Flat Rock

We had a day out this week. I needed to go up to Hendersonville way so we took advantage of that to go to the Carl Sandburg House. But we didn't go in the house :) It is a lovely farm with a large pond, nature trails, a goat dairy and adventures awaiting.

The Carl Sandburg House

First we had to be goofy in the parking lot. Cut poor Curtiss' head right off!

We decided this time, our second visit, that we would walk around the pond and enjoy the nature trail. It was a lovely damp shady walk and immediately we realized it was a perfect place for fungus to grow. I have never seen such a variety of mushrooms! I do not have the time right now to look them up, I am sorry to say, for I would love to identify all these. I didn't get to paint any in my nature journal either,  since my arms are full of Silas. Another season perhaps. Grace was able to get quite a few pictures of the varieties. Really all the mushroom pictures are for Kaley :)

This is Grace's hand.

This tree had a thick fungus growing all the way around it.

These little bright orange guys were my favorite.

This is how the kids walk to the goat dairy from the pond.

After our walk and picnic lunch at the pond, we headed to see the goats. Mrs. Sandburg was famous in her own right for her prize milking herd. And her husband fully supported and was proud of that.

Crazy  cartwheels

Grace was in heaven

This guy wasn't so sure about petting goats, but his peanut butter face is awfully cute.

 

After our visit with the goats, it was time to go and we walked back towards the pond. I was very excited to identify this plant. During my visit to Minnesota I discovered Milkweed. I had thought we had it in North Carolina but when I saw it there, I knew I had never seen it before. While walking around at the farm, I spied this similar plant. It is Swamp Milkweed. I didn't see any big seed pods like the Milkweed out west, but it certainly milked up when Curtiss broke off a leaf. It was also covered in tiny yellow bugs! 

It was a good day. We try very hard to make our educational philosophy a way of life. So I didn't want this to be a "field trip", but just something we do. I do wish I had done some nature journaling but was pleased the children sketched the goats in theirs.

This was a new identification for us. Iron Weed. It was growing along the edges of the pond.

This was a skink Grace caught. We watched his rather large friend catch a caterpillar and eat it!

This is Jewel Weed, it likes swampy areas and is blooming at this time of year here. It is important to identify if you run into...

Stinging Nettle. The juice from the Jewel Weed neutralizes it's sting. And it helps with Poison Ivy. 

One of my favorite late summer blooms, Hearts-A-Bursting.