A mix of relaxation and exploration made for a good day at Heron Tree Estates.

Today our letter was from Sarah the Maple Tree. She reminded us of how we can be like a tree when we want to ground ourselves. Roots in the earth, trunks tall and strong, arms in the air like branches, and sway side to side in the “wind” while breathing deeply.

With reciprocity in mind, we got to work planting some fall bulbs, and filling the bird feeders.

During free play one Earthkeeper decided to use the mud kitchen to create an ‘animal sanctuary’, and trained me as her assistant. The other Earthkeeper got cozy by the fire with a book, and taught me about fossils.

After a snack by the fire, we talked about the birds we’ve been seeing as we head into Fall. Some birds are still here, enjoying the birdseed we put out for them, but there are other birds we haven’t seen lately. After talking about migration, we played a game where we try to make a journey south. Unfortunately our birds ran into too many hazards along the way, and didn’t survive.

Before heading down to The Flats, the Earthkeepers checked on their pumpkins. Some have collapsed and changed texture, others have maintained their structural integrity, but are no longer orange on the inside!

We headed in a different direction down at The Flats, and found a fish that had recently died. After an acknowledgment of ki’s spirit, we began a respectful exploration.

Note: the following images contain blood and internal anatomy of a fish.