Stasia throwing bark at Henne

The day dawned bright and clear, and it promised to remain that way. Warm, too—well, for January. So I convinced my granddaughter Stasia that we should explore one of my favorite place: the Avalonia Land Conservancy's nearby Henne refuge, which features trails made for an energetic three-year-old. Stasia quickly came to agree and marveled at how high a trail ridge was and how much fun could be had bouncing over a bridge. But the best part of the trip came later, when we'd trekked our way to a stone bench that honored Don Henne, a local naturalist and environmental leader. The bench is at the end of a peninsula, and Stasia discovered an abundance of sticks and bark on the ground. She picked a few up, walked to the water's edge, and knew exactly what to do, over and over and over. When we got to the bridge on the return trip, Stasia decided that rocks were also made for throwing into the water. In both cases, she knew just the person who could provide her with a steady supply of projectiles.