Walking Through Nature: Father-Son Adventures

Walking With My Son

I have much for which to be grateful, generally good health and a wonderful part of the countryside in which I live and work.

Since my son was nothing more than a toddler, he has always enjoyed being out of doors and doing as many things as he could, despite the weather or indeed other more pressing commitments, such as catching the bus to school.

He was a particular menace for wandering off to get the neighbour’s milking herd into the yard every morning, despite the need to be at school. He did explain that if I were to buy him a horse, he could not only get the cattle in more quickly, he could also take the horse to school. Logic like that is very difficult to argue with.

This very nature is something else for which I am very grateful. I’m not sure I am constituted to deal with a teenager who spends the majority of his time indoors staring at a screen.

I have always enjoyed going for a walk and as he has matured, going for a walk with the boy has become more and more of a pleasure. We are mostly found trudging through the muddy fields and lanes, discussing what we can see and hear, talking about the change of the seasons, or making plans for the months ahead – he has many and various, ranging from conservatively modest to wildly implausible; but all entertain me and give me hope for the future.

Now that he is a teenager, soon to be a huge 14 years of age – fourteen going on forty! He is developing into quite the countryman. He has just closed his first full season as a member of a local team of beaters and thoroughly enjoyed his days out and, of course, beaters’ day with a meal to follow. It does kids good to have other examples and role models to follow and seeing and enjoying the rewards of hard days in the field for himself.

His developing interest in all things is being filtered down to his plans to become a gamekeeper. An uncertain future some would say.

While walking, our discussions now centre on topics like “Do you think you could get many birds in that bit of wood over there?” Possibly. “Mind you, getting the guns spread out in that field would be tight, number 8 might not get anything to shoot at; probably best to put one gun over the hedge there.” Of course, buddy.

A recent favourite of mine was “Dad, you know when you go for a wild pee…” Well that could lead anywhere! Fortunately, it was a quick run-down of the importance of checking the wind direction and likelihood of any rogue gusts in a breeze. All good advice, I suppose.

There are subjects that I try my best to avoid; these usually concern his desire for something rather expensive: “Have you ever thought about a 28 bore? I was using one the other day and if I had one it would be a good gun for carrying all day.” I must remember to never send him out on a peg with a gun dealer.

“Dad… what do you think about a Kaiwaka to replace my Ridgeline?” I think it will hurt my wallet!

We try to get a good walk in whenever we can, though time is often against us, particularly at this time of year. But even a late walk can be of great benefit. As soon as the sun begins its rapid descent to the horizon, we are treated to a whole new cast of characters. Bats begin to leave the trees above the road where we are walking and chatting. The hooting of different owls can be heard. “Was that a barn owl?” No son, that was a tawny owl. “Well, let’s listen and see if we can spot it.”

The sound of distant traffic is lessened. We can use our ears more than our eyes to judge what is happening around us.

We have just returned from a chilly, but dry, amble around the local lanes, it is still very much winter, the biting wind ensures that we have no illusions, but we are seeing the fields and woods in all their naked winter glory; yes, they are very brown and quite damp and muddy, but the promise of the spring is there in the very earth, either side of the waterlogged ruts we try to dodge.

“What do you think he’s got planted in here?” No idea yet buddy, it’s only just looking like a few shoots. “Hmm, can’t be winter wheat, that’s what he had in here last year.”

I enjoy winter, but I am looking forward to spring, if only so I know what is planted in that field.