Getting Wet

Yesterday we took the campers down to Poor's Creek, which entails about a mile long hike. Once there we gave them rubber boots and nets. They were given free reign to wander the creek looking for frogs, minnows, crayfish, and anything else they could catch. They brought their finds back to a basin filled with water, where the specimens could be examined more closely. The kids had a great time wading into water that overflowed their boots, finding raccoon tracks, and splashing about.

Raccoon Tracks

Thinking themselves to be invincible since they were equipped with boots, some of the children proceeded to venture repeatedly into water that was much too deep. Time and time again they over topped their boots and were forced to empty them. I 'rescued' one boy from who was stuck in very soft muddy sand that came up to his shins. I nearly got stuck myself. Although my uniform pants were soaked from the knees down I was surprised that my government-issue hiking boots kept my feet completely dry. After several hours of this we were all bordering on  happy exhaustion. I dare say that the children's parents were silently grateful. I seriously doubt that many of them made it a mile before they nodded off in the back seat.

I spent most of today preparing for the camp that I've planned, which will take place next week. Several days will be dedicated to taking field trips to some archaeological sites. The rest of the time will be filled by activities that I've developed, planned, and scheduled. I'm a bit anxious that they come off well as the planning and implementation counts as my internship project. I have a bit more work to do on the activities this weekend.

Longstreet

I have decided to name my bike Longstreet after a Confederate general whom Robert E. Lee referred  to as "My old warhorse."

Getting Wet

The weather yesterday looked like rain so we took the campers out early to identify trees and birds hoping to beat the storm. There were a few rain drops toward the end of our hike, but nothing very serious. Later in the morning the weather cleared, and by 1pm when the kids went home the sun was shining. The kids had a great day. They especially like dissecting owl pellets, which are the masses of undigested bones and fur that owls regurgitate. Many of the kids were able to identify the animals the owls had been eating based on the bones they found in the pellet.

Rodent Skull

When I got back to the visitor's center (VC) I was exhausted but still had some work to do. I idly noticed that the sky was beginning to cloud over again. I wasn't particularly concerned since there seemed ample time for me to bike back to my quarters. I was working on internship paperwork around 2:15 when I noticed the sky getting positively dark and the wind beginning to pick up. I began to think about gathering up my things and biking like mad for home when the thunder started. Close behind the thunder came the hard cold rain. The wind blew the big 100ft loblolly pines until they were bent nearly double. The power went out in the VC and it was really dark for the middle of the afternoon. I kept working, thinking that the whole thing would soon blow over.... It didn't. It was 3:45 and the storm was still blowing hard.

Finally around 4:15 the rain started to let up and I thought this was the slackening of the rain I'd been waiting for. Surely the storm was close to wearing itself out. I jumped on my bike and started the three mile ride for home. By the time I reached the end of the VC parking lot I knew I'd been wrong. This was no break or dwindling of the storm. It was merely a brief lull. I wasn't even a quarter of the way before the wind grew so violent that branches were falling off the trees and into the road around me. The wind nearly knocked me off the bike twice. I reached the halfway point where I half to turn onto a forested bike trail only to find that the trail had become a stream.  Brown water raged down most of the width of the trail. Oddly enough it was easier to bike in the water rather than on the wet ground. Lightning was falling so closely that I couldn't count the seconds between the flash and the peal of thunder.

I eventually made it back to quarters in one piece even if I was soaked to the core. It took most of the night to dry everything completely. My shoes are still a big spongy. The whole experience was sort of exhilarating in a I-hope-I-don't-die sort of way.

Just after making back to quarters. Thankfully my camera was dry through my backpack was soaked.

Today the Children Came

Today was the first day of camp. This week, being short, has a few less kids in in than normal, but they made enough noise for 50. This week were running one of the environmental education camps. Today was, as my supervisor likes to call it, 'bug day' we made bug drawings, made insect rubbings, went on an insect scavenger hunt, and ate bug candy. I haven't had a chance to download pictures yet but will do so soon. If you picture a group of children walking through an open field just over a rise from several Civil War cannons, poking into high weeds, old tree stumps, and patches of mud from last night's rain. They were looking for insects. I am convinced that some of those kids were outside and really looking for the first time in their lives. Their eyes were actually open and they enjoyed what they saw regardless of the heat. They found termites, butterflies, spiders, scores of grasshoppers, a centipede, a small nesting lizard, and a whole host of things I can't name.

The kids left at a little after 1pm and it was probably a good thing. The temperature has become extremely warm here. Last night we had a huge thunderstorm that lingered over Petersburg from 4:30 until 11:00. At times the rain and lightning were intense. Lightning struck not even 100yrds from my quarters. I could feel the electric charge in the air and saw a bright white flash out the window. My wrist felt like it had received a large static shock. Lights in my quarters went out for a minute before coming back on. That is what I experienced standing not quite 100yrds away and facing away from the strike. A transformer on a power-line was destroyed and most of the rest of the buildings on that side of the park have no power. We're due to have more rain this afternoon... People here say that they usually don't get this many bad storms. There have been at least three in just the three weeks I've been here.