THE NATURE CENTER HOURS

Sunny day at the nature center

Hello, my name is Shelly and I am a Facebook addict.  I've been trying to "cut down," in the same way that I am trying to "cut down" on eating.

I can't quit cold turkey, like an alcoholic, though, because if I don't eat I can't live and if I don't check Facebook or update it periodically, my family wonders if I'm still alive.

See my dilemma?  Come on, be an enabler.

Daxx holding little frog from the grass

At any rate, I have made a mental note to check Facebook, answer any comments, peep in to see if there is any big news happening with my buddies and THEN I turn my computer OFF.

As in, all the way off.. Like, if I want to check Facebook again, I'll have to wait the 15 minutes it takes for my computer to power back up and that's just a pain so why bother...kind of "turn it off."

Kids handling the animal "stuff"

All of that said, I do get some great ideas from Facebook.  Like today, for instance, my friend Heather P. posted a video of the song, "Just Fishin'" on her profile page and tagged my hubby.  Well, then I commented on it and my dad saw that and posted the "Just Fishin'" video on his Profile, which means he was thinking of me and my brother and my kids and my brothers kids and well...you know...I got all sentamental and wanted to do something with OUR kids "RIGHT NOW."

Kole holding the Threatened Eastern Fox Snake

So, all the kids who would come with Brian and me...not all of them want to go with mom and dad these days...which makes the "Just Fishin'" video cut that much deeper and close to home....

But I digress...

So, All the kids who wanted to go on a ride with mom and dad got dressed, hopped in the van and off we went.

Brian and I drove the kids over to Metro-Beach to check out the Nature Center they have.

No, we did not take the kids to Metro-Beach to swim because Metro-Beach, on the weekend, is a mad-house of people walking shoulder to shoulder smelling of lotion and sweat. Ick...

Jai holding the Threatened Eastern Fox Snake

On the bright side, however, NONE of those people want to go to the Nature Center, so it is nearly empty every weekend and it is air conditioned!! Yay for us!

Daxx, Kole and Jai were stoked because daddy packed a lunch.  They figured out that we were going to have a picnic, but when they found out that we were also going to look at frogs and bugs and snakes they came unglued!

THEN life became even more grand when we arrived at the park and they saw all the mayflies swarming about...(fishflies, we call them here in Michigan, but whatever)  These kids were beside themselves with glee.

Daxx holding the Threatened Eastern Fox Snake

We got out of the van, began walking across the grass to the Nature Center when, lo-and-behold, a little frog hopped right next to my foot.  Everyone had to hold it, of course.  Then we went to the bathrooms and they had to get pictures with the mayflies.  THEN we were ready to walk into the Nature Center.

I want to note that the naturalist, Michelle, who works at the nature center is an absolute JOY.  She was thrilled to help with any and all questions that the kids (and I) could conjure up.

Kole became so relaxed around her that he would walk right up to her office, peep around the door and say, "Ms. Michelle, why are those red and green dots on that map?"  or  "Ms. Michelle, Why did all the hornets die?" and so on and so forth....

Michelle explaining about all the pond animals

I was about to ask him to stop asking questions, but I caught her give a joyful glimpse to her co-worker.  One of those, "raised shoulders, gleam in the eye, smile on her face, here's my chance to teach a kid who WANTS to know things" kind of look.

So Kole found out that the map was of Lake St. Clair and that it's only about 10 feet deep in most places and only 21 feet at it's deepest so they had to dredge the bottom of it for big ships to be able to float across. The Red and Green dots represent real buoys out in the water. They keep the ships from running aground.  Who knew?  Michelle, that's who.

Kole "eating" a mayfly

Man, she got her wish with Jai and Kole. While Daxx was off touching everything that cold be touched; because that's how he learns best, Kole and Jai were soaking up all the information that Ms. Michelle could dish out; and that was a lot.

Jai "eating" a mayfly

She even went so far as to pull out an Eastern Fox Snake for them to hold.  She showed them many animals that live in a pond and explained how they need one another to survive.

Kole holding the little frog from the grass

She told them that when the Mayflies come out, that we want to see a LOT of them because that means the water is good. If we don't see many Mayflies that means the water is polluted and people are in for trouble.  She also told them that Mayflies are edible. Thanks for that Michelle.

I told Kole to eat one and he really did think about it.  After that, Jai and Kole pretended to eat mayflies during most of our lunch and picked them off each others clothes to pretend to eat them as we walked back to the van, but they never did eat one...I don't think they did anyway.

Just "Fishin'"

It's good to know that if I ever find myself stranded without food, for days, somewhere during mayfly mating season...well, I won't go hungry. 

We didn't go fishing today, but...it ain't about fishin'.