And She Called it Moose Moss

...and I had to admit that some of the clumps of this artful moss did have the appearance of a much larger set of antlers than the usual reindeer moss we hunt for. "Here's some more moose," said the bouncing Miss Cosette. Hmm...on reflection, moss, moose...moose, moss!

And so began our escape, for a wee bit of time, to the magical world of Morgan Lake. Opportunity afforded us only a brief respite, but oh, how welcomed it was! My two youngest girls wasted no time scavenging for bits of fallen nature to set before me. For the next hour the girls brought me prize after prize, all the while exclaiming and nodding knowingly to me what great art we could make with these natural treasures. They spied this marvelous piece of nature only steps from the woodpile...it was quickly tagged as "waffle bark." "How was it made?" we all asked. No one could say for sure, but to look at it and ponder its becoming "waffle-y" was a happy diversion. Soon, though, the call of the lake caught them in its grasp.

Show and tell changed just then. Instead of reindeer moss, or delicately wispy birch bark or sticks laden with greenery, I was serenaded with dozens of tiny tadpoles...newly-hatched dragonflies whose wings needed further drying time before flying time...minnows darting from one side of a clear plastic cup to the other, fireflies and even a hypnotized frog!

The look of wonder on their faces was joy to me. There is so much in nature not to be missed. Of course, the disclaimer here is that no animals or plants were harmed in the our adventures. Every tadpole and living creature was returned - unscathed and in good time - to its home. Maybe with stories to tell of its own!

Stay tuned...you never know what art will be inspired by such finds!