A memorable quiet time, shared:

Many years ago, I taught nature classes at a nature center where I worked. My favorite classes were with the little kids... the 5 year olds. In those days, I would often take a bag lunch out to a small swamp in the woods, and observe the birds, and try mimicking their calls. I got to be fairly good at it after awhile, so one day I took my class with me. I told them if they could sit perfectly quietly, and not make a noise, I would call a bird and have him come to us. The kids were all wide eyed about it, and we walked silently out to the swamp and sat on a log, hidden from sight by a few small bushes. Once we all got settled in and were completely motionless, I heard a Song Sparrow calling, and I answered him with the closest imitation I could make. Sure enough, he answered back. He was sitting across the swamp, but when he heard me, his curiosity was aroused and he flew to a closer perch to see who was making such an ugly noise. Each time he called, I would answer, and he would fly closer. He finally reached a point where he was sitting on a perch, no more than 6 feet in front of us. He'd make a call, and I'd answer, and he'd look at us quizzically. Finally, satisfied that I was no competion for his mate, being big, ugly and featherless, he flew off.

In all that time, the kids were frozen in space, not daring to move a muscle. When he finally left, I started to talk with the kids, and they were all as mesmerized as the Song Sparrow.

As we were walking back to the building, one of the little kids looked up at me and said, "Mister Rasmussen, I wish we could stay in the woods with you forever."

Jerry