One of the things I appreciate most about E’s elementary school experience is the amount of time her class is held outside the classroom. Sometimes these are day trips around the area, but frequently the whole class heads out for a few days of camping and hiking and exploring. Last week they went to Onondaga Cave State Park, and M got some great indoor shots of the cave there. It’s pretty spectacular.
E said her favorite cave room was the Lily Pad Room – it’s pretty easy to see why it’s named that.
On the final day of the trip, M got up early for a morning hike with the camera and got some beautiful shots of the surrounding area.
He also heard what sounded like the low, guttural purr of an overgrown housecat (mountain lion, likely) when he entered a small clearing, and so he slowly backed up a few steps and headed off in a different direction. It makes for a good story – and the girls can add it to their campsite animal stories. We’ve got a skunk, a red fox, and we can’t forget the night of the two wolves crying to each other from either side of our site, and then one running right through it. M can top it all with his terrifying story of the big cat while camping in South Africa. But that story is better told around the campfire, before heading off to tents for the night.
E’s a lucky girl to gather around the fire with teachers and parents and friends and hear these stories and explore these places with them.
