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OH NUTS!!!! (and seeds)

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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!

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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!

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Amazing milkweed, amazing smile!

Happy Trails

Sue

 

 

 

SKIP TO MY LOU!!!

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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!

LOOK!!!

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ImageNature hungry, is what comes to mind when I step back and watch these children explore. The earth is slowly waking up and warming.  The bugs are on the move and how thrilling and refreshing it is to see these children get so excited at the site of something moving around in the wildflower fields of Avalon.  The ground was alive with milkweed bugs with their brilliant orange stripes and worms coming up to peek at the world.  One step after another something to be discovered.  

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 Baby worms wiggling, everyone crowding to see it squirming.  How cool to hold this wet, cold slimy creature.  Think of how many worms we walk past as adults.  We are so far above the ground and the kids are grounded noticing the tiniest movement.  

Richare Louv writes, “In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy and privacy; a place distant from the adult world, a separate place.”  He reminds us again and again in his book, “Last Child in the Woods, Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”,  of the importance of children’s need to connect with nature and how it helps them to make sense of the world around them.  

Today is a great day to take your child outside.  Shut off the TV, video games, and spend 20 minutes outside whether you are in your backyard, a park, a rooftop garden it will feed your child’s mind.  They will thank you for it one day!

Tired Hikers…. delighted!

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