Down by the Creek Bank

Friday afternoon, the boys and I spent some time exploring at our city's Nature Center.  We went on a hike through the woods looking for animal tracks.  We saw lots of robins, but no animal tracks.

So we spent the rest of our time at Wildcat Creek.  The temperature was pretty chilly, highs in the low 50s, so I warned the boys not to get wet.  "You will be very cold if you get wet!"  And my boys were very obedient and stayed clean and dry.  Ha ha ha ha!  I guess you can't have nearly as much fun if you're dry?

Jack calls this 'crossing the creek like Indians.'  He was showing Will how to hop from rock to rock.

Will was a cautious explorer.  He liked to stay close to the rocks where there was sure footing.

They just couldn't resist the water.

Doesn't Jack look like Huckleberry Finn guiding his raft down the Mississippi?

The shoes are wet now, but the smile on his face says that he doesn't mind one bit!

He just took off the wet shoes & socks and kept on exploring.

Doing a good deed...Jack fished a few pieces of litter out of the creek.  He is always shocked that people would litter and not take better care of our environment.

Jack wasn't the only one with wet shoes.  Will had to take some time out to dry his piggies.

Tom & Huck

As expected, the Nature Center strives to reduce, reuse and recycle and to teach all of its visitors to do the same.  One 'reuse' project was to make art out of recycled bottle caps.  All around the grounds, you will see bottle cap butterflies, frogs, bees and flowers.

Do you think I could convince Brent to make a couple of these for our flower beds?!?!  Probably not.

Jack and Will are signed up for a week of Summer Camp at the Nature Center, so this afternoon was just a preview of all the fun they will have!  I'll be sure to dress them to get wet & dirty...