Snakes and Lakes!!

We went over today to a local conservation area to learn a little more about snakes. I have to admit that they are not my favorite creatures (something I attribute to a run-in with a water snake as a child....) and I have been trying intentionally for the past few years to get over my fear. After all, I am the mother of two boys!! Our neighbour Ben came along, which is always added fun, and everyone had a great time.

After visiting with Julius Squeazer and his friend, we went down to the lake shore to explore. This was an extra-special walk for my boys, and long awaited. This is a man-made lake, and the part that we were visiting is partially drained during the winter months. We drive by it regularly, and for most of the year love looking out over the sparkling blue water. When it is drained, it takes on a whole new appeal - they boys have been eager to walk on the 'floor' of the lake for some time, and this was the perfect afternoon to do it. They found some lovely rocks and interesting fossils, a few animal tracks in the mud, and even a great little boat made out of bark and bulrushes that some other adventurous spirit had launched. I was thrilled, I must say, that it turned out to be a boat and not the dead and decomposing something that it first appeared when we first spotted it drifting towards the shore.