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This morning I was not at all in the mood for children, but K insisted on walking up the road searching for vernal pools.  Earlier in the month I explained them to the children, pointed some out as we drove by,  and got a poster which depicts a typical Maine vernal pool.  I tried everything to get out of it but in the end we did it.  It is not one of my prettier moments this trying to squash her desire to seek out information.  It turned out to be a wonderful, interesting event!  There is some snow melt that has pooled in several areas near our land so we inspected a variety of pools to find signs of life and brought along a container for further study.  We scooped up some water and K scooped up a couple of bug-like things to take home and study.  Like a true country girl, she rolled up her pants and stood right in the water sticking her hands amongst the muck and mire hoping to unleash a sleeping pollywog or snake.  She did manage to gather several swimming insects whose identity is as of yet unknown to us and a snail!  Upon returning home we observed that our container of vernal pool water is actually brimming with new life!  Extraordinarily tiny masses of floating eggs, teeny weeny swimming specks of brown and white, squirming larvae, worms no bigger than a centimeter, and things about which we are unsure if they are living or not.  It was so totally fascinating.  This I had never done in my life and I was probably more enthralled than the kiddies.  We consulted with our informative poster to identify our creatures but they are so tiny and we are so unskilled that it isn't possible.  Even with the use of a magnifying glass we were unable to really tell what is what but K is certain we have some mosquito eggs.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if she's right.

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