It was a muddy day for several young explorers, today, as we explored the Allyn Cox Reservation in Essex. After several boots were nearly left behind, half buried in the mud, Catherine planned and executed a way to walk over the mud without sinking in.

Her theory was that if she spread the dry hay clumps across the mud her weight would be better distributed and the straw would act like a mat, keeping the mud from coming through.

Gingerly she made her first few steps out onto the flats, as seen in the photo, and once her pals saw that she hadn’t sunk down they started to pitch in, collecting straw and tossing it down to her. It was quite the construction project.

It was cold and soon the wind chased us from the point and we had to leave the straw bridge behind before she could get out as far as she’d wanted. But there was satisfaction in solving the problem-even if she didn’t totally finish the project.