R ecently I read that the best gift you can give to your young children is to teach them to appreciate the beauty of mother nature through experiences and memories they can treasure for long time. When we raised our two daughters in the lap of mother nature's abundant beauty in West Virginia, discretionary income was in limited supply. Along with a few close family friends, we managed to take our girls to visit nearby state parks, where we stayed in cabins, and spent our days exploring the parks. This gave our girls the chance to learn how to use sensory experiences to enrich their lives. This picture was taken in front of the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock state park in Fayette County, West Virginia, in 1980. I can close my eyes and still smell the freshly ground wheat, corn and buckwheat and visualize the beautiful tapestry of colorful trees that the mountains of WV blessed us with each October. Close to 40 years later, the best part is witnessing this love of nature exhibited by our grown up girls, and seeing them pass on the same gift to the children in their lives.