Icy nature

It has been a beautifully sunny day, though below freezing and made to feel even colder by a brisk wind. We drove up to Thacher State Park with vague thoughts of a snowy hike, but ended up making an extended visit to the nature centre at Thompson's Lake instead. The Boy and I had been there before, back in the summer. The Girl got quite engrossed in various nature quizzes and in tallying the different species of birds (and a red squirrel) visiting the bird-feeders outside the window. The Boy particularly enjoyed looking through a microscope and making animal tracks in a sandbox.

America (this part of it at least) excels at nature centres and small museums. The place today was typical in being on a manageable scale so that it was possible to give full attention to each exhibit. The displays were clear and interesting to read, with enough information, but not too much to absorb. There were several hands-on exhibits and challenges enjoyable for children and adults. And there were helpful staff on hand to answer questions. I always come away from these places feeling like I've learnt something new and understand my surroundings a little better.

As for hiking, the most we managed in the end today was a slip and a slide down to the frozen lake behind the centre.

Here's the Boy - on his last day as a six year-old.