to use a fire steel too...he makes some sparks but can not light natural tinder yet).

Here is another random image while I begin part 2.

 

[unit]

Part 2:

Just when I thought this was all I was going to be looking at all day:

He stopped to look at something. I was thrilled to see that he was not just on a dead run to play with his knife, but rather he was actually seeing things as he passed.

Here is what he was looking at:

Unfortunately, the lighting was not all that great. These fungi had some neat looking orange and red spots on them. I have no clue what they are...they were leathery, but soft...perhaps they were edible, but the red spots had me passing on the idea...and we were only harvesting tinder, walking sticks, and whittling sticks.

We made some nice walking sticks and gathered several new natural tinder sources (I am up to about 13 now...I need to take some photos for the November challenge perhaps). Here is a fork we whittled together...he cleared the bark and made a chisel point at one end and I put the fork in it.

It was a fantastic outing. We both had a blast. We ought to sleep pretty good tonight!

 

[bpiatt]

great photos man. Its awesome to see people like you creating memories with your child that will last forever.

God Bless

 

[High Density]

Looked like a fun day.

 

[pitdog]

Great stuff buddy, cool that ya boy has such a keen interest in the outdoors !

 

[JUST1MOR]

No better time in anyone's life than in the outdoors with your children, makes memories you both will have as a bond for the rest of your lives. Gold star to you for being that parent.
Be safe.

 

[unit]

Thanks so much guys. It is amazingly satisfying to share my passions with my kids. It is that much sweeter to have other adults to share the stories with.

You guys educate me and I educate them...good stuff!

 

[Mistwalker]

Awesome pics man, looks like you guys had a fun time. My youngest is the same way most of the time, in a hurry to get to where ever. Finally by watching me stop to look at things and show her things she has started noticing a lot more about the environment. Just keep working on the fire steel, he'll get it in time. My oldest didn't really grasp it at first, I can still remember the look on her face the first time she got spark based fire all on her own. My times in the woods with both of them are among my favorite memories. Enjoy it now, the time really does fly by.

 

[DennisStrickland]

ken fresh air in the woods with your son--does'nt get any better. if more dads would take their children to the outside they would develop a greater bond than they ever could playing video games.
dennis

 

[CoyotePhysics]

Unit, thanks for sharing. I love how many fathers on this forum are passing W&S skills on to their children, and are just spending time with their children in general. Can you imagine what this world would be like if every child had a parent that would set aside time on a regular basis to be with them?

 

[unit]

ken fresh air in the woods with your son--does'nt get any better. if more dads would take their children to the outside they would develop a greater bond than they ever could playing video games.
dennis

You know, Dennis...every time we go on a hike my son will talk about video games constantly for the first 10 -20 minutes and I indulge him by listening. Thankfully nature distracts him after the first few minutes and we start discussing things we BOTH enjoy.

My sons have taught me a lot. Most of all they are teaching me the wonders around us that we learn to ignore with age. You are right on about more parents needing to take their children out to bond...but I will add that many would be surprised what their children will teach them.

For example, I had completely forgotten how nice it is to simply go outside at night an look UP and wonder. My 7 year old already understands light pollution...and he figured it out on his own!