I just love the bog boardwalk. There's something so calming and otherworldly about this peat-y paradise. Once you make your way onto the boardwalk itself, you forget how close you are to actual civilization. Everything melts away and you're left with the impression of true wilderness.
Because the acid in the soil stunts the growth of many of the trees in the bog, Eila is always able to find a tree that is just her size; this one is a perfect miniature for her to explore. I love taking my daughter here because we can meander and discover together. We listen to the trill of birdsong, we watch for insects scurrying across our path, we explore ferns just opening, pitcher plants trapping their prey, we marvel at the beauty of orchid blooms, and run our fingertips ever so gently across the tops of the cotton grass.
It's a place for quiet contemplation, even if you are only two-and-a-half. You can stop and breathe and just be in a way that is sometimes impossible in the midst of our frenetic days. I hope everyone is as lucky as we are to have a refuge like this close to home, a place where you can find solace in nature and each other.