The Newest Bark Ranger of Indiana Dunes National Park: Day 4

 

On this day, we had time for one final adventure before heading back home. Instead of visiting another beach, Will wanted to hike the Great Marsh Trail, so off we went!

We picked the perfect time for our final hike--you can see in the photos how that mostly clear blue sky became overcast in just the hour that we wandered around, spying on egrets and monarchs and frogs:

After finishing our hike just as the skies finally opened up, all that remained was to pop back by the Visitor Center so that the newest Junior Ranger and Bark Ranger of Indiana Dunes National Park could take their oaths, and then we were ready for my teen with a learner's permit to terrify us both during her very first long drive on an interstate highway!

One day, I think she'll even be brave enough to pass another vehicle!

Make a Folder from a Cardboard Record Album Cover

This tutorial was originally published on Crafting a Green World in 2016.

You're going to have the coolest school supplies on the planet when you make yourself an upcycled folder from a cardboard record album cover.  

Cardboard record album covers are perfect for this project--they're a little sturdier than your regular dime a dozen cardstock folders (which is a good thing!), but still light and easy to carry, and their prominent graphics both recall the look of your favorite themed folders and are unique to your own old-school interests. 

Seriously, where else on the planet am I going to find a Simon and Garfunkel folder for myself? 

 Tip: To find cardboard record album covers to upcycle, check out yard sales and thrift stores. People barely know how to properly store records anymore, which means that a lot of the ones that you can pick up on the cheap have been mistreated and are now completely unplayable. Unplayable records are records ripe for upcycling! 

How to Make a Folder from an Album Cover

You will need: 

  cardboard record album cover. You'll need one entire record album cover, as well as one additional piece of cardboard of the same dimensions. Two record sets will provide the necessary cardboard, or you can utilize part of another record album cover. 

  x-acto knife and self-healing cutting mat. While cutting the cardboard to make one of these folders, I sliced a gigantic piece of flesh almost completely off of my index finger. I then proceeded to half pass out in the middle of the floor, bleeding profusely, while my two children hovered over me, horrified, and repeatedly asked me what to do.  It's important to make memories with your children, Friends! 

  duct tape. Duct tape isn't an eco-friendly craft supply, but it IS the best supply for the job here. You're also not going to be using a ton of it, and the folders that you make are sturdy enough that they should last for a super long time, so I'm comfortable with it. If you're not, play around with perhaps stitching or lacing up your folders, and then tell me all about it in the Comments below!  

1. Measure and cut your cardboard record album cover. For this folder, you will be using both the front and back of one cardboard record album cover, keeping them attached on the left side to form the folder's natural fold. The height of the record album cover, 12", is perfect for a folder. 

To get the correct length, 9.5", cut the excess 2.5" away from the right side of the cover. Watch your fingers!!! 

 Slit open the top and bottom of the record album cover, leaving the left side attached. 

  2. Measure and cut the upcycled folder pockets. From a second piece of cardboard, measure and cut two rectangles with the dimensions "9.25 x 5". Notice that the length of the cardboard is slightly less than that of each folder half--this will decrease bulk at the fold. 

The height of each pocket is up to your discretion, although 4"-5" looks proportionate and will do a good job holding your papers. 

  3. Tape the hinge of the upcycled folder. Measure out a piece of duct tape that's a little longer than the height of the folder, then cut it in half lengthwise--you'll have the easiest time if you use duct tape scissors (I own this pair). Use one of the halves to cover and strengthen the folder's hinge.  

After you've folded the duct tape to cover both sides of the hinge, trim off the excess at each end. 

  4. Place and tape the pockets. Turn the folder over and place the cardboard pockets on each side, lined up with both the bottom and outside edges. Use the second half of duct tape to cover the inside hinge, catching both cardboard pockets.  

Overlap or trim off any excess tape at each end. 

  5. Tape all the other edges. You can now cover the perimeter of the folder with duct tape, again measuring out the correct length for a side and cutting it into two lengthwise.  

Fold each piece of tape under to cover both the outside and inside edges of the folder, and don't forget to make sure that the tape catches the edges of the cardboard pockets, too. Trim excess tape after you've taped each side.  

These folders really are SUPER sturdy, and will stand up well to being tossed into a backpack and used all year. And next school year, you can use them again!

The Newest Bark Ranger of Indiana Dunes National Park: Day 3

 

We had some business to accomplish on this morning! Our prospective Bark Ranger had finished pretty much all of her required activities, but this prospective Junior Ranger still had some work to do, so we went on a hike:

It was a misty, overcast morning on the Bailly Homestead, but we had the place to ourselves as we wandered around:

Look how lush and green the trail was!

After a short hike through a forest full of sugar maples, we reached the working Chellberg Farm:

Luna had a BIG adventure here!

I am very unsure of Luna around farm animals. She embarrassed me by barking at draft horses at Kentucky Horse Park, and I still hold over her head the one time, years ago, that she lost her mind and mortally wounded a chicken and I had to behead it.

Honestly, I might still be in low-key hysterics from that one...

So even though these sweeties looked as content and happy as... well, this--

--I was extremely reluctant for Luna to do this--

--and then this--

--and then this!

The pig didn't seem particularly fazed by our slightly overexcited dog, but pigs have a lot of teeth and I didn't relish the idea of carrying a dog with her face half bitten off the long hike back to the car, so I made Will pull her away and we all hiked back, faces unbitten, through a woods that was now looking a lot more like this:

It started raining before we were quite finished, but don't you find that weather that's unpleasant to humans is often the best for spotting wild critters? Look at my new friend, the gray ratsnake!

Back, then, to our Airbnb for snacks, a glass of wine for the grown-up, and a lovely interlude watching Luca courtesy of our Airbnb's Disney+ subscription.

I REALLY liked our Airbnb!

Luca was perfectly timed, because by the time the credits rolled, the sky was blue again. 

Back we went to the beach!

I could have really liked Central Avenue Beach--it was much quieter than West Beach, and had a much easier walk to get to with a fun scramble down a dune at the end--

--but the whole time we were there, we were absolutely mobbed by some sort of horrible, stinging fly. I didn't bring any anti-stinging fly repellant, and anyway, they were also clearly biting Luna, as well.

We, at least, could escape entirely into the water--

--but Luna is still scared to go out beyond her knees.

Will had the brilliant idea that Luna would be less susceptible to horrible fly stings if she was covered in sand:

It was obviously the best of many good decisions made during this trip:

As I was taking four thousand photos of our adorable dog with sand on her snoot, I happened to notice that the beach we were on was clearly adjacent to the beach that Matt and I had walked on our own trip to Indiana Dunes the month before:

And that's how I came full circle on this trip, happily achieving my dream on almost the very same spot where I first dreamed it.

The Newest Bark Ranger of Indiana Dunes National Park: Day 2

 

On our first full day at Indiana Dunes National Park (here's Day 1), our main plan was to spend the day at the beach with Luna.

We took the long way round:

This Dune Succession Trail happily led us to the part of the beach adjacent to West Beach that dogs are allowed at! In the middle of all the other well-behaved dogs playing gently in the water, Luna had an absolutely ridiculous time barking her fool head off at the waves, running Will back and forth while barking and snapping at the water, stopping dead to bark her food head off some more, etc. I was both delighted at how happy she was, and secondhand-embarrassed at how much of a scene she was making.

Luna is wearing her new Ruffwear Float Coat, because I am apparently a doggy smother mother.

It's not the first time it's occurred to me that dogs and toddlers are quite similar.

Here's another way that they're similar: when Luna had finally worn herself out enough that she was willing to come away from the waves to our nice beach umbrella and towels all laid out comfily on the sand, she immediately proceeded to gleefully dig herself the largest hole of her entire life:

And then she promptly laid down in it and fell asleep in the shade:

Notice that nose facing the water, just in case it makes any sudden moves and she needs to go bark at it some more:

With Luna nice and tuckered out, I babysat for a while so Will could get wet past her knees:

Even though this dog kicked sand ALL OVER my beach towel, I love her so much I can't even stand it:

We spent most of the day here at the dog-end of West Beach. Luna chilled out enough to enjoy the water without barking hysterically at it--

--and we got plenty of time, as well, to just lounge in the shade of our umbrella and read and eat snacks. Not gonna lie--Matt filled my thermos with margaritas before I left home, and I quite enjoyed them here, along with the little snoozle to follow.

Obviously, we had to take some puppy portraits to commemorate Luna's first full day at a real beach!

Then we trekked the LONG trek back to our car with our tired dog who kept wanting to lie down, and happily spent the evening sitting on the couch of our AirBnb, eating delightful snacks and binging Schitt's Creek:

I'd say that was a pretty good last first day of high school for Will!