outside: at Hanging Rock

We headed out early this morning to beat the heat on our way to one of our favorite local state parks. We first explored a den that we hadn't visited before, a den that once was a hiding place for the Tories' in the mid-1770s.

After the kids were satisfied with their exploration of the den, we took a brief peek at the nearby waterfall, then headed over to our usual play area.

I think this might have been Finn's first time climbing the waterfalls.  He is just now getting tall enough to manage some of the smaller climbs.  Of course it didn't take long for him to stumble on the slippery moss and nearly roll off some of the rocks, so he spent the remainder of our time in the rocky creek bottom.

Nearly every time we visit this waterfall area, after the perfunctory complaints about the chilly water and numb toes, the kids immediately choose leaves to organize a leaf race.

Today was no exception.

You never know which leaf might beach itself on a rock and which one might travel all the way down to the creek bottom.

Scampering over the slippery rocks, checking out the nooks and crannies, finding an interesting bit of moss or fungi...our typical exploration in this cool and green retreat on the side of the mountain.

Eventually, the boys realized that they could mostly halt the flow of water at one of the highest flow spots on the waterfall with a well-placed derriere between two rocks.

They could startle someone walking by.

Bouncing up and down would create rushes of water that knocked rocks off the ledge.

This game continued for nearly an hour.  Handheld gaming devices have nothing on this kind of fun!

Finn found a lone leaf that he liked and continually sent it downstream, then darted down to retrieve it before it disappeared forever.

Eventually, he found another and proclaimed them twins. He, of course, stuffed them into my backpack so we could bring them home to rest on the nature table.

Eventually, the kids tired of the waterfall frolicking and flopped down onto the nearby rocks to dry.  I amused myself with a few nature photos, and we hiked back out to the picnic spot.  A pretty good way to enjoy the outdoors, I think.

If you have any outdoor adventures to share, please feel free to link up below.  I'll be sharing our outdoor adventures all week in this space to celebrate our virtual book club's reading of Last Child in the Woods.