We had a school day that we had skipped in order to go to Penguin Island on Friday. We went back to the Town of Cambridge Library that we had enjoyed so much earlier in the week. Today I can’t imagine that I’ll be able to forget these details. On the other hand, this is a 400-day trip so here are two details I don’t want to forget.
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| Floreat Forum. Home to the Town of Cambridge Library and a sailcloth-protected play area. |
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| I taught 1st Grade math on a Dewey Decimal System Rug. Other library guests stopped by to decide where they should search for a new book. Awesome! |
After the library (and lunch) we went to the Botanic Garden in Kings Park. It was extremely popular on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. It’s easy to imagine that this scene is exactly what the landscape architects had in mind when they designed this place. We strolled down a wide lawn, past a garden dedicated to the Banksia, which is a plant that has been traced to Pangea and still found in Western Australia!
We reached the extraordinary Water Garden and walked past one feature after another, each as beautiful as the rest and each drawing a crowd on a nearby knoll. We stopped just shy of a “reflection spot” that I had hoped to see but we had found the skywalk that was also on my list. This is a mostly-elevated boardwalk gave views of the canopy at eye level as well as the city skyline. You just can’t help but feel joyous as you are literally surrounded by nature here.
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| Lily contemplating life as an introvert |
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| The awesome skywalk |
Throughout this time Ali and Cate embarked on an apic adventure to collect sticks. Meanwhile Lily and Henry spent their time and energy bickering over who could use the new camera and how to take proper pictures. The stick collecting had to stop when we realized they were not just foraging but also harvesting. Oops. So much for the lessons of the NPS Junior Ranger program from a few months ago!
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| Building a fairy fort together |
Before we left we visited "Gija Jumulu," the giant Boab tree (750 years old, 36 tonnes, 14 meters high, relocated 3,200 kilometers) and took the requisite selfie. We were astonished to see that, despite the significant fence, at least two dunces had scratched their initials in the bark of the tree. On the other hand, in the states it would probably be ten times as many.
In the evening we had a babysitter, allowing the parents a night off to eat dinner and see a movie (Star Wars). We actually got to talk a bit, although we spent most of hthe time taking stock of our itinerary and assessing our school work. But, still, we had a mundane without being interrupted and without having to administer discipline. What a relief!
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