by Ruthie Lancaster

Created on: July 05, 2009

The Nature Walk

Recently a friend of mine begged me to baby-sit with her five-year-old grandson. I explained to her that I disapprove of using non-family members as child care providers on principle and she should do it herself.

In turn, she explained that not on the worse day of her life would she baby-sit and the situation was a total emergency plus she would pay me $5 an hour. Being it was an emergency, I agreed to put aside my principles for $10 an hour.

The boy was sitting in front of the TV when I walked into the living room.

"What are you watching?" I asked brightly. Getting no response, I cupped Boy's face in my hands and forced him to look at me as I repeated slowly and distinctly. "What- Are-you-Watching?"

"The Slime Monsters Who Ate Chicago and All Points West." Boy said as he twisted from my grip to stare back at the TV.

"Tsk-tsk! I don't approve of all this sex and violence on TV...well, at least not the violence" I tsked. Oblivious to Boy's outraged shrieks, I turned off the television. "Why don't you find something to read?"

"Okay. " Boy agreed grumpily. " I guess I can get one of Dad's magazines from under his mattress."

"On second thought," I said hastily grabbing Boy. "It's such a pretty day; why don't we go for a walk and enjoy Mother Nature instead?"

"You mean outside?" Boy was aghast.

"I'll let you wear my binoculars." I offered enticingly. "And we can take peanuts along to feed the ground squirrels."

Boy's shoulders slumped in defeat. He cast one last agonised look at the silent TV and walked dejectedly from the room.

Soon we were walking merrily along. Well..At least one of us was merry. I pointed out a couple of brown sparrows that were flitting happily through the trees to the unmerry one.

"Use the binoculars to watch those two sweet little birds play; the two who just landed on the ground."

Obediently, Boy stared at the birds. Suddenly, his little mouth dropped open in shock.

"They're playing all right; but I'm not sure I'm old enough to be watching these kinds of games, Aunt Ruthie. Isn't it against the law to do those kind of things outside the privacy of their nest?"

I snatched the binoculars from Boy's little hands and brought them up to my own eyes. Too late! Both little winged perverts were lying back on the ground, sharing a cigarette.

"Come, Boy. Let us go feed the ground squirrels." I tossed my head haughtily and led Boy away.

Soon we were happily throwing peanuts to a colony of ground

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