Summer Bucket List

Every summer our family brainstorms ideas for activities that we want to accomplish over our two month break.  Rarely do we get to do everything, but it is fun to come up with our summer bucket list.  This year our list includes the following: canoeing on the Brandywine River, kayaking on Marsh Creek, Philadelphia Zoo day, going out to breakfast at the local diner, eating dinner at the pool, making s'mores using the fire pit, movie night at home with popcorn, golf, going to a Phillies game and a Philadelphia Union soccer game, and making a banana cake.  We have exactly 30 days left before I start school, and to date we can only check off two items from our list.  Clearly, the next month is going to be a busy one!  I would like to hear what other people put on their summer bucket list.

Walking through the woods...

I am lucky to live in Chester County, which is picturesque and not yet overdeveloped.  I can walk to a wooded area, which is about a quarter mile from my house.  In addition, Chester County offers many trails and parks to enjoy.  However, my favorite place to explore with my family and dog is the woods adjacent to West Chester University's south campus, now known as the Robert B. Gordon Natural Area, It is about 100 acres and mostly wooded.  I grew up a stones throw from south campus and often explored the woods and streams that flow through it with siblings and friends.

Nowadays, at least four or five times a year, we drive the 15 minutes to hike through the woods.  We were there last week with my dog, who just loves running free all over the woods.  My kids and I always look for changes, such as trees that have fallen, paths that have changed, etc.  Whether they knew it or not, they were being educated about nature.  We talked about erosion and how the stream had exposed nearly all of the roots of a tree that has been there for a long time.  We found minnows swimming in the stream, though my dog kept running through, clouding our view.  We jumped on big fallen trees and pulled off thick bark that was loose from decay.  We even managed to find a big bug we had never seen before and could not identify, which is surprising given the fact my sons are pretty much bug experts.  Recently, WCU labeled many of the trees with small placards identify the specific type of tree.  They also now have a box of laminated pamphlets at the beginning of one of the trails that describe about 80 different tree types found in the woods.  You can take one with you to the other end of the trail where you will find another box to drop off your tree guide.  We had fun trying to identify trees that were not labeled.   What a nice way to spend a few hours and "accidentally" learn something in the process. Here is hoping this area continues to be preserved and protected for years to come.

Red Baron

The end of the school year in June is usually met with cheers and excitement in my household.  The cheers mostly come from my three boys, but I also let out a cheer, because my summer vacation from teaching begins just days after theirs.  Our summers usually include a trip for a week or more to Ocean City, New Jersey.  For the past three years, my youngest son, Max whose birthday is in late June, has been asking to ride the Red Baron, a 1940 Waco bi-plane that flies up and down the southern New Jersey coast.  What a great present to ask for his birthday!  After "chickening out" the previous two summers, he convinced me he was serious this time and we made our reservation for our July 6 flight.  The Red Baron has room for two passengers plus the pilot, so I was with Max in the front seat while the pilot sat behind us.  After our safety check and basic training on do's and don't's, we donned old fashioned leather headgear, sunglasses, and a microphone to talk to the pilot.    Our pilot started the engine, and as we taxied to the runway, Max said,"Well, there is no going back now," with a smile on his face.  What a great flight.  We waved to my family on the beach as we flew up the coast.  The pilot tipped his wings for the big wave.  We did rolls and a little dive down and then up.  We both kept smiling.  This a memory neither one of us will ever forget.  We took a little piece of aviation history with us and recorded videos and still pictures on my phone.  When bi-planes like the Red Baron were built years ago with the most advanced technology at the time, it was a modern wonder.  74 years later, it is a wonder to my 9 year old.