Water

Think back to when you were a kid. The simpler times when all you really had to worry about was getting home for dinner. If you were like me you spent most of your time outside playing with your siblings or friends. I was lucky enough to grow up on a dairy farm here in Lancaster county, so I had a wider range in my territory and a whole lot of cows that came with it. We would play in the barns, jumping off stacks of hay. Climb up trees and run through the cornfields. We had some epic hide and go seek sessions and flash light tag games. The one thing I always remember was playing in the streams that cut through part of our farm. Finding cray fish, minnows and the occassional turtle or frog was always a treat. I remember my Dad showing me how to build up dams and how you could change the flow of the water and pool it up. I remember my Mom not being too happy about my sneakers and cloths getting muddy and wet!

As I grew up and began experiencing fishing, hunting and our family trips, they all involved some sort of water setting. I have very fond memories of spending a week at Stone Harbor every summer with my family. Going fishing with my Dad on a remote lake in Canada every year. Hunting in Perry County and hiking with friends in Potter County. They all involved water! One morning I woke up on my first summer back from college and my Dad was outside digging a huge hole in the ground next to the deck with our new John Deere backhoe. I remember walking outside on that hot and sticky morning and asking my father Larry what the heck was he doing? "Building a pond, grab a shovel!" The rest of the landscape crew arrived and we all pitched in and began creating what would be a very special place for years to come. It was not the first pond we built, but it was our pond.

Years after it's completion and I was working in Philly. I would love coming home to the pond at home. The calming sounds created such a peaceful contrast to the sirens and constant noise in the city. Years after returning home and getting back into the business, I realized how soothing the pond was after a hard days work. I would make sure each spring I would clean it up, add more stone, reposition stones and add fresh mulch. Each year frogs would appear out of nowhere. Sometimes we had to fight off herons. Sometimes we lost fish, but the constant remained, the pond was the place to gather, slow down and appreciate the fruits of your labor.

Now that I am married with my own family and with one more on the way, I get to share that same pond and our deep appreciation of nature. There is nothing more important than creating memories and watching our young one play around the pond and discover things herself. The first thing my 3 year old daughter wants to do when going to Pap Pap's is feed the fish. If it's not the fish, she wants to go play in the stream. I love that she's doing the samething that I was doing as a kid.

Today's day and age I think it's even more important to incorporate the outdoors into your childs world. Like most parents we struggle with other ways to decrease screen time and to encourage playing outside and using your imagination. Installing a water feature at your home could be just the perfect way to introduce them to this, hold their attention and spark their imagination outside. Not only is it great for children, but it's a great way to unwind yourself after a long day. The sound and visual appearance of water is scientifically proven to lower your heart rate. How much could your life benefit from a water feature? Try and be a kid again for just a few moments. I bet you'll find yourself in or near water just like me, with not much of a care in the world. More importantly as we enter this Earth Day weekend, find a way to get outside with your family. Slow down, disconnect and reconnect outside this weekend.