Everyday Life and Two Nature Walks

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Chickadees at Mer Bleue

Mr. 15 had a friend over for two days.  This young man does computer learning, so he was busy with his laptop all morning.  No mess, no books, no answer keys, no fuss.  Sitting at my kitchen table, surrounded by books, papers, pens, and pencils, as well as by a bit of fussing, I understood why people like computer learning.  I’m still very happy with our way of homeschooling, though.

For the last time this season, Miss 12 volunteered with the local therapeutic riding group.  It’s now becoming too cold for the riders as well as the volunteers.  She has been able to help a lot of handicapped people. Each week, Miss 8 and I dropped her off while we went grocery shopping and picked her up on the way home.  Now our calendar feels quite empty!

Mer Bleue Bog

After spending two months on a prairie dairy farm learning more about cows, calves, and farming,  Miss 17 came home.  We were all very excited, but her puppy, Chester, was the most excited of all and peed all over her feet.  Welcome home!

Last night the three oldest girls attended a craft evening.  While Miss 17 and Miss 12 worked on their blankets for a local children’s hospital, Miss 10 did rug hooking and hugely enjoyed being out at night with the ladies.

And what else did we do?  Other than French, math, science, grammar, handwriting, and so on?  Well, we went on nature walks.

Sphagnum moss

One morning we walked through Mer Bleue a bog full of sphagnum moss, the kind that turns into peat.  It is a fascinating place, apparently a lot like the landscape around Hudson’s Bay, and is actually considered a boreal habitat!  Imagine seeing the far North so close to home!  You can see a bit of Mer Bleue on the video here.  If you’re ever in the Ottawa area, it is worth a visit.

Unknown fungus, which I'd like to name Christmas Bells

Of course, we walked another section of the Rideau Trail as well.  Although we thought we’d be following the road this week, we ended up climbing a stile and walking down a very muddy cow path, straight into history.  Ancient log fences sagged on ridges of rocks, probably put there by generations of pioneer children.  I could just see these families out in the forests, clearing out the trees, and then carrying and dragging out the rocks, surrounded by black flies and mosquitoes, dressed in heavy clothing.  We wandered through a whole farmyard of decayed log buildings, with raspberry bushes growing inside them.  Because we just expected a ‘boring’ road walk, and because it was cold, we did not take our cameras.  That was a big mistake, and hopefully we’ll be wiser next time.

Photos were taken by Mr. 15.

To see what other families have been up to, visit Canada Girl and Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.