By Gisele Dierks
Happy July! Tropical Storm Elsa is giving us some good computer weather.
Holiday Recap
The Fourth was with us this past weekend! Saturday was pretty quiet, but the weather got better as the weekend progressed. Sunday we feasted on steaks, burgers, sausages, corn, rice, salads, ice cream, etc… Just as we finished our meals, a double rainbow appeared over the pond, bold as can be! One of our summer residents learning hang gliding had her friends from New York City spend the weekend here. After a paddleboard demonstration by yours truly, a few of us piled into the canoe and watched the sunset from the pond. After dark there was dancing in the hangar (thanks to DJ Tim Glenshaw for stopping by from Lookout Mountain!) and a dynamic firework display on the hill.
Monday morning we rolled down the hill to delicious pancakes soaked in syrup… Chef Cameron Peters has the secret to create the ultimate absorbency. Thanks Cameron Peters for all your work in the kitchen and around the park this weekend.
Wild and Free
There is so much land here at the park that inevitably a lot of it gets left alone. Our human influence is concentrated on what we use: the campsites, roads, and of course, the training hill. (Not to say that the untrampled is pure and unaffected by us, but that’s for another blog.) The wild and wooded is not the most popular topic of conversation at Morningside, but I encourage visitors to take a moment to admire it next time they are here. There is an awesome variety of flora and fauna, birds, mammals, and amphibians here that can add an element of excitement to a day with or without flying.
This year, I have had the pleasure of watching great blue herons, killdeer, spotted salamanders, efts, muskrats, and snapping turtles. My favorite visited the other night, a tree frog with tiny suction cups stuck to my window. I’ve seen these guys from behind plenty of times, but never had the opportunity to stare at their bellies like this!
CLINIC SATURDAY 7/17!
Tree Landing and Rescue Clinic! This will probably be the last one of the year before we move on to other topics! Please join us, even if you have been to one before! I know this is a bit of a theme by now, but as we are a safety-focused school, I want to drive home the point that students should take advantage of the knowledge in the community! There is no reason not to learn from the experiences of others: we’re all here to help each other discuss and develop better judgement.
I think that does it for this week! Thanks for your support!
-Gigi
Ahhh summertime.