There's nothing like visiting a farm to gets you in the mood for fall and our visit to the Diamond D Ranch was a blast. Although our bus was the last to arrive at the ranch (because our bus driver had no idea where we were going and didn't follow the other buses), the children lost no time in jumping off and going straight to the horse rides when we arrived. For some of the children, it was their first time riding a horse and for some it was their favorite part of the day!
Another favorite was the drum roll. The children had the choice to just swing back and forth or to to go all the way around. Most children decided to go all the way around. A few just wanted to go back and forth and a few opted to get off at the first swing and a few even decided not to ride at all. We honored all choices.
Next it was off on a hay ride. The children went into the cow pasture and watched as the cows gathered around. The children fed the cows from the trailer. I think we were all surprised at how long the cows tongues were. What fun! 
We stopped by the petting farm and got to feed goats and turkeys. The squeals of laughter were music to our ears as the goats ate right out of the children's hands!
Our final stop was a nature walk. We identified maple trees and learned about the sap that comes from the trees up North to make maple syrup. We also learned that the black pine trees were from a controlled burn. Mrs. Ruark reminded us about the woodland ecosystem that we had been studying and we guessed some of the animals that might be in the brush that we could not see. I think a few of the children wondered if there were hidden snakes for the rest of the walk!
We stopped by the pond and fed the catfish. We also saw lots of tadpoles and baby frogs.
What a great time with friends!
Great pictures from Diamond D Ranch!
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