Fruita Schoolhouse and leaves on water

This morning, Annette and I took Alex and Kaylee back over to the picnic area at Capital Reef, carrying two plastic bags of leaves, sticks and pine cones to "float down the stream." After, we stopped by the old Fruita one-room School... the ranger had it open... lucky timing.

Immediately upon arriving at the picnic area, the first thing we saw were four deer grazing.

After watching them for a while, we walked on down under the bridge, to float our materials down the stream - it was a little fuller than earlier in the week.

Here was a combination pine cone and leaf "boat" that Alex and Annette had made. They 'raced' them... Alex seems distracted by someone going across the bridge above, as they were about put their leaves in the running water.

Here I'm helping Kaylee with her floating devices...

As we were leaving this area, Kaylee picked dandelions... a common practice.

We got back in the Jeep, and went over to the old Fruita little school house. It is only open from 10-11:30 am... we got there about 10:30 am. Lucky!

The sign...

Neat little desks... this one-room school is a bit older, and smaller, than the one I went to in Iowa, but the fundamentals are all the same...  ;-)

Kaylee liked the chalkboard and eraser.

Alex found the dunce cap and chair in the corner to be much like "time out" today.

Kaylee didn't think much of the idea....  ;-)

Then, Annette suggested that Grandpa should take a turn...  ;-)

Back outside, we checked out a couple of the big rocks.

Annette took the kids photo near the carving on the rock behind the school - no outhouses; Alex was disappointed - not an official school, he said! ;-)

It was another very good day!  ;-)