About a year ago a good friend of mine introduced me to a small, local park perfect for taking photos. It is especially beautiful in the fall. In addition to great lighting and a variety of scenery, it boasts paved walking trails, a cute little bridge, the biggest maple leaves I’ve ever seen, and most importantly for my daughter, so many wooly caterpillars.
What began as a quick trip to capture photos at a new location turned into one of our favorite places to frequent, especially in the fall. Why? Because of the caterpillars, of course! We now refer to it as “Caterpillar Park” and visit often to explore. Now that summer has officially faded away and fall is in full swing, we decided to head out to Caterpillar Park in search of some wooly friends. As I snapped a few photos on our walk, I was taken aback by how much my little girl has changed in a year. Naturally, she’s changed physically. She’s grown taller, the little curls at the ends of her hair have straightened out, and all that toddler chunk is gone. But what struck me the most was the way she looks at the world.
A year ago she was full of wonder and awe. Then, everything was new and still waiting to be explored…or in the case of the caterpillar, looked at but not touched. Now, her eyes glitter with knowing and excitement.
She is confident and wild with imagination. She marches to the beat of her own little drum. She cradles caterpillars softly in her little hands, and has conversations with them while she walks…
