Bird Boy

Bird Boy and Birdie on the wolf outside the Bell's main entrance.

Inside a terrarium in the See and Touch Room.

Joe was been all this past week at the Bird's Eye View camp at the Bell Museum of Natural History on the University of Minnesota campus. This was his first camp of the summer sans buddy so we were worried about how it would go. (Everyone likes a buddy.)  We are proud to report that Our Hero took it all in stride like it was no thing at all and by the end of the first day was playing in the foyer at pick-up like one of many in a pack of puppies. He now walks about spouting all manner of bird fun facts like: "A pigeon flaps its wings faster than a perigrine falcon but a perigrine falcon flies faster than a pigeon."

That particular factoid was relayed Saturday morning which began with Our Hero, tucked between us, watching a You Tube video of a naturalist talking about a red tailed hawk. Then we had this exchange:

Ted to Joe: "If you could be any kind of bird you wanted to be, what would you be?"

Joe: "A red tailed hawk or great horned owl."

Julie: "Those are strong and powerful birds."

Joe, matter-of-factly, "They're raptors."

Julie: "Would you be a predator then?"

Joe, laughing: "No! I would live in this family and be your pet."

So today we went to the Bell so Joe could show us all around.  It must be said that he walks about like he owns the place.  He was full of all the rules about how things are done, like, you can't touch the "screens."  (It is perhaps a sign of the times that he is calling the glass in front of a museum display a screen.)

This next week Our Hero will be reunited with Graham for two back-to-back sports camps each day at the Jewish Community Center before he returns to the Bell for two more camps to close out August.

And then: first grade.  !!!!!