Camp Merrie-Woode

I haven't blogged in a year and a half and I'm really sorry, for anyone who may have been reading this and who have given up on me ever remembering about my poor lonely bloggity-blog.

Quick re-cap since my last post:

• I returned home from Ghana safely (so long ago!!)
• Went to the Florida Keys for spring break '09
• I've stayed in the US for the longest consecutive amount of time since I've been in college (going on 16 months!)
• Graduated college
• Started a summer job as a camp counselor/ environmental educator at a camp in the NC mountains. That's what this post is about.

I am the "Nature Girl" this summer, a fitting job that I am really enjoying so far. I have been teaching nature activities for a little over 2 weeks and we've decorated nature journals, creek stomped, caught tadpoles and learned about the life cycle of a frog, planted a garden, listened to a lecture by Blair the self-acclaimed "Bird Nerd" from Balsam Mountain Trust about AWESOME birds of prey, and done a natural scavenger hunt.

First, my summer home. Sapphire, NC, on Lake Fairfield:

My "office", the brand-new Nature Nook:

some Nature photos:

Fire Laurel in Panthertown Valley

Fern Forest in Panthertown Valley

Inchworm at the Nature Nook

Sid the Banded Water Snake

Mountain Laurel is in bloom

Butterfly on Butterfly Bush in Nature Nook Garden

Dog Penis Mushroom. Try explaining that to a bunch of girls....

The little building is where I make phone calls home!

Damselfly at the Nature Nook creek

Sunflower sent to my by my best friend for my birthday :)

Water Lily on Lake Fairfield

Bird of Prey shots:

Rusty the American Kestrel

Rasta the Eastern Screech Owl

Honto the Barred Owl

Pablo the Peregrine Falcon-- so handsome :)

Well, digest these photos and enjoy. Hope to read your comments sometime, I'll post again soon (much sooner than the last time, haha!). Enjoy your summer :)

~M.