Making the Most of It

We have been very fortunate on the island to be enjoying gorgeous fall weather. It's been sunny and mild almost all month. We are busy making the most of it. We are trying to visit all our favorite outdoor places before the wind and cold return.

This past week we made our annual trip to see the salmon run. It's such an inspiring sight. They really struggle without discouragement to get to their spawning grounds. It was sad to see the stream so low though. We have not had nearly enough rain this year. Some parts of the stream were entirely dried up, others were too low for the salmon. The numbers of salmon recorded by the nature house on site are quite a bit lower than usual as well. Global warming is a tricky beast. It's hard not appreciate it for the warm temperatures and extended sunny seasons but we need the rain; the animals and plants need the rain.

There is always room for learning when we visit the park too. This time A took her leaf identification book. It's beautifully painted with watercolors and has a place in the back to record her findings. We were lucky enough to get it in an autumn craft swap I took part it. The park was covered with maple leaves so the kids collected them, made piles, used them as flags, left them inside little holes for animals to use. Autumn abounds with fun. We also learned a lot at the nature house. We found out what our wingspan would be if we were birds, held some antlers shed by the deer in the area, learned about the salmon life-cycle and life in the estuary. I always enjoy these learning experiences that I can share with my children.