Sherds from a jar of clay

We have had a couple of forays into nature this week. The first was imaginary: On Tuesday on the way to the dentist the kids decided they were going to be Rain Forest Explorers. They turned parked cars, sidewalks, streets, stray cats and garden plants into rain forest components and had a grand time expanding on the theme for the the rest of Tuesday and part of Wednesday. I was converted into an equipment trailer (nothing like type casting) with my backpack acting as a portable data base center where they could enter or find information. At the library after the dentist Vicky headed not for her usual destination of the video but for the Dewey decimal poster to figure out where to start looking for rain forest books. She had five in her hand before I caught up with her including one at a level Andrew could read without too much help.

Friday we accompanied another family from our home shool co-op on a trip to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. We had a great time wandering around a small portion of the facility on a lovely day. It is a protected marsh land. The two boys my 6 yr. old and their 9 yr old. Quickly had sticks that became light sabers or swords by turns. The girls my 8 year old and their 14 year old were more interested in using their binoculars and sketch books. It was great to be outside, to see my kids forming friendships, enjoy nature etc. It also made me miss my Mother in Law who is a knowledgeable out door person but especially is a birder and photographer. We saw the following in the 2 hours or so we were there: Great Blue Herons (3), Canada Goose, American Robin, Red Wing Black Bird (many), Barn Swallow (lots, some very up close), Duck (mallard?) and a number of other birds we didn't ID. We also saw painted turtles, a rabbit, a groundhog, a fish, deer hoof prints, butterflies of various sorts.
We will have to figure out how to get there on public transit and should take Grammy on her next visit.