Well, since it looks as though Dad might be done with harvest before the girls and I get there next month, we'll just have to enjoy watching another kind of harvest this year, right from our own backyard.
Every year, we look forward to this. So upon arriving home from the girls' soccer game this morning, we were thrilled to see that harvest has started!
Every year, we look forward to this. So upon arriving home from the girls' soccer game this morning, we were thrilled to see that harvest has started!~Wee
Their team started off with a bang, winning 9-0. Coach did rotate positions, opening up opportunities for several different players to score goals.
The main part of our field trip was to see this replica of the mastodon that was unearthed locally 12 years ago. The owners of the land donated the cast to Science Central, where it is on display. The real bones are at the Indiana State Museum.
This is Fred. He is one of the most complete mastodon skeletons ever found. Upon the completion of the excavation, the only bones missing were the right front upper leg bone, the left front knee cap, and some toes.
We had a few extra hours to spend at Science Central before heading out to the place where Fred was discovered. Grace, Megan, Kayla, Beau, and Luke worked together to build the arch. They accomplished the task, but it fell before I could capture the picture.
Leah did a great job on scaling this wall. 
From Science Central, we drove out to Buesching's, the location of the dig. The mastodon's skeleton was excavated from this bog about 50 yards behind us.
This is a cast of the leg bone that Mr. Buesching dug up with his excavator.
Then after finding several other bones, including this massive skull, the Buesching family knew they had found something significant. A mastodon excavation team was quickly assembled.
This is Mrs. Buesching's scrapbook page documenting the event. The skull is in the excavator's bucket. 
A big treat was that an archaeologist, Dr. Sarah Surface-Evans, traveled down from Michigan to speak to our group. She was an archeology student at the time of the excavation and was involved in nearly every aspect of the dig. Here she is showing us tools that would have been used in hunting these large animals. She used an atlatl (spear thrower) in throwing this spear, demonstrating the force that spears would enter their targets when thrown using an atlatl.
From her first-hand experience, she explained the process of the dig: how they dammed up the bog, pumping out the water continually, digging only with their hands so as not to damage any finds, how they determined Fred must have died, and why his remains were even left in the bog to be found many years later. 
Just this week, we have studied the various species of marsupials, so to be this close to one of them, was amazing.
Bill and Ina, the lions.
Megan and Kayla check out one of the giraffe's neck bones.
~Wee
So, the 3rd quarter she played forward, along with this little girl walking right next to her. Those two stuck right together for the five minutes they were out there. We'll have to work on using that "togetherness" to go after the ball :) It was cute!
Her team won 5-0.
Just look at the determination on her face! Before we left for practice, she said to me, "Mom, I know what to do. When the ball comes to me, I pass it." This is the drill she is doing --dribbling the ball up the field and then passing it over to her partner.
Coach working with Leah on shuffling her feet from side to side while maintaining control of the ball.
~Wee
Then this morning was the parade. Here, Leah and Tiege are waiting for it to begin. Hearing the fire sirens across town, signaling the start of the parade, Leah leaned over to Tiege and said, "Tiege, here they come; seriously, it's starting." (Her favorite word to say right now is "seriously.") Tiege replied with a manly, "Yeah!"
~Wee
Once Leah saw that her sisters brushed the goats with no problems, she boldly joined in the fun.
Due to the time of day that we were there, we were fortunate enough to experience several animal feedings, as well as individual question and answer time with some zookeepers.
The orangutans did more than just perch themselves in the windows (which is the only place I have ever seen them sitting). Today, they were swinging on the ropes and climbing from branch to branch. Here, the female is grooming the male.
Doing tricks during feeding time.
First, they had to spread out and decide where they wanted to search. A good place was where rushing water was flowing.
They positioned their nets in the water.....
cleared away any debris -- leaves, logs, or rocks.....
then checked to see what their nets might contain. Besides crayfish, frogs and a baby catfish were also caught.
All done, wet, and heading back to the lab.
Back at the observation lab, each one was able to look more closely at, pick up and feel, and learn more about the anatomy of their crayfish.
