Taxidermy, Owl Pellets and Me
A few weeks ago I signed us up for an afternoon at the Nature Foundation at Wintergreen (Wintergreen is a mountain resort about an hour's drive from us, with skiing and tubing etc.) and today was the big day. I had been looking forward to it, as had Theo. I knew it would be a good chance for him to see other homeschoolers in their element and learn about a topic he has always liked (nocturnal animals). He has always loved any nature center with taxidermy, animal fossils and pelts and could spend hours looking at everything.
I am seriously considering purchasing a smart phone after today's trip, for two reasons: a) it would have been nice to have played an audio book on the drive b) I got lost on the way home! I have enjoyed my little antiquated flip phone for many reasons (mostly because it keeps me from mindless internet browsing during the day and helps me be present with my kids), but it just might be time for an upgrade! I think this is an example of how a more complicated technology (smart phones) can SERIOUSLY simplify life and add a lot of value.
Anyway. The boys played with Lego on the drive and were pretty content, despite some occasional whines from Theo that he wanted to listen to a knight story (I had tried and failed to download one before leaving). There were fabulous views of the valley as we drove up the mountain (one sign I saw said elevation 2100 feet, not sure how high we were by the time we arrived at the Nature Foundation.).
We arrived right on time and settled in to listen to the naturalist discuss what makes an animal nocturnal. She was animated and had lots of fun specimens, such as a few owls that had been stuffed and a bat that was encased in some kind of rubbery wax.
We played a game (imagine tag, but with moths and bats), and then learned a bit more about owls specifically. Then the kids got to go into a dark closet wearing night vision goggles to get a taste of what it is like to be nocturnal; they loved that. Lastly, the little kids (6 and younger) went with one naturalist who let them match bones from an owl pellet with the correct animal and animal part. I never knew anything about owl pellets and found the whole thing pretty fascinating (and gross). Somehow I have lived nearly 37 years without knowing about owl pellets. Go figure.
Then there was time for free play in the very cool and well-appointed upstairs play area, which was equipped with puppets, a puppet stage, lots of nature games, a wooden doll house, and lots more. The boys enjoyed that and were slightly, shall we say, miffed (to say the least) when I told them it was time to go. All three of us were hungry and a little bonkers from the constant noise and activity (I think they inherited their tendency toward overstimulation from me).
I took a wrong turn out of the parking lot, thinking that since it appeared to be the way down, it had to be right; wrong! My old-school GPS stopped working so I stopped to ask a pair of dog walkers for directions. They were so incredibly helpful and set me on the right path toward gas (I had 12 miles left in the tank, not enough to get down the mountain! Stellar planning skills.) and the way back to route 151. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.
PS: I forgot to take pictures again today! Gotta get in the habit.
I am seriously considering purchasing a smart phone after today's trip, for two reasons: a) it would have been nice to have played an audio book on the drive b) I got lost on the way home! I have enjoyed my little antiquated flip phone for many reasons (mostly because it keeps me from mindless internet browsing during the day and helps me be present with my kids), but it just might be time for an upgrade! I think this is an example of how a more complicated technology (smart phones) can SERIOUSLY simplify life and add a lot of value.
Anyway. The boys played with Lego on the drive and were pretty content, despite some occasional whines from Theo that he wanted to listen to a knight story (I had tried and failed to download one before leaving). There were fabulous views of the valley as we drove up the mountain (one sign I saw said elevation 2100 feet, not sure how high we were by the time we arrived at the Nature Foundation.).
We arrived right on time and settled in to listen to the naturalist discuss what makes an animal nocturnal. She was animated and had lots of fun specimens, such as a few owls that had been stuffed and a bat that was encased in some kind of rubbery wax.
We played a game (imagine tag, but with moths and bats), and then learned a bit more about owls specifically. Then the kids got to go into a dark closet wearing night vision goggles to get a taste of what it is like to be nocturnal; they loved that. Lastly, the little kids (6 and younger) went with one naturalist who let them match bones from an owl pellet with the correct animal and animal part. I never knew anything about owl pellets and found the whole thing pretty fascinating (and gross). Somehow I have lived nearly 37 years without knowing about owl pellets. Go figure.
Then there was time for free play in the very cool and well-appointed upstairs play area, which was equipped with puppets, a puppet stage, lots of nature games, a wooden doll house, and lots more. The boys enjoyed that and were slightly, shall we say, miffed (to say the least) when I told them it was time to go. All three of us were hungry and a little bonkers from the constant noise and activity (I think they inherited their tendency toward overstimulation from me).
I took a wrong turn out of the parking lot, thinking that since it appeared to be the way down, it had to be right; wrong! My old-school GPS stopped working so I stopped to ask a pair of dog walkers for directions. They were so incredibly helpful and set me on the right path toward gas (I had 12 miles left in the tank, not enough to get down the mountain! Stellar planning skills.) and the way back to route 151. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.
PS: I forgot to take pictures again today! Gotta get in the habit.
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