Armatage Day 2

Today the roosters crowed at 3:45 am. One of the girls from Armatage informed me that she is a hard sleeper, but the rooster was loud enough to wake her up. I cringed a little to think of her lost sleep, but then she told me how exciting it was to be in the country and be woken up by a real rooster. What a thrill! Plus she was able to get right back to sleep.

Our morning began (after the second wake-up) with a big breakfast of pancakes with all the fixings. The cooks predicted the students would be hungry after yesterday's work, and she was right! I could not believe the piles of pancakes that ravenous 5th graders can pack in. We went right into the morning activity periods, complete with the perfect spring weather that makes us glad we live in Wisconsin. Not too hot. A few clouds. A slight breeze. On a hike, some students scared up a new fawn that was bedded down not more than a foot away from them. The woods are now dense with vegetation and the early spring flowers have given way to late spring and early summer flowers. The trees have leafed out almost completely.

The afternoon included 2 rotations of special activities. Half the group went to the Bartz's dairy farm and half stayed to play Alpha Wolf in our woods. Then we switched so everyone could do both activities. I got to lead Alpha Wolf, which is essentially Marco Polo in a massive woods, except you howl back and forth and you can open your eyes. Even with open eyes I am still cut up from sprinting through the prickly ash and wild raspberry patches. Badges of honor, I say. The dairy farm was informational and inspiring as always. We are lucky to have such neighbors as Mark and Renee; to take time on the first nice day in a while, when there is obviously a LOT of planting still to do.

Tonight our friend Nancy is coming to give a presentation on Owls, and the kids are hoping to play some Alpha Wolf in the dark.

Note to self... remind students and staff to reapply sunscreen often.