| Today was absolutely gorgeous. It was almost 80! It's been one of our nices spring days so far and we really took advantage of it. We wound up spending most of the morning outside walking to various appointments and hanging out at the park. We left at not quite 9 and got home after 2! I was happy I remembered to pack stuff for a quick picnic lunch.
On our way home, our path meanders through a stand of pine trees and one tree happened to be damaged so there was a bunch of fresh sap running down the bark. So of course Deedee had to ask lots of questions! Kitty was asleep in our big Burley stroller, James was in class and Charles had ridden ahead on his bike so only Deedee benefitted from this impromptu lesson.
 She smelled the sap, rubbed her fingers in (and then got upset at how sticky they became LOL), tasted it etc. This was not the right type of tree to harvest the sap for chewing gum so it tasted quite nasty. If you want to do that, you need a spruce! I know this from experience. Years ago, I read a book that took place early in our history, I think around colonization. There was a young boy that met an Indian and became quite good friends with him. Of course, they talked about chewing the sap of a pine tree so I had to try it as well. I didn't know at that time there were different varieties and that they all taste different so I tried the first pine tree I came to in our yard. LOL I can not remember what that book was called but it's right on the tip of my tongue. If I remember correctly, it was about a young boy that is left at their homestead while his father goes back to collect the mother and other siblings but he's delayed so this boy winds up being alone over the winter and his Indian friend helps him survive. If this rings any bells with you please enlighten me! It's going to drive me crazy until I remember what book it is now!
So, we talked a little bit about the origins of chewing gum. SInce we were on a "tasting the sap" expedition I asked her if she knew what other kind of sap we eat. She looked pensive for a moment, acted as if she was about to answer and then said "leaves". Sigh.... I'm not sure what she meant about that. However, as soon as I said maple syrup she got all excited. And she does know what the real stuff tastes like! I buy that over the flavored stuff almost exlusively. So she started talking about what syrup is yummy on and t he she likes to drink it! LOL
By this time, she was getting a little bored with it I think so we started on our journey again only to come to another tree with sap on it a few meters along. The difference was that this was an old wound and the sap was now hardened. She scraped at it a bit but complained it was too hard. So of course that got us talking about amber and we were off. That conversation lasted us the 10 or so minutes it took us to arrive home and then she insisted on looking at my amber jewelry. She wasn't satisfied so we went online to find more fact and pictures about it. She was even more surpries that sometimes bugs can be found preserved in it and she was really enamored of that fact. :D She also really like that it comes in different colors! Talking about amber also led to fossils! We didn't explore too in depth about that though. I've left if open for another time.
Interesting Sites
|
