Time outside

We've been having more colds this year than in years previous, and have spent way to much time inside.  It was time to get outside, before we cught a bad case of cabin fever.  Around the corner from our house is a meadow with a walking path, retention pond, and creek.  We took our plastic buckets, since woven baskets get eaten by our dog Kaya, and did some exploring.

 The terrain can be difficult for Lex, but if I'm not close his sister is always willing to help to him.

 One part of the walking trail gets flooded when it rains a lot, and probably b/c of all the melting snow it had flooded, and then froze when the temperature dropped again.

We didn't have spare gloves so we didn't play with the ice much.

 We did find grass that had turned to icicles.  They make a wonderful crunch when you step on them.

 A leaf caught floating on the ice.

 We stopped for snack,

 But quickly returned to searching nature.

Because of his mittens Lex couldn't get things into his bucket on his own.  He started shaking his bucket close to something while saying "Wat dat?" or "Dis!"  and Eliz or I would put it in his bucket for him.  There's a wooded area that is rather treacherous to get to (lots of thorn bushes) but we braved it and found a tree growing sideways. 

 Lex tried his best to push it back into place

 Then his sister gave it her best, but it wouldn't budge.

What sort of treasure did we collect?  Rocks, branches with berries, leaves, moss, twigs, and lots of dirt.  I think we'll make mobiles out of our finds and hang them on the lilac bush.  Since our ice wreath has melted.