Dune diving!
June 5th, 2005 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shiredancerYesterday was a *great* day -- P and I accompanied Kidlet on another science field trip, this one to the Guadalupe Dunes. These are huge rolling sand dunes famous as the setting for Cecil B. deMille's Ten Commandmants in the 20s -- they made a great desert setting, a bit closer to Hollywood than, say, the Sahara. We drove north in the morning June gloom, which gave a soft gray edge to the coast and hills. It was a small group, just five kids and a few parents and the *fabulous* science teacher that I *heart*, and we found our destination at Oso Flaco Lake in good time. Met up with our guide, and got to do science things -- leaf rubbings, and Bird Bingo -- whoot! Learned about the plants to avoid (I know poison oak by heart, though I'm not particularly susceptible to it) including California Hemlock, which is very pretty and I'm glad I learned about it, and stinging nettle. Also learned about the virtues of lichen, the arroyo willow, and of course mugwort, and the California gooseberry too. Along with the sedge or tules, I'm just about prepared to live off the local land -- heh. Survivalist much? (I took notes so I'd remember!) Then we crossed the boardwalk over the lake and saw ruddy ducks (hee) with their incredible blue bills, cormorants, tons of swallows, and several mommy ducks with ducklings in tow -- cute! One hard-working mum had *eleven* babies trailing after her. And I spotted a muskrat swimming, and alerted the group . When we stopped for lunch we met Ralph the Scrub Jay, who has staked out the restroom and picnic area as his territory -- quite bold, stealing cookies from laps and atop backpacks, though he wasn't interested in the rice cake I left him. Sweet tooth, huh.
The more foresty area gave way to the scrublands leading to the ocean, lovely with silverleaf lupin and beach primrose, though the insidious European beachgrass and iceplant are trying to take over. Saw brush rabbits in the sheltered sandy areas between plants and learned about their "highways" and why it's such a great environment for them (too sheltered for the coyotes to get to run after them).
Then we went dune diving! We climbed a high, perfect sand dune from the side and "swam" down backwards, or rolled, or leaped -- it was such fun! Of course I came home with about a pound of sand in my clothes -- *way* in my clothes -- but it was worth it. Driving back in full sunshine through the small towns and backroads that still look like part of the old frontier days was drowsiness-inducing. Thirty-three years in my town, and it was the first time I'd seen these sights. An amazing day.
The more foresty area gave way to the scrublands leading to the ocean, lovely with silverleaf lupin and beach primrose, though the insidious European beachgrass and iceplant are trying to take over. Saw brush rabbits in the sheltered sandy areas between plants and learned about their "highways" and why it's such a great environment for them (too sheltered for the coyotes to get to run after them).
Then we went dune diving! We climbed a high, perfect sand dune from the side and "swam" down backwards, or rolled, or leaped -- it was such fun! Of course I came home with about a pound of sand in my clothes -- *way* in my clothes -- but it was worth it. Driving back in full sunshine through the small towns and backroads that still look like part of the old frontier days was drowsiness-inducing. Thirty-three years in my town, and it was the first time I'd seen these sights. An amazing day.
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Date: June 6th, 2005 03:45 am (UTC)***hugs****
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Date: June 6th, 2005 04:14 am (UTC)End of the school year busy-ness, and a Saturday voluntary-not-required field trip. Guess everybody's just a tad burned out.
I've missed you -- are things well?