Nuts About Nature

Nuts about Nature

Mid-life Crisis? Try Hip Boots!

Our house sits on eight acres of property that is currently in the midst of change. What started two years ago as an interesting idea of my husband’s has morphed into a full scale oak savannah restoration project complete with controlled burns, widespread deforestation of non-native species, and intentional re-seeding of native plants and flowers.

The kids and I wondered a little about my husband’s passion for this project when he announced that we were going “au natural” with the grass.

We weren’t too sure about him when he dismantled the tree house to build an observation platform in the wetland area of the property.

We questioned even further the deconstruction of the soccer goal for the sake of a “clear view” into the back part of the woods.

But, we knew for sure that he had caught restoration fever – or was going through some type of mid life crisis – when he came home with new hip boots so he could wade out into the swamp to observe and photograph native plants and animals.

My husband will spend hours studying and photographing nature. The pictures are beautiful and we have them hanging in our home. But the hip boots represented a new level of commitment to nature that the kids and I thought bordered on obsession.

Then I stopped and thought about the stories I’ve heard about men and mid-life. For my husband, it’s not about sports cars, vacation homes, or other expensive toys that tie him back to the simpler time of his youth.

Instead, it’s about connecting with something simple that has no age limit. Preserving nature has become his way to leave his mark on the world (in addition to raising some awesome children). He can be assured that his work will leave the world a little better off than he found it.

If hip boots can help accomplish all that – then I’m getting a pair, too!

NW Ohio Nature Oak Leaf

Nuts about Nature

Mid-life Crisis? Try Hip Boots!

Plants & Animals

Birds

Things to See & Do

Photography

Articles