Check out the above photos, enlarge if possible. Look closely for clues. Are any shapes familiar or identifiable? Maybe you won’t find this so fascinating, but I did.
Once again I am walking (it’s amazing how many of my slices involve my walking!) the same old road, trudging along when I spy something on the edge of the road ahead. It’s probably some blacktop crumbs, I think as I glance down while I walk by. No, it wasn’t blacktop or gravel, my feet take a few steps before my brain processes what I saw. Wait a minute, this looks interesting, and maybe a little like bones.
A quick turnabout and I am studying the “stuff” in the first picture. Yes, those look like rib bones. My eyes traveled down the road and there was another little group of bones and even some fur (#3). Then I looked more intently at my surroundings. More bones were in the ditch laying on the grass. I stepped off the road to retrieve those pieces. Normally I do not stray off the road for fear of being attacked by seed ticks, but this find was to great to leave. I tossed the bones from the grass to the road.
What should I do? I don’t want to put them into my pocket for fear they will be broken. So, I gather them all into a small pile. I will complete my walk (only halfway through at this point), and return with a baggie to collect my treasures. My step was little quicker as I resumed the walk.
Who will get my artifact of nature? Immediately I decide that my friend who teaches first grade will be the recipient of this bag o’bones. She has a Wonder Table (from Georgia Heard’s book A Place for Wonder) This would be perfect. I know she will love this find.
Quickly I drive back to the location, relieved to find the bones are still there.
The baggie of bones are delivered later in the afternoon when I meet up with my friend to get a pedicure. Even the girl giving the pedicure is interested in my bag of bones. I know the first graders will have fun investigating these bones.
Just when walking becomes mundane, nature drops something in my path to intrigue me. So for now I will be more vigilant. Who knows what other “slice of life” is waiting for me on the road.
elsie tries writing 
Kids love bones! I love bones. They are just so danged essential!
Wow! What a great find on the road. I’m not sure if I would have been brave enough to pick them up. I recently took my students on a nature walk and we saw a lot of cool things as well!
Oh what a great find and gift. My son will be in first grade this year and would jump at the chance to go through your walk find. You had me contemplating your pictures the whole post. Please continue sharing about your eventful walks.
What a great discovery and how wonderful for those first graders to be wondering over these bones.
I enjoyed your post because it reminded me that posts are about the small things. I get too wrapped up in the big picture. Your pictures really caught my attention. How great is that to have the bones on a Wonder Table!!! I walk, too, and I am going to look closer!!!
Those are some eerie photos!
Ah, road-kill…the original fast-food/take-out.
I guess you could measure the skull to begin to guess what it is. Something had a good dinner. I am beginning to love your walks too, looking forward to your discoveries. You tell such a good story, Elsie! And it’s so nice that you gathered them to give to a friend. The class will love it.
I love this piece! Big fan of Georgia Heard. I hope my friends bag up goodies for me on their walks. Our tropical storm dropped a chickadee next on my lawn. It too is bagged up and ready for the “I wonder” center. Walks sure do change every time you take them. Nature’s way of mixing it all up!
LC, Can hardly wait to put the bones on the Discovery Table. The kids will be amazed at your find. Now I can use your lovely writing to help guide them in their thinking. Simply reminding kids it’s okay to discover- life should never be too busy for that. I love that you are enjoying your walks so much. Isn’t it funny how discovery and nature take the labor out of the exercise! Great post friend!