| 503 | Rambling | 2011-10-25 |
Last week, I assisted Ramble, the TN State Park mascot, on a rappelling adventure. I really sort of thought the whole idea was a bit silly; but then after our rappelling practice Monday afternoon, I changed my mind.
A couple of families were hiking on a trail adjacent to our practice area. They stopped and watched Ramble, the raccoon, for a few minutes and then the girls wanted to have their pictures made with Ramble.
The little blond (above) was not looking at a pop music sensation, a beauty pageant queen, or a movie star - she was looking at ol' Ramble. Who knows what the little girl was thinking, maybe, she too would like to be a rappelling raccoon someday; but whatever the message was Ramble wanted to give, she was ready to listen.
Okay, I used this picture last week; but it was too good not to use again. Oh, the composition is terrible, I had to move a couple of bodies out of the way to get a clear shot and then still whacked Rambles head off. And the picture above is even worse. It doesn't matter. The message of both pictures was how the kids reacted to Ramble, not the pictures themselves.
The message is - if we want our kids to eat better, run faster, jump higher, learn more, be healthier, or just to get outdoors then we need to teach and lead them in that direction. Ramble gets the kids attention, even if he is a big goofy raccoon, and he has a healthy, green message. The Parks have found a spokesman, but they still need parents to lead the children to involvement in the Parks programs.
Check out:
TN Junior Ranger Program - classes are mainly in the summer; but the booklet is downloadable and can be completed year round.
Family Wilds - some friends with a great site on experiencing the outdoors with a child, good stuff.
Happy Rambling trails