Posts

Tree Climbing 101 part 2 !

/in , /by

After Erik put away all his equipment, with the help of the kids, they were treated to a short ride in the bucket of his truck.  I know many of them wanted to go the full 60 feet in the air but they had to settle for the 7 feet up approach with Erick at the controls.  I would think that most of them never did this before so it was a thrill none the less!!!  The whole day was a great success and I feel like the kids will look at people who cut down trees and take care of them with a new view.  Not sure how I could ever top the bucket truck ride!

IMG_1531IMG_1530IMG_1526IMG_1523IMG_1519After everyone got their ride Erik decided it was time to put Miss Sue in the bucket….  of course I was willing… of course he decided to put me all the way up – 60 feet!!!  It was the most spectacular view of Avalon!  Sophia took a video of me (which I won’t share with all of you)  and you could hear one of the kids in the background say, “You can touch the clouds!”  It almost seemed that way!   Thanks again to Erik and Buzz for coming to Avalon to share your love of what you do!!!

IMG_1537

A Flurry of Color

/in /by

Image

Perfect Fall day!

We wandered around the trail on a color hunt!  Looking for reds, yellows, oranges, greens, browns and blues.  It was a fun way to get the kids and moms and grand moms to work together.  Along the way we stopped and talked and I punch their color cards with my “smelly feet” hole punch.  They were all working towards getting all the colors identified and  receiving an acorn necklace and beads for their hard work!

Here are some fun pics.  Love to see the moms smiling along with the kids!

ImageImageImageImagew

OH NUTS!!!! (and seeds)

/in /by

Image

Today was a glorious day for taking a look at some of our trees at Avalon.  Most notably the Black Walnut and the Hickory Tree!

Both produce these interesting multilayered nuts. But most of all they are exciting to SMASH open.  That’s exactly what we did.  Each of my enthusiatic outdoor-kids were ready to take a turn breaking open these nuts.  How do those squirrels do it????

We tasted the black walnut which Shannon said had a strawberry flavor in it!!  They were yummy.   These odd looking nuts are hidden undercover on the trees inside these lime colored looking fruits.  When they are ready, they drop to the ground and proceed to rot and turn black.  Before you can get to the nutty insides you have to peel away a messy dirty layer…..  yuck…  then there is the treasure!

But first how do we get to the inside.  Well luckily Miss Sue did some research beforehand and she brought the wrench for holding the nut (also to protect her hands from getting smashed) and a hammer.   Before long they were cracked open!   Everyone was eager to try it.

We were less successful with the hickory nuts, of which are all over the place but dried out inside… what a disappointment. But lot’s of fun to collect!

IMG_1353

We continued our walk along the wildflower fields which are slowly turning brown… with seeds all ready to fall to the ground for next year’s blooms.  The milkweed plants are in their glory with all of their pods popping open to reveal the amazing layers of seeds attached to little “wish” machines which will help the seeds float away to their new homes!

IMG_1349

Amazing milkweed, amazing smile!

Happy Trails

Sue

 

 

 

SKIP TO MY LOU!!!

/in /by

ImageBenjamin was so excited to show me how he could skip!  So when we started our hike in the wildflower fields he took off in his bright yellow shirt skipping all the way!  He skipped and skipped and before you know it there were more skippers or hoppers or runners following him.  It was contagious.  So much so that I joined in the fun.  All that counted at that moment was the kids were free and doing what they wanted. So fun!

Maybe we could have skipping day at work???  Wouldn’t it be funny to watch your co-workers skip to the coffee room.  Ha!!!

Skipping is an acquired skill.  We don’t just skip…. our body has to be ready to skip.   Most kids will skip by 5 but don’t fret if your child is not quite there yet!  Get our there and  skip or perhaps gallop, another acquired skill.  Add on horse neighs and you’re really multitasking. Whew!

To see all these children back at Avalon doing what they belong doing is precious.  No cell phones, no  video games…. just pure organic fun.

Some kids chose to walk and that was just as good.  There was more time to look for flowers and bugs.  It’s all good!

AVALON EXPLORERS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH NATURE!!!

/in /by

Week one of camp is complete.  Although we were in the midst of one of summer’s famous heat-waves we made the very best of our adventures.  All of our Kindergarten through Grade three campers came to camp ready to hike and explore.  Image

And explore we did!  First two days were spent collecting bugs.  I was so impressed with all of the campers…. I did not hear one eeeewwww or scream as we found and captured milkweed bugs, caterpillars, long horned beetles, worms, honey bees, and more!!

We spent our first day out in the wildflower fields and the second in the woods.  Marguerite, of the instructors helped the campers understand that bugs are both good and bad.  We had some interesting conversations with these young minds.  

ImageImage

 

Image

Hornets nest (abandoned of course!!)

The next two days we spent at the pond.  I loved how all of the campers were so engaged in pond dipping and skimming with nets.  We were lucky enough to have three teenage helpers, Wendy, Julia and Luke, each of whom helped the campers dig deep into the pond and see all the creatures up close that they may have only seen in books.  Frogs, pond skaters, dragon flies, dragon fly nymph, tapeless, turtles, duckweed and more!  I was proud of how adventurous they all were!!!

Image

Duckweed.  Floating roots.  Penelope said they looked like mini lily pads.

ImageResident Bull Frog!

ImageLetting go of the tadpole.

Image Dragon fly nymphs
ImageWhat else is in there??  Ah my little limnologists!

My hope is that each of the campers will return to Avalon with their families and talk about what they saw and also discover that there is still more to be found.  

I was so proud of all of them!

Keep exploring 

Miss Sue

 

FREE!

/in /by

How many of us adults have memories of the way we used to play for hours upon hours outside until it was time to come home for dinner?  It really is a loss for our children, most of whom will never know that freedom we had.  BUT…. we can help our children to feel free from the stresses of video games, tv and technology in general.   Simply go outside…. no batteries or cords needed.  They will figure it out how to play in time but we have to give them the opportunity so they can learn.

The 4th and 5th graders in my Inspirations class were all psyched to take our “long” hike yesterday.  We got out our map and discussed our plan.  In 50 minutes we were going to go to new places we had not been.  Which means mystery and adventure.  What kid doesn’t enjoy that???

I never grow tired of watching children discover things on their own.   Like the hiker pictured below,  who was so amazed by all the ferns in one part of the woods that she, “had to become one with nature,” by placing a fern in her hair.

I know she felt so proud to wear that fern.  You go girl!!ImageOnward we walked/ran/flew like butterflies through the woods.  Howling while someone else howled back.  Laughter….all their worries forgotten.

Back in the Fall when we first began hiking we met a man in the woods who had made a miniature swing set.  It was made completely out of branches and twine. It fit in his hand.  Amazing!  Well today we found out what he did with it.He placed it along with a home that others had built in the woods.

Image

Onward we went for about a mile.  Sweaty? … Yes, Hot? ….. Yes, Thirsty?….. Yes,  Complaining? …… not one…. except that we had to head back to the barn.  🙂

ImageImageImageAnd so with only one more class left ….. I can’t help but feel these kids have all enjoyed their time in the woods and will carry some of their memories in their hearts the way I carry the memories of my endless days of playing outside when I was a kid.

Peace

Sue