Secret Messages and Hidden Gems

Other children have passed this way before us. They left behind a cryptic message

written on the smooth tablet of an artist's conch mushroom. Our kids look on, impressed, wishing they'd been the ones to find nature's sketchpad.

Our favorite state parks can be relied upon to reveal some hidden treasures this season. The gemstone-quality luster of the native salamanders: red eft, blue spotted, and redback are revealed as the kids overturn logs for a peek at the hidden worlds beneath.

Boys and sticks. What more is there to say?