Start 'em Young

Nolan's been asking Daddy a lot about his trip to Mt. Whitney so on Monday I took him on his inaugural hike into the wilderness at a nearby state park after school. It was complete with his own backpack packed with water, fruit snacks, gold fish, caprisun and his toy binoculars...you know, the essential survival items...and hiking poles. We did about a 2.5 mile out and back through a canyon. As we were heading back and almost back to the trail head, Daddy yells "Nolan stop! Watch Out!" and points at the ground a little further ahead on the trail. There was a giant brown tarantula spider. Nolan was in my arms screeching before I could finish speaking. (I have to admit that I was a little freaked out as well. I'd never seen one that big and in nature like that). Anyways, we quickly jumped over "the beast" and finished our hike (me carrying Nolan the rest of the way of course).

I'm not sure if he's scarred for life. He gets real excited when he tells the story but when I asked him yesterday if he wanted to go for another hike he said "not today daddy."