One Scoopasoup

I have a Rachel! and I have had an absolutely fantastic day of deep gutteral cackles with tears at the eyes and warm hugs that I so dearly needed. Both exhausted after late night forth-of-Julys, we had some near hysterical moments in the car and arrived at Belfair sleepy and not quite ready to work. We ate lunch under a tree as light rain fell from the overcast sky, and then I gathered my things and met a group of kids at the ampitheater for a Jr. Ranger program. The weather cleared up and it went well; I had a great time running around being a moth, feeling the cold water of the stream, smelling the leaves and tasting the berries of Indian Plum, hearing the swainson's thrush, feeling the bark on the Doug fir.

Rachel napped after lunch for a few hours...in the back of the Honda. During that time I worked on the board for my campfire program. When Rachel woke up, we wandered down to the day-use to eat a quick dinner and watch the kite surfers jump across the capped waters of the canal. We set up for the program and reviewed my notes. At 7:30 I had a pretty good sized group and we began. The program, I feel, went spectacularly well for the first time giving it, and quite well overall. I definately felt that the focus of the program was right: just simply understanding the life cycle and how incredible it is so that we can draw inspiration and further understand the wonderful resources at the park. At the end we briefly touched on what was our human impression, but I think the program spoke for itself. Several families stayed afterward and asked me questions and talked with me. A high school science teacher (and father of a 7 year old) had wandered up during the end and we spoke for a while about education and sharing the natural world with kids. I hearby deem tonight a success.

And it was super fun. I love being able to interact with an audience who is responsive, and I tell a couple of short stories in the beginning that are fun. Animation and passion will carry an interpretive program far.

After I had finished talking with most of those who had stayed after, one of the volunteers at the park requested the anthem, told about it by Stacy. So again, with a few people standing around, I sang. and again, the whole campground heared me. That song has a lot of power.

AND a six year old asked for my number. "...but I look 8, don't I? You know, I'm 76 pounds."

Highlights of the night:

grilled cheese and tomato soup
"you're batshit insane" ~ a friend
"you do a lot of things that don't make sense to me" ~ Rachel
"thanks for the pick...and the number" ~ the 6 year old on his bike after pretending to not intentionally ride past
"that's one scoopasoup too much" (say it aloud several times and see if you're not laughing too. if you aren't...then rachel and I have indeed reached a higher level of consciousness.)

I love this job! I love this girl!