Age 10 was when I discovered my great love of the outdoors. We lived in Red Bluff, California and my best friend, Lori, shared my sense of adventure. We would hike up the creek near our homes for miles. If you went far enough upstream, there were beaver dams and a couple of nice sandy beaches. We would camp for days at a time. One memorable adventure had us hike nearly the entire day to a new, not yet explored spot. After swimming for hours, and with darkness upon us, we realized that we had forgotten the can open. Probably beat that can of beans for an hour with rocks before we gave up on it. Two VERY hungry kids when we got home the next day!
When we needed money, we would wash cars in the neighborhood or sell peacock feathers. Lori's family had about half a dozen peacocks. We would chase them around the farm. They can actually fly, but it's more just to get up to a roost than anything else. When they "hopped" over the fences, it would knock loose a few tail feathers. Those are what we picked up and sold.
I've never been uncomfortable in the woods. Though particularly when I'm up in Alaska, there are critters I take great care to avoid (moose and grizzlies). I love hiking, riding the bike, camping etc., and the wilder the better. Heck, I've been doing this since I was ten.
angela