Out and About in the Fall

It may seem that all my waking hours are spent playing with my wonderful grandchildren, but it's certainly not true.  That's just when I happen to take the most PICTURES!

But there is a lot more going on in my life besides traveling and babysitting.  Here's a sample.

Out at my old school, Sandhills Farm Life, big changes are taking place.  Here are pictures of a new Garden of Learning that was recently constructed.  Students and parents alike are contributing to the development and care of the plants.



Here is a "keyhole garden."

Very soon I hope to post pictures of our major Nature Trail renovation, just about fifty yards from these gardens.  A five-foot wide trail will be cut, hopefully during Thanksgiving holidays.  A loop trail will lead past old friends like Old Man Poplar, Jack-Will- and Tom, and Big Rock.  It will be more accessible and user-friendly than ever.  New signage and other improvements will follow in the months ahead, but the trail will be open to the public at all times.  Maybe you should consider a fall stroll with your family!

A few weeks ago my friend Margie invited me to her classroom at Carthage Elementary.  There, I shared a singalong and some fun folk tales.  The kids were so welcoming and responsive.  They loved Boom Boom, Ain't it Great to be Crazy and lots of my other favorites.

They also enjoyed the humorous story of "Soap, Soap, Soap," and the antics and adventures of Molly Whuppie, a feisty female version of the Jack Tales.  Fun, fun, fun!

Around home, I've been busy cutting and hauling firewood.  Sounds routine, but you have to be prepared for anything.  Like this giant wolf spider who hitched a ride in my wood cart.  I LOVE living in the country!

Most recently, just this past Monday, I was back at Farm Life to share a presentation on Rocks and Minerals with Ms. Ryan and Ms. Cioccolanti's fourth graders.  (I took no pictures that day, but the pictures below show some of my students in 2006 enjoying the same types of rock activities.)

I told the students how minerals are simply the ingredients in "Earth Pie."  We discussed how you don't necessarily have to know the name of a rock to get acquainted with it.  You do this by observing its properties, such as color, density, texture, fracture, luster, hardness, and so on.

We darkened the room so I could demonstrate that you can really make fire by striking two pieces of quartz together.  I gave them a close-up view of the flash of fire and let them smell the smoky rocks.  We didn't need to call the fire department, thank goodness.

Another favorite activity was cracking open a geode to reveal the sparkling crystals within.  I then shared a story I had written called "My Life as a Rock."  (I may post it on this blog soon) 

Finally, I passed out two rock samples to each of the 50 children.  They were able to mill about the room telling each other the properties of their rocks and what was special or unusual about each one.  They are off to a great start as Rockhounds.  I told them you don't have to spend money at rock shops to be a collector.  Just keep your eyes open and begin to collect rocks that appeal to you, whether you're around home or traveling.  That's how I got MY start.  And they're starting ten years younger than when I began my collection!



So that's a bit of what I've been up to.  Never a dull moment, never a boring day.  As my good friend Beth has told me many times, "Only boring people get bored."  I think I'm immune!  At least as long as the grandbabies are around.  Or snakes. Or rocks.  Or the woodpile.  Or spiders. . . .
You get the idea.  : )  See ya soon.