On Monday we spent the day exploring Cates Park in North Vancouver. The ancestral name for this land in Deep Cove is Whey-Ah-Whichen, which means 'faces the wind'. The kids spotted the playground and quickly worked up an appetite for snack. We took the Malcolm Lowery forest trail through the towering firs to another playground and the site of the historic Dollar Mill. The remnants of the lumber mill still stand fortress like, complete with stone tunnels covered in moss and foliage. It's magical. Imaginative play just happens. Who wouldn't want to be king of that castle? From here, we ventured down to the beach for some seaside exploring, which included looking for crabs, shell gathering, gooey ducks and rock skipping. We ended up back on the grassy hillside overlooking Burrard Inlet where we enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch. The perfect end to an amazing year in first grade.
