Let The Summer Begin !

Sonata:

This week I had two outings. Summer is here and we're all rushing outside to make the most of it .

Tuesday involved taking around 30 pre-schoolers to the little local City Farm , where they all ignored the animals and rushed to the slides and swings . Luckily they are all accompanied by a parent so we don't have to run around counting them all the time . Our job is to chat to parents and dispense refreshments .....lots of refreshments . I envied this hen

But they all loved it and , when asked , can now identify a goat . "That thing , nearly a cow ".

On Wednesday it was time for the annual Works Outing . This year a boat trip to Ameland , one of the Wadden Islands , just off the Frisian coast

With optional mud-hiking . So I thought .... it's now or never and opted to hike too . The boat stops at a sand bank at low tide and you all jump off into shallow water

and follow the guides through gloopy mud , sand and mussel beds to the island in the distance .

All the sensible/wimpy ones stay on board and have another coffee and bun before they get to land in comfort .
The guides shamelessly play to the audience , catching live crabs to the shrieks of the ladies among us , digging up cockles for the brave to eat raw and looking for pearls in the oysters which abound ( don't walk barefoot , they can slice you to the bone apparently )

Once on land , we all got a bike for the day and a packed lunch . It's very pretty in the sun and everyone wandered off to explore and eat apple cake in quiet village cafes .

On the trip back , dinner was served on board and we sailed past a sand bank to see seals close up . Then back down below for the tribal get-together . A 140-strong blend of social workers , youth workers , playschool leaders and family guidance counsellors can party with the best of them ....corny old songs , "There is a little cafe by the harbour ...." , and hokey-cokey with an abandon that might surprise the clients .

This was one of the best W.Os I've been on in the last 8 years . It didn't rain and didn't involve role-playing , frisbees or climbing anything . I would certainly mud hike again too .....oddly fun .

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So now it's two weeks till the long holiday . I must build myself up for all that lolling about .