Harvesting Our Farm Prairie... by Fox with Photos by Emily

Our playing in the backyard was interrupted with an interesting concert of noise from the field. We had to investigate and record this amazing event: One wickedly hot day we were surrounded by a beautiful view of prairie and the very next evening a cropped and almost naked vista.


Raccoon and I make Penguin Rock and Roll. - Fox *sensibly in the shade*



We jumped on the empty rain barrel to get a safe look. The huge green thing with the Triceratops spike cutting the grass of with it's teeth in the back.  The crazy thing was going round and round in a circle. We have seen animals do that when they are frightened but this monster was cutting every blade of grass in a determined way. We needed a closer view.

What is it? What is it? -Penguin, Fox, Raccoon *sensibly in the shade*

We were worried about house mice and field mice and black sheep but were a bit scared to boldly go check on them.

We still don't know what it is, we still don't know what it is... -Penguin

Worry sent Penguin into the nearest tree to check on our friends the mice and black sheep. Curiosity got the best of Raccoon and I as we crept closer. 

Sitting on a tree branch. -Raccoon

How in the world did he get up in the tree first?!

All three of us in the tree.  -Penguin

The three of us crept even closer after we were sure it was OK.

Look at those teeth! Well, you can't really see them... - Fox

Penguin thought that his short little legs had had enough and he would go back to the house and look for mice and black sheep; and, raccoon and I could look out in the field.

Not a bad plan but as we scurried out into the field. We found it rough going, clever penguin. Oh well, the adventure partners were off to "fight " the monsters and to find their friends.

Hard to climb through cut prairie grass. *pant, pant* -Fox

There were monsters everywhere and after we intrepid two had climbed up on a rectangle of the cut grass we saw this amazing view of the field.

Look at all that cut prairie grass... -Raccoon

We could see that it was going to be hard to find mice and black sheep but we really thought they were OK because they knew they had to have adult permission to go somewhere. We were thirsty- the temperature was 104 today. We went to the pond and after a drink we posed on this bale of hay.



Raccoon and I on a rectangle of prairie grass. -Fox





 Fox and I sitting on the wheel of the monster. -Raccoon

 Trusting that our "lost" friends were following rules we crept over to see all the monsters. Evidently they totally sleep when a key is turned off.

Sitting on a rectangle of prairie grass in front of the Triceratops monster. -Fox

Look at those things on the side. I wonder what they are? -Raccoon

Nice seats. Please, don't wake up, monster! -Fox



Meanwhile...

It was discovered that the four mice received permission along with Black Sheep to jump on a delivery hay wagon. 
------------------------------
  Squirrel accompanied his friends on the wagon as he had traveled many miles in his adventures. The wagon delivered hay to a horse farm. The mice scurried out of the truck cab and followed Squirrel and Black Sheep to the ground. The ride had been slow and bumpy and they all wanted to see the wheels, especially the mice who do have a fondness for wheels.

What steep stairs! -Field Mouse, Whisker

Gathering at a wheel the two field mice immediately tried to get the wheel to spin around and around. They pushed with their little feet with much effort. Squirrel had to call a halt to the high energy effort because it must have been 105 degrees by now and care must be taken on hot days.

You're going to be tired before we've even started, so come on! -Squirrel

The friends all scampered back up the stairs and across the load of hay. What fun they had and it was much cooler than the ground. We had our portrait taken.

Cool, a portrait! -Squirrel

Squirrel said there were chains and straps at the back of the truck that they all could play on. So off they went. Black Sheep was left behind. 

Hurry, the wagon might leave before we're done! -White Mouse 

When Black Sheep reached the stacked hay he was grumbling that he was a pasture sheep, not a mountain goat! He was starting to be frightened.

Falling behind, the others ran. -Black Sheep

Black Sheep had not caught up even by the time the "swings' were in use.

Us playing on the swings and in the hay. -Brown mouse

Squirrel took a head count of the adventurers and suddenly realized Black Sheep was missing.

The swings were fun! -Squirrel

If you look close you can see how far back Black Sheep was from his friends.

Uh-oh! We left Black Sheep behind. -White Mouse (other)

Squirrel explained to the mice that they (even Squirrel) had not been kind and that they must get Black sheep and be sure to keep him with them. So gathering themselves as a group again they had the most fun yet. Here they are being lifted into the loft by the hay workers.

Ride up the hay ladder...sounds fun... -Field Mouse, Whisker

The Mountainmen living at Woolarock

A Trip Back in Time pics taken by all who went. Puppets by Emily, Eric, and Sarah


Woolarock is one of our favorite museums and the puppets had never gone with us. When our Aunt Martha came for a visit with a friend and 3 little humans we took the whole gang for a day trip. The first we sign read was the greeting sign. We puppets take great pride in our reading ability. Your world is MUCH bigger if you can read. And safer too!

As usual squirrel and fox are the quickest to start any adventure and eagerly read the sign to the van full of humans.

We drove slowly up the scenic drive inside Woolarock and hung a left to the Mountain man Encampment. (Those homes do not look as sturdy as my tree nest and Fox's den. We shall check out the interiors during our visit. - Squirrel)

A friendly mountain man came out to greet us and Fox and Squirrel had to immediately have their picture taken with him. What hams! Mountainman Wes was eager to show us his black powder gun and show us how to fire it. It was very exciting to do what our ancestors had to do to get food when they first arrived. The white man generally was not much into resource conservation then. Sure am glad we know more now.

Eric was the first to try the gun and it was loaded with powder and packed with a wad made of a "missile" twisted inside a piece of material.

 Here is Eric's target showing his shot.

Squirrel and Fox clambered up on the antler to see the target better.

Emily is taking aim now. You can guess how loud the gun is if you see that the guys have their fingers in their ears! You can see the powder spray from her gun.

Aunt Martha found out that Wes' sister is a friend of hers. Small World!

Now this has Squirrel and Fox's attention. They have had a very peaceful predator and prey relationship but this ... this is scary. Squirrel is doing a little backwards shuffle!

Whoa! Another weapon in action. 

Emily doing the throw.

Eric stops his two handed throw before it even starts. What are these two mischievous puppets doing in the firing range?!

All Clear and Hatchet In Flight 

More to come on this story.

Softball is an Interesting Game... by Fox with Photos by Eric

Racoon, Chipmunk, and Squirrel arrived at the ball field to report on this sunny day. It was bound to be interesting as there seemed to be a lot of equipment necessary. There were long beautiful sticks called bats.

We got to sit on the bats, but Chipmunk couldn't climb them. They were too slippery.

We climbed to the tops of the bats and were nabbed.

We got trapped... -Squirrel

And plucked from escape. The girls seemed to love us they carried us around and hugged and sat us on equipment. Our photographer Eric had to save us on a couple of occassions when we were getting dizzy from the excitment. These girls sure do have energy.

We got pulled from the fence and were played with, and also used for other sport activities. -Squirrel and Chipmunk

As we ran around inside the cage that contained the girls we inspected of styles of paw wear.

Most of the paw covers had supports. Why would they be useful? -Chipmunk

And Squirrel posed a huge leather mitt that is worn on a front paw.

Get me out of here! -Squirrel

All the girls gathered in the big cage and put body armor on such as knee pads, helmets, gloves and some added socks.



I fell in love with one of the player's socks.  -Raccoon

The cage did not have doors and the girls were running out onto the field where two of their dads batted balls to them to catch.

We watched the players play catch with two of the dads that were there. -Raccoon, Chipmunk, and Squirrel

Soon another cage filled on the other side of the field and that seemed to call for serious play. The cages are called dugouts: we could not figure out why because they are asphalt and above ground. We looked for an underground entrance and could not find one. The girls did stay above ground. We will have to come back to learn more  Here is the interesting part we learned today. This game was full of strategy for sure.

Here is what we observed:



There was a little hill in the way. We couldn't see. -Raccoon and Chipmunk

We climbed up on the fence to get a better view

How to play a Softball Game

 By Raccoon

1. Send the girls with pink helmets to home plate to bat first.



First batter with Pink Helmet is #3



Second batter with Pink Helmet is #4

2. The pitcher throws balls in front of the batter (with the pink helmet.).

3. Soon the batter (with the pink helmet) hits the ball or gets a free pass to go to first base.

4. After the second batter- Wait! Here comes the girl with the striped socks. (and pink helmet.)

... And look at the socks! She also has a pink helmet too. -Raccoon

5. The pitcher loves the batter's socks so much, she keeps throwing balls instead of strikes. This allows the batters now called runners to sneak to bases two and three.

6. The players on bases (with pink helmets) come home!

She's safe! Look at the person ( he is the rules guy) behind the base making the safe sign. -Raccoon

7. The player with striped socks gets a pass for first base and comes home, and then the whole thing, called an Inning, starts over again after all the other purple shirt players have been up to home plate two times.

Then the purple team wins!

An Inning is one time for purple shirts to survive until three outs are called, and one time for blue shirts to do the same. Why it is a Inning we will have to find out. It looked more like an Outting and Dugouts were not underground. This leaves us more to learn later.. -Raccoon