The Spring Equinox brought with it a beautiful weather, so we skipped skiing and opted for a day outside to enjoy the 65 degree weather and notice the first signs of Spring's arrival.
Both kids took off into the woods to discover a new world under the melting snow...
We saw one of the many seasonal streams on our property...
Then the kids found another stream which was perfect for cooling off mid-hike...
We stopped to see what's growing next to the melting snow...
And what's growing under the fallen trees...
We found life all around...even in a tree stump
(which Nikki informed me is most certainly a "fairy house")
Back in our yard the garden is slowly making it's spring appearance...
and our first over-wintered crops (spring onions) were basking in the warm sunshine...
I found a sunny snow-free spot just perfect for my favorite chair...
and out front in the rose beds, the tulips showed up too
We all need sunshine on our skin after months of cold and despite our love of Winter, Spring is a welcome season around here, the warmth brought so many thoughts of gardening. Unfortunately, it'll be several more weeks before I can plant any vegetables outside, but seed starting is on the agenda this week (6 weeks to outdoor planting means it's time). This week it's back to normal temperatures- our highs are expected to be in the 40's all week, low's in the 20's. I'm so glad we skipped skiing to enjoy the weather for a day!
As Spring arrives, I feel fortunate that as homeschoolers we don't have to spend all our school days inside in a "classroom"... backyard patio school on a warm day is a welcome change in routine at this point in the "school year." While I think that "book work" is a necessary part of their education, I truly believe my children learn a great deal during time spent away from the "school table." Our trips and explorations often foster lessons we might not otherwise delve into as deeply. Today I have a 7 year old very interested in why and how mushrooms grow, and an almost 10 year old eager to check if there are any tadpoles in his favorite stream yet (I think not, but soon enough)...
As Spring arrives, I feel fortunate that as homeschoolers we don't have to spend all our school days inside in a "classroom"... backyard patio school on a warm day is a welcome change in routine at this point in the "school year." While I think that "book work" is a necessary part of their education, I truly believe my children learn a great deal during time spent away from the "school table." Our trips and explorations often foster lessons we might not otherwise delve into as deeply. Today I have a 7 year old very interested in why and how mushrooms grow, and an almost 10 year old eager to check if there are any tadpoles in his favorite stream yet (I think not, but soon enough)...
To top off our weekend we did a whole lot of sugaring and enjoyed our homemade maple syrup on just about everything we ate this weekend :-)
- but more on that later this week.
Hope Spring is showing up in your neck of the woods too!
How wonderful of you to take advantage of the beautiful weather. We had springlike weather last week, but then the weekend brought winter back with about 3-4" of snow and blistery winds. I think it's going to be sunny this week but still chilly. I'm certainly ready for spring to show up for good around here.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to here more about your homemade maple syrup. I know Mike wants to see, too.