M and I were on an emergency shoe shopping trip to North Attleboro (the plastic heel cup was poking through his shoe!) We also needed some emergency crochet hooks (all my hooks had mysteriously disappeared since I started sharing them with K. So I bought us each a new set.) I also wanted to drop off those large grocery bags of hopefully useful clothes at Savers.
Ben came up with a game; he’d give K and Dan a clue, go hang out there and, “hide,” and read his book (in peace), they would seek him anywhere in walking distance of home and get some fresh air and exercise. The clue of ‘Swans’ lead them to Mechanics Pond in the Larson Woodland of the Attleboro Land Trust. But they never actually found Ben, because they found the 10 Mile River Watershed Council holding it’s fish census. I asked K to explain Dan’s photos, so the rest of this post is in her words.
I’m looking down into the bucket in this picture. There were lots of fishies swimming around in it.
I’m looking at them measuring the fishies, or I am picking one up and putting it back into the jar-thing.
I’m looking at them photographing a fishie.
They are identifying that fishie.
We are seeing how long the river is across (how wide).
Someone is going to the other side.
I’m still measuring the river.
We’re walking back, bringing the measuring sticks.
I’m looking down into the bucket to see the fishies.
Probably still looking at the fishies in the bucket.
We are releasing the fishies into the wild.
The fishies stood still, then swimmed away. There was a slippery little eel.
Wow, eel and seals rhyme. “We haven’t found Benny yet!” I said.
We called Benny, and he came. He told us where he was hiding, he actually said it was pretty comfortable. We don’t know how much of his book he read.
We are probably dumping out the last bucket, or we are getting fresh water – I don’t know why we would need it. We found a couple of little snails. The End.
Dan talked with the council volunteers and wrote his e-mail on their list, apparently they canoe the 10 Mile River, as well as zap fish, count fish, and put them back in the water. They told him that he got off easy; the last family who came upon them counting fish would up wearing waders and getting cold. As it is, Ben, Dan and K had a wonderful morning, M’s shoes (still) fit, Savers accepted the clothes (and gave me a 30% off coupon) and K has not lost any of her new crochet hooks.
I still have mine too.
This looks like so much fun!
I think she did have a wonderful time, it’s amazing how much life that stream is supporting these days, just when I was in high school, it was so polluted.