October 8, 2025-
Explored the aloe forts that live down by the ranch houses at Wilder Ranch. The Aloe forts and massive Cypress tree make for great play and hide and seek games. Noted swallow nests along the gutters of the ranch houses. We didn't see any swallows at this time, but we could see from their nests made from clay and other materials that it was possible that these nests could be inhabited once again.
But today was all about getting to the treasure, buried mysteriously in the dry creek bed by a very notable Oak tree covered in 'old man's beard' lichen.
Lichen's are so cool, it is actually a symbiotic organism made of both algae and fungus, that both photosynthesizes (algae), and has strong structure (fungus). So off we went through the echo tunnel, the old cabin, and across the bridge to our buried treasure (guava candies!) in the dry creek bed below.
We will see big changes in this creekbed from now, end of summer and dry, to winter, when it is fully flowing, and we certainly can't dig up treasure then!
We returned back to the area by the apple trees and chickens, picked and ate some apples (I've received permission before from a state park ranger), painted with facepaint, many worked on their weavings, and passed around a ball. Turkeys were jumping over the fence into the sheeps quarters which was quite entertaining!
Returned to our camp at the aloe forts, ate pumpkin bread together. played a card game, called Spot It, and played Fee Fi Fo Fum, a cooperative 'freeze' game where the 'Ogre' has a valuable possession, say, the keys to their car, at their feet, faces away, and says 'Fee fi fo fum', quickly turning back to their item, as the group slowly moves closer to steal the item. If the Ogre catches anyone moving, the whole group must return to the starting point. This involves a teamwork and body awareness to ensure that everyone is moving together.
Animals Identified: Red Tail Hawk, Chicken, Turkey, Sheep, Goat, Western Fence Lizard
Plants Identified: Aloe Vera, Blackberry, Old Man's Beard, Oak tree, California Poppy, Thistle, Willow
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