Jessica Lowe is a featured blogger on Onslow Memorial Hospital’s CuddleBugs blog.
My two oldest children, Jakob and Kora, usually spend their afternoons and Saturdays going on walks on some of the trails near our home. We’ve always lived in an area that allowed for my kids to be able to explore, and this home is no different. We actually live about 50 yards from New River so as you can imagine, it’s quite fun to take walks around our neighborhood.
A couple of weeks ago, my son and daughter went on their usual trek through the trails, which led them to a small beachy type area where the New River banks. I don’t usually let them go there unless they tell me because there are quite a few signs around that area that warn of alligators. I don’t know about you, but I don’t necessarily feel comfortable allowing my kids to play where alligators roam. Yikes!!!
Jake had mentioned he was going to go check out the “beach”, as we call it, and my husband allowed it as long as he returned quickly. Well, it wasn’t but 10 minutes later my son and daughter came running back home with some HUGE news. While visiting the “beach,” they found a dead dolphin that had washed ashore from New River!!
My husband couldn’t go check it out because he had the two babies asleep at home, but as soon as I got home I told the kids I’d go with them to see it. I was actually pretty excited about it because it’s not every day you get to see a dolphin so close up. Word spread quickly about the dolphin and before long, many of the neighbors had made their way to the “beach” to see for themselves. To be able to see such a massive animal, helplessly lying there was so weird. I wasn’t sure if I should feel excited, sad, scared, confused, or traumatized. The kids were more amazed than anything. One sweet neighbor boy even said a prayer for the animal. It was actually a nice opportunity to show the kids that everything living will eventually die.
I ended up calling the wildlife specialists here on base to take care of the animal and remove it from the area. The smell was not the best of smells and the vultures were beginning to think of the dolphin as their next meal. All in all, it was quite the adventure and left us with a story we’ll be able to tell our friends and family for years to come!
What kind of adventures have your tweens had recently? Please share in the box below.
