Yates Mill

Today was a field trip day!  You know, when they roll around, I always feel like I don’t have time to go, but the field trips are so good for us.  They get me out of the house, Princess of the Universe learns hands-on, and I get to visit with other homeschooling moms!  Does it get any better?

I was struck by the juxtaposition at Historic Yates Mill County Park:  beautiful remnants from a far-away past lay quietly  on the ground just yards from mini vans whizzing down a busy road.

It’s really beautiful around the mill.  And we had a beautiful day today!  Sunny, breezy, and a bit chilly but not enough to make you feel cold.  I love days like that.  Oh, and we had the moon and the sun clearly visible today.  Can you see it?  It seems just a white speck in the picture, but I promise it was pretty – a reminder of how amazing creation is.

Next, you gotta see this rosemary plant!

I’ve never seen rosemary get so large.  Yes, that’s rosemary and it was in bloom.

One of the big draws to homeschooling for me is what I see in homeschooled young adults.  They are so at ease, so unaffected by trends, so able to interact with young or old.   

A pretty framed map of Historic Yates Mill Park.

The children in our group learned about the food chain (or web).  I found it interesting and the children seemed to enjoy taking part in the questions and the activities.

They colored small pictures of various aquatic wildlife and then glued the pictures into an illustration of a food web. 

Then it was outside to get wet.  The kids learned how to use a kick net.  They also used small nets to look for fresh water clams and other creatures that live in the water.  Buckets of muddy sediment were provided so that each child could examine a tray full of muddy leaves and water to look for water bugs and larvae and nymphs.

Isn’t this a lovely setting? 

I was amazed at all the creatures seen and identifed:  bloodworm larvae, tadpoles, a leech, and a few other things. 

All I can do is smile at this picture of this sweet little lady in the sparkly red shoes.  She looked so tempted to go in with other children who were attired in tennis shoes and boots.  I asked her if her mommy would want her to get her shoes wet.  With a shy look and without saying a word, she made a quick, executive decision to wade on in.   Memories.

Lynn