Captivated in a world of play

So much has happened in the past few days!! I don't have a lot of free time, nor the energy during any extra half hour to update this. So I find that my list of things we have been doing is backed up pretty far.

Let's start with Friday; the reason I am here! Friday our first group of kids came to play in our play pockets. The Adventure Theater was a success, minus enthusiam from a child or two. But really I cannot say for those kids if they didn't enjoy the experience because perhaps they did. The first group did not have long enough to actually create or act a skit. The second group contained three gung-ho kids, two boys and girl. The girl had an incredibly imaginative mind and created all sorts of stories and a really cool "ant" type creature. The boys made bows and arrows and hunted down here creature in about 20 seconds and proceeded to smash it to pieces. The last group was filled with young girls who were shy and desired to be Indian queens and princesses. They didn't so much as act out characters or roles but I think they enjoyed holding royal staffs and wearing leaf crowns.

The other groups had some really cool things going on with a Bug City, a Fire Escape, a neat mud trampoline, and creating creature masks. Already we have re-grouped and have been conjuring up themes for this Friday's rendezvous in the woods.

I was pretty wiped by the end of Friday. Saturday we rose early to head to the waterside Farmer's Market. There were a lot of homemade crafts and a couple of produce stands. I imagined more people selling fresh shrimp and fish but that definitely was not the case. Still enjoyable. We walked back to the Guesthouse and prepared for the annual Crab Rodeo at Pea Island. Imagine a group of 12-15 college aged kids sitting along shallow, still water each latched to a piece of hemp string tied around a chicken neck. Kara used a plastic bag to "catch" the crabs as well pulled them out of the water and into the cooler. Eventually a car nearby let us borrow one of their nets. Overall we caught 8 big crabs, enough just for a taste. Some went wind surfing afterward, others to a lighthouse, and still more went to the kite flying at Jockey's Ridge. By the time the car with the cooler arrived to the house most of the crabs were dead and still some were dying. It ended as a fiasco and crabs were buried in the backyard.

Kite flying at Jockey's Ridge was phenomenal. We're not talking about tiny little kites you can make at home with tails and other weak sauces. These were HUGE!! There were squids, a whale, a scuba diver, and other various twirling and whirling kites.

Saturday night we ended with live music at a local, and very tiny, bar. There was barely room to fit our group comfortably plus a handful of locals. But we made it work, we are all proving to be comfortable near each other. Terry and Will met a man that takes sunset tours out on a sailboat and promised to take us Sunday night...for no cost!! We rode with other tour folk (several tipsy older couples) and it was one of the most relaxing experiences I've had. Smoke from the smoldering fire surrounded us but it hazed the ugly picture of mansions and hotels along the shore around us.

Yesterday we began Week 2 with Phil Waters, a brilliant playworker for the Eden Project in the UK. Check it out!! They have the largest indoor rainforest and the biomes are all "bubble" shaped to conform with the landscape. We have a narrative that we have been following the last couple of days, dodging and guarding ourselves from a population of "Its" that take the form of anything! My name in "Courterfall" (Waterfall = Courtney) and my powers (inspired by a small piece of the obituary page) allow me to cremate the Its. We're all totally into the narrative and have spent the past couple of days building the most pimped out fort, villages for our Guard Its (just accept it) and beach sculpture.

I am learning so much in a single day between the seminars and interactive sessions! I hate not updating frequently enough that I can do more creative reflection of the things we have done rather than just trying to list all of the things that have been going on. I reflect in excess amounts but we do so much here that most of it comes out.

But however I leave with one thought that occurred to me earlier: When captivated by a moment, where you become completely involved with what is "in hand", you are playing. It doesn't matter if you are in a formal work setting, school, climbing (for me), or whatever else you are playing. And play is a keystone for happiness. Do the things you love. It makes waking up each morning fun.

Status: Still a blast!!

"Today I saw the world differently because..."

I saw it from a picture frame. Literally!

Our first activity this morning (Thursday) had us taking foam boards cut and pieced into picture frames, and then we followed up by finding a stump, or a branch, or a bug, whatever interested us and placing the frame around it. It forced me to look closer to the intricate nature of the environment instead of just "trees and soil." Often I look through a broad scope instead of allowing myself to see details. In a science-y description I see populations not individuals. Today I saw the world as an individual. And I feel that I played with it the same as I had the opportunity to play with Terry and Debi while creating our skit for the "Adventure Theater" (actual name pending).

Everyone's play pockets came together today. In just a few hours everyone transformed the forest into other worlds and places inviting imaginative minds to wander through. I wish I had time to describe them all!

Yesterday (Wednesday): There were several highlights to yesterday. From games with Jess to seeing 6 bears at the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge! Afterward we drove down one of the main roads where the fire initially occurred. Bonnie (who works with the USFWS) describes it as a "moonscape." Some bases of trees still had small flames flickering around the bases. A few of us got out to take pictures which turned into drawing on each other with ashes. As hungry as we all were, it was great for us to take a few moments to play in the woods (what were once tall pines and thick vegetation).

Update about feelings toward the internship: Still incredible. This has gone beyond my expectations of experience and fun.

Tuesday. Day 2!

I've been slacking on taking pictures. My camera is bulky and I've been caught up in all of the activity that I haven't even sat to weigh the pros and cons of taking it to the Gateway site with us. I regret not having it to take pictures of the "Fairy Garden" that Terry, Debi, and I created. It was pretty special. Special in a way that we made it so fantastic that I think if we waited long enough fairies would have started to actually inhabit the area.

So I'm here! In Manteo, an island in the outer banks. It's hot, but honestly not that much more than home. The Alligator River NWR has been fighting a wildfire for the last several weeks that has swept through around 45,000 acres of refuge-owned land. On my way in I noted all of the smoke miles before I even approached the bridge leading to the refuge. The sun behind me, due to the aerosols in the air from the fire, was a blazing and hazy red that hovered over marshy vegetation. It was such a great welcome to the coast!

Everyone here is willing to reach out, play in the woods, bring ideas to the table, and willing to get to know each other. We spent Sunday evening with the sun depleting while walking on the beach and chasing crabs.

Today, as part of an animation seminar, we had the opportunity to explore the woods surrounding our 30x30 tent and entrance trail that we cleared yesterday afternoon (in record fashion). Terry, Debi, and I found a great location that we want to clear out and create a space to build in and an area to relax in. It's the woods! Just some different vegetation and fauna that I am itching to identify. My wildlife interaction has been limited to 2 stray cats that hang around the Guest House and a couple of chattering chickadees fluttering around.

Today threw me back quite a few years, and even to recent memories. I do play in the woods in a much different way than I use to. But I still find a thrill chasing after salamanders in streams and searching for the biggest crawdad in the creek. But now I climb mountains, or hills, or crags, or trees. The trees part is not that different that being a child but the rest is. I appreciate more the environment nature creates to reflect and relax rather than as a place to jump all over, and probably destroy in the long run.

Status by day 2: This place is great all the way down to the people that it consists of. I am learning from those that are overseeing us and the other participants. We're all different, with vastly different backgrounds but connected by how we have been affected by the natural world.

Edit: I rode my bike a couple of miles down to the west end of Manteo Island tonight. I hit the sun as it was setting at the perfect time! I found some treasures along the beach, which also had a shallow canal that followed parallel with the thin shoreline hidden just beyond some tall grass. I also met a man on my way in that gave me a website for a man who is a "real" politician, none of that lying stuff and informed me in casual conversation about how crazy Switzerland is for wanting to suck up the earth in the black hole they nearly created. Anyway, here are some lovely pictures.

Another New Place

I leave tomorrow, after the baptism of my dear cielo, for a long drive to Manteo. It's in the same state, but it is still a 7 hour drive. The same amount of time could also get me to places like the Panhandle of Florida, or Nashville, TN and almost to my family and loved ones in IN and Ohio!!


I leave and there is still much to be done before I go. The past couple of days have been high demand for my constant movement from one place to another, from one activity to the next. It's been fun but oh boy I am tired!


I leave for an internship. Just in case you were at the edge of your seat and wondering why the world I would choose to drive to Manteo the same day as my niece's baptism. But if you are reading this blog you also are probably a person who is close enough to me that you already know. The internship is ultimately through the NWF and USFWS, then through the NC State Design Program, then through 15 of us interns who will be working with several current and future wildlife refuges along the coast to help begin a program that includes activities to excite kids and their families about the environment and its importance. So....it's call Nature Play Corps and you could probably just Google if it you really wanted to.

I am excited to spend a few weeks in woods that aren't WNC mountains. Occasionally I will update on what is going on with the internship, how I think this will affect my future goals, etc. and lots of blah blah blahs involved. So feel free to follow for the next couple of weeks and leave a comment or two on exciting things that may be going on in your life!! (Caroline T you best be updating about Germany CONSTANTLY). Lots of you are doing cool things. I want to know about them!

Late May Summary

I don't really have time to type up some of the more exciting things I've been doing the past couple of weeks. So here is a summary and list of things that stand out:

FCC Father/Son: Spent a couple weekends working Father/Son, co-leading nature hikes and lifegaurding when need. It was a blast! I love camp, and it's nice to be around people who enjoy being outdoors and acting crazy. I was sick the second one I worked so with the heat it was much more difficult to keep that excitement running but really when it comes down to it I always enjoy the time I spend at camp. Whether it is with fellow counselors or some really cool kids, I have a blast! The wildlife at camp is incredible as well with lots of Lady's Slippers, smooth solomon's seals, spice bush, etc. in bloom.

Second Coming at Southside of Looking Glass: Brad and few other new FCC adventure staff picked me up from the Garden Jubilee this past Sunday (a fun time in itself, where I learned so many more things than just being able to name a plant) to go climbing. Brad and I teamed up (he's almost 1.5 feet taller than I am!) to climb the 2 (almost 3) pitches of a popular route called Second Coming. He lead the 5.7, 100 foot pitch, and I lead the 5.5, 200 foot pitch. I am holding in some pride in myself for being a beginner trad climber and handling a pitch that tall! It was not that moves were scary (though there were a few tricky ones) or extremely difficult, it was just that there was not enough gear to put a piece in every couple of feet. So I had to suck it up and run out the rope some. All in all it was fun, and I had a great time catching up with Brad whom I missed dearly since leading trips with him last summer. He has become such a strong and smart climber!

Hiking at Pilot Cove/Slade Rock Creek: I don't have a Pisgah map, but I found the trail I wanted to go on at the Pisgah Visitor Center. I intended for a 10 mile hike at least, taking up at least 4 hours of my day engulfed with the woods. I ended up only hiking about 5-6 miles and the only engulfing going on was the mosquitoes and gnats gnawing on my flesh. No but I very much enjoyed turning off my phone and heading into part of the Pisgah Forest that I feel is most beautiful. The area is around Pink Beds picnic area, down the gravel road just beyond the parking area. I thought the trail I had found on the map at the visitor center would be well-defined but only the trail for Bennett Branch and Pilot Cove had a label. So I picked the one that I thought might be it but I picked the shorter loop, which somehow I diverged off of anyway. The forest was richly green. Tall, thin tulip poplars and maples dominated the forest, leaving room for lush ferns to cover the forest floor. Here is my list of noteworthy Flora that I found and was able to identify:


Mountain Laurel- this obviously was everywhere but the blooms on these were astounding! 15 footers! Huge guys!
Pink Lady's Slipper- just one, past bloom, and big!
Trillium- several, not sure what kind because they had all just completed their blooms
Indian cucumber- new one for me to identify! it has 5 with an umbel arrangement, then a few inches of more stem, and then more leaves that shade a flower hanging beneath.
Squawroot- I really enjoy the way this one grows. Not technically a flower, but grows from decaying material
Halberd-leaved violet- I don't think I actually saw this one, but maybe something close to it. In any way the leaves are toothed like this violet but shaped like the Little Brown Jugs. Just not sure.
Fly Poison- another new one I noticed! the species name muscitoxicum literally means fly poison. It looks like a grass but the bloom is a big long cluster of white flowers.
ALSO: false solomon's seal, smooth solomon's seal, sweet shrub, bloodroot, downy rattlesnake plantain, galax, fire pink, blue-eyed grass

Nursery: I went into Fletcher to pick up some Japanese Maples that Wes had ordered from another nursery. The drive is pretty, but the land the nursery is on is beautiful! He has several acres and lives on the land as well. 3 wet, excited dogs greeted me. After loading in the flats of maples the guy informed me that he had just bought a baby camel and asked if I wanted to meet him. Of course I said yes! So we took off to the barn where he keeps this adorable baby camel that stands about my height. He has a buddy, which is a 6 week old kyloe calf. AWESOME! The camel let me pet him and he rubbed his head on mine and jumped up and down to play with me. He kept sucking on my hand thinking his soon-to-come milk would come out of it. Probably one of the most adorable things I've ever seen. The man also owns 5-6 Sicilian donkeys, which are tiny and are the donkeys thought to have been what Mary rode to Bethlehem on. They have a signature "cross" that runs down their back and across the shoulders. He ALSO has several kyloe (highland cows). They have long hair and horns and are typical beef cows in Scotland. Three of them were standing in a muddy creek in the shade. The cutest cows I've ever seen! On my arrival back to the nursery and preparing to transplant some of the new little maples, I found a female cardinal flying around in the propagation house, which is closed in and huge. I cornered her, caught her, and let her go but she hung out on my finger for a few minutes before taking off. All in all, a pretty sweet day!

In the process of field researching I am discovering the importance of always being prepared. Even when you think you are prepared and have everything down and planned out- you don't. You end up soaking wet in the middle of a field, alone and surrounded by cows.

When we left this morning it was pouring down the rain and 43 degrees outside. I don't think temperatures ever rose and the rain oscillated from pouring to slightly drizzling. Melise and I spent the first couple of hours running through overgrown Christmas tree lots and fields searching for bird boxes. The result was being cold, wet, and frustrated. But okay with it. I then kept a look out for some Second Hand Thrift Store, which never appeared. Luckily we dried off eventually, and the heat in the car was a lifesaver.

Down one of the roads I dropped Melise off to check the first half of the boxes and I drove to the end to work to meet her in the middle. At one box I almost got a beak to the eye, which yeah is a bit of exaggeration but the parents were divebombing me. I would duck down and as soon as I stood back up another would swoop over my head. So I abandoned the box (which is not part of the study. Otherwise, as any good researcher would do, I would risk my life to check the box) and returned to the car and contemplated going back out with my bike helmet on. I didn't. I just moved on. To the right is one of the bluebird chicks just about 12 days old. The can leave the nest about 14 or 15 days old. If I were this little dude's parents I'd be protective too!

A couple of houses down there is a box that is in a front yard and houses two dogs; one is the protector and the other is the peace keeper. It was my third time at this house, and the larger dog usually barks for a little bit but then realizes that we are things she jump on and play with. But for some reason she wouldn't come near me and continued to follow closely behind and growl. The little peace keeper was out of sight for some reason. I succeeded in ignoring her after several attempts to make peace but eventually just left. At the end of the driveway she noticed that I was still around and much too close to her property. She came to the edge of the field to continue to announce her fierce presence. As soon as I got in my car to leave she began chasing me and biting at my front tires. Crazy dog!!

Another protective dad hovered over me and swooped down at my head. The chicks had JUST hatched so I could understand him being protective. But it still freaked the heck out of me so I quickly darted back to the car where I noticed my leg bleeding from getting caught in briars due to my hasty fleeing.

This research is helping me to acquire more professional skills at creeping and making sketchy turn-a-rounds. I am sure the neighborhoods we drive around think Melise and I are up to some sketchy business.

We also saw black-capped chickadee chicks in two separates nests. One they were almost fully developed and the other they were just a day or two old. They are just a few cm long in total length after they're born. Dawwwww...

What a day in the field! Fun. But I am tired. I am also just slightly sick with a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes which causes a lot of pressure in the back of my head. And it makes me sleepy. So, goodnight world!

Super Spectacular Ornithologists Uuuunite!

Melise and I started yesterday with our first day of helping one of the undergrad students with her research project on Eastern Bluebirds. There are about 40'ish bird boxes that have to be checked EVERY day in some of the most beautiful rural roads, fields, farms, etc. Some are given mealworm supplements and some need to be measured every few days for weight. All of this plus extra experiments can take hours a day, so you can see why she needs some help!

Gist: It is aweeesomeeee!

Yesterday we rode around with Amanda and she showed us all of the boxes and how to weigh or band the chicks. Some of the other boxes in addition to the ones related to the study are inhabited by other birds, like tree swallows or nuthatches and so on. Melise and I also kept a lookout of other species as we drove/walked around.

Today this list of special birds includes:
a couple goldfinches
a few brown thrashes
a male cardinal
lots and lots of tree swallows
a white-breasted nuthatch nest
red-tailed hawk flying over us for like, uhhh, 3 minutes!!
and a male house finch

Super cool day. Beautiful weather. Azaleas blooming! and NO classes!!