After a long rollercoaster ride through many many potholes up the steep hill to Mt. Tuam in our 36 year old VW Bus Willie, Sarah needed a little bit to orient herself to the new environment at Camp. It didn't take her too long to figure out how to make new friends. She was in the 'Leafwalking Bandits' group with the 10 to 12 year olds with more girls than boys and the 3 instructors, Barnaby, Stephanie and Teresa. They practiced a lot of skits, played Quiddich (from HP) but some nearby wasps made it not fun for everyone. It seemed to be a common theme, as whenever the group tried to play games something else came up instead, so Sarah can't remember playing much games.
The nonstop request for snacks from one very hungry starving fellow helped the rest of the group get snacks earlier and earlier every day. They found a very pretty hangout spot with a bunch of trees and a nice ocean view. The initially spot wasn't as nice, but after some search parties for a better home they all agreed on the new spo being awesome. So pretty. Sarah (Ladybird Beetle, short: Bird) made 2 new best friends, Spiderwasp and Rosegall. They discovered making leather pouches at the skill tent and were quite crafty. They also liked to chat a lot and Sarah was a little surprised how quickly she become best friends with the friendly boy with crutches (he had a rock fell on it 2 weeks before Camp). The Bandits also played Foxtails (stealing Bandanas out of each others pockets in a circle) with the Fawn families. Sarah's favorite part was when she (Bird) and Spiderwasp volunteered to help out a Fawn family, one with little ones, and got to watch a 3 year old girl during mealtimes. She didn't like to be quiet for a long time during campfire to listen to very long stories, but really liked the yummy dessert for lunch. My questions I contemplated on my spirit plant walk. What is in store for me? What do I have to offer? I got lots of answers from my nature friends: Huckleberry, Moss, Vine Maple, Oregon Grape, Funghi, Cedar, Devils Club, Prickly and vulnerable, fresh start, odd ball Obstacles request flexibility So much beauty everywhere. Sometimes easy to oversee. Stop and smell the roses! My parents: sturdy support, different-but-alike, sunny, watching over me, once joint but now grown apart Sunlight projects myself on an old stump. Reflection reminds me of a Jester. I like to entertain, build community, making encounters feel light but memorable. Had to do a photo scavenger hunt at Camp Long. Six groups of 5 competed for the most points by finding the biggest tree, spider web, sign of birds, 2016/17 flagging, GSP signs, Neighborhood Bullies, madrone seed, a heart in Nature, climb the rock, make a Haiku, dance and all kinds of shenanigans. It was quite fun, but our team didn't win.
Got my new waders today to help with the Salmon Survey at Longfellow Creek. So excited I get to do this with my friend.
South Sound Nature School offers a Nature Club for Genesee Hill Elementary now. It was formerly the Wilderness Awareness School running it. Porcupine (Kevin) has taken over and I am his assistant now. We are super excited and today was the first day we picked up the kids after school and had some fun getting to know them and exploring Schmitz Park together.
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AuthorCurious Bee. Forest Steward. Nature Nerd. Climate Activist Mom. Categories
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February 2024
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