Expedition Day 3: Games on the Lido Deck

Thursday we boarded our cars at 6:30 and headed south to lovely St. Marys, to board the Cumberland Princess. Mr. Bellerjeau rode shotgun, and we had a great chat. Soon we were on our voyage to Cumberland Island. Along the way we scouted islands where we could set up future Living Science expeditions. Four wild horses were there to greet us when we arrived, answering Mrs. D's prayers.

We set out walking southeast. Joel was losing his voice, so he took the day off from teaching. We all wanted to hear his wonderful French accent that evening, so Kevin spoke for the two groups. Amber got Group Five engaged in a quick ninja game while Joel paced off a nature walk. I was able to have one of several great conversations with Mrs. Hill.

At the Dungeness Ruins we found a fig tree that had killed off a palm tree, providing teaching fodder for Mrs. D and Kevin (and later groups). My Matthew and the other 6th graders much enjoyed the crab races. We hiked to the bath house and ate lunch, then continued on to the tertiary dunes on the southern tip of the island.

With just scattered trees and brush, and tall dunes as far as the eye can see in all directions, this area looks like a desert. When I say "This is where NASA filmed Mission to Mars", Kevin responds "Really?!" Joel cracks up. While the middle schoolers are easily fooled because they don't know me, it's hard to slip one past Kevin. I am proud. Thirty minutes later Kevin isn't fooled by my next quip.

As I take pictures of the barren plain, young Bailey thinks I'm following her. She was in the background of a shot of the group in front of an interesting tree, though it's hard to pick her out of the crowd. Hopefully she didn't tell her parents that I'm weird. I'm sure you readers will vouch for me, right?

Out on the beach Mrs. D lets us take off our shoes as we walk the mile northward in the surf. As we hiked I got to know the delightful Mr. McKenzie. We had chaperoned together on the 2009 Merritt Island Retreat. He had the best bug protectant: long sleeves and pants. John is involved at Passion City Church, and we spoke at length about that. Later I walked the beach with Mrs. D and pitched my "ghost seining" idea. She loved it, with one caveat: Since sharks are nocturnal, the chap men would pull BOTH sides of the net.

At one point everyone moves away from the water to see something near the dunes: the remains of right whale that had been beached a week or two ago. From a distance it looked like where someone had built a fire. Since flounders whose left eyes migrate to the right are called winter flounders, I ask Mrs. D if the right whale is a winter. She doesn't get it, but Mrs. Smith and Alyssa did.

On the beach I find a broken sand dollar. Actually, it was a sand quarter.

As we leave the beach Kevin stops Groups 5 and 6 to teach on primary dunes. As Joanna's Group One passes us on the long boardwalk, several of us chaperones bringing up the rear look at each other. "Must be an advanced class!" "They must've been promoted to the secondary dunes!" "Ah! Science humor!" quips Joe. "Of the worst kind!" I respond. When a chap lady asks why I'm taking notes, Joe says there will be a test.

Kevin says the secondary dunes were formed several hundred years ago. He points east. "See those little baby dunes closer to the ocean? One day they may grow up to be big secondary dunes like these." Always good to speak the language of your students!

Young Peter LOVED Cumberland Island, and begged his mother to return some day. If he becomes a Servant Leader, I explain, he can come back in four years. But he doesn't want to be a Servant Leader, he says. When I ask why, he answers "Too much stress!" I point to Kevin and ask "Are you stressed?" But Peter is not convinced. He adds "And you have to be MEAN to little kids!"

Games break out on the return trip to St. Marys. Several students circle round for a slapping game, where one person is eliminated each round. Tiny eighth-grader Caroline eventually eliminates tall seniors Amber and Kara. Then an even larger group plays "Signs", a game I'd scarcely seen before. Young Reeves is perplexed when Kevin is chosen to deliver signs. You see, Kevin wasn't even playing the game. On the week two return voyage Kevin leans back...and the Astros cap he's worn on every LS trip blows off, into the drink.

As we dock, I notice several St Marys businesses: Lang's Charters, Lang's Seafood, Lang's Marina, the boat Lang's Pride. Didn't know my friend Lang had invested so widely. On the return trip to Jekyll our young boys are pumped, particularly Caleb. Matthew Flurry was engrossed drawing several more cartoons: Larry the Cucumber being blown up by atomic bombs.

Before the skit Mrs. D asks which adults know the difference between male and female Wax Myrtles. Sensing an opportunity, I start to raise my hand. Just then Mrs. D adds: "...and be truthful, because GOD knows!" I quickly lower my hand, drawing laughs from the Ellis's behind me.

Without warning Caleb is called to the front to retell the famous story of being pinched by a crab. He expertly spins the yarn, embellishing in all the right places. I thought I was there.