Day 165

Farm work never stops but we can work to slow it down. When the family needs a recharge, we often take to the trails. We love our trail, but living on a wetland means that the trail is pretty inaccessible for a solid portion of the year unless we bring ice skates and/or waders. We adore the Ice Age Trail, but sometimes packing up three kids with supplies takes just as much time than the actual trail time. The Bug Line trail used to be just a few seconds away from our old house and we used it all the time. Now, while the few seconds have turned into a  few minutes, we still love our Bug Line.

When I need a quick run. Bug Line.

When the kids want to zoom around in their bikes or scooters. Bug Line.

When we want to spend some quality family time outside. Bug Line.

And even though it is technically a  recreational trail, we have found it can serve other purposes just as well.

Whenever and wherever we go hiking, we try to remember to bring a garbage bag to pick up any trash along the way. We try to be responsible hikers and stewards for the environment, so this is an easy way to help the Earth.

This stewardship goes even one step further when we add onto just trash collecting and focus on removing invasive plant species like garlic mustard or dame's rocket.

Plus, anytime we hit up a trail, we are sure to see some nature. Whether it is a snapping turtle, snake, or feathered friend, we always keep our eyes and ears open.

To us, any trail is a great place to reach the goals of leisure, exercise, stewardship, and exploration. But to have the Bug Line so close is truly a blessing.

Soon, we hope to make our own trail a similar destination. We know there is plenty of opportunity for wildlife watching and invasive species eradication. Leisure and exercise are always viable options as well.

Although time on the trail is always enjoyed, the many responsibilities of the farm are still important.

But it can be plenty of fun too.