No moaning at Mona

Mona Reservoir is one of Kingston's environmental treasures. Seated at the foot of the misty Blue Mountains, adjacent to the university campus, it has become a favourite walking and jogging area. Its perimeter is 1600 metres and with its constant residents of pelicans, herons, and egrets it provides a tranquil place to recreate.

The reservoir has some some points of intrigue such as the aqueduct. My wife discovered the reservoir years ago when she had to go to Jamaica for work. I have discovered it during my recent visits to Jamaica and now try to take at least one walk around the reservoir if I am in the capital for a few days. On Sunday I did the walk during the mid afternoon with my 4 year old. She is to say the least a real trooper. Her only concerns were why there were so many centipedes and snails, and couldn't they make their homes elsewhere. She managed the whole walk without being carried, and even enjoyed getting doused by a good rainfall that hit us for about half the circuit.

A parent is a guide, interpreter, and protector. I am enjoying playing those roles especially on our extended travels, such as now during the Christmas school holidays. Television is a modern necessary evil, which naturally children enjoy because of the immediacy of images it provides. But if there is the opportunity to do real things then there is no place for TV. My little one played with some other children before our walk and all they needed was a little sunshine to have great fun on swings, chasing each other around the mango and orange trees, or taking quiet time sitting on the floor with books. They needed no directions and only occasionally sustenance in form of some snacks and drinks.

My youngest child spends a lot of time with adults and it is beginning to give her an air of sophistication that disguises her age. Her eldest sister says, correctly, that the youngest one needs to spend time with her own age group and she does. But like a lot of only children, especially with older parents, Mum and Dad are often around and can be good play mates. She picks up quickly on many things and words, so during our walk she probed me about what hovering meant, and what is an observation; and she is now able to show that she knows the beginning of words. So we had a lot of "Reservoir. That begins with an R, like me." She turned the walk into a challenge: "Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm the gingerbread man." That got her most of the way round. So, like the little train who thought he could, she did. I was so proud of her for that.