Scratching the itch

Not to be confused with "Itchy and Scratchy".... 😉

I've discovered that my love for nature themed games, due to my love for nature itself, has really created something cool for me.

Last Thursday we headed back to our favourite backcountry camping spot a couple hours North-East of where we live here in Ontario. We always go to "site 70". A 2km paddle to our site on the point at the North end of the lake (the next closest sites are approximately 1km or more in all directions). It's always a little slice of heaven and a wonderful recharge in nature.

As chaotic as things have been with our move and getting back to work after 4-months of pandemic shutdown, we welcomed the opportunity to get out there for a second time this year before summer ends. I noticed this time, I really had the urge to get out fishing (since I haven't had much opportunity this year), and since I've been playing Freshwater Fly.

It hit me how much my nature games make me want to get out and enjoy those fun times even more in my opinion. They keep the idea/theme in my head and in order to truly get it out of my head, I need to "scratch the itch". Good problem. 😀

I did lots of fishing on this trip. I was "skunked" back in June for the first time since we started going there back in 2015 or so. I was determined. I brought both my spinning reel and my fly rod. Despite the game being trout and salmon, I was fishing for bass (I love the fight they give). I had some nice, fun little guys with the fly rod, and pulled out a dandy smallmouth (2lbs or so) on the crank bait. Definitely not skunked this time! 😊

PARKS always gives me the urge to go for a hike. Thankfully where we live there are plenty very close by. Granted, nothing too difficult. Just enough to scratch the itch. 😉 On our camping trips to our little slice of Heaven, we don't really hike but I'm absolutely walking up and down the big hill behind us and into the woods to collect and cut firewood. So that counts I'd say.

Arboretum without question makes you want to get out

and enjoy the beautiful trees around you. One day soon when I can get Photosynthesis into my collection, I'll have a bigger urge to get out and enjoy these gifts of nature. Even if you don't want to go walk through the trees, I find that playing Arboretum makes you want to at the very least, grab a good book and go sit under a tree. 🤗

Finally (because I still only have the four nature themed games so far 😯) ... Wingspan. I have become more fascinated with birds in the past year or so and honestly Wingspan has helped. My mom loves taking pictures of birds as well, and I have a good friend who's an incredible nature photographer and who's family are huge birders. Playing this game, I just want to grab my binoculars and head out the door. Even just into the backyard. If I can't do that, at the very least it makes me want to make sure all our feeders are fully stocked to invite our winged friends to our home and yard. 😊

Again, I feel my love for Mother Nature helps me love these kinds of games more without question. But it was only this camping trip that really created the awareness of how much these games can BOOST that feeling and enjoyment of being out in nature. I'm going to have to keep adding these kinds of games to my collection... AND continue to love everything around us.