Playing with photoshop on a rainy evening

That sounds so civilized, doesn't it?

Ragged Falls

Friends we visited while checking out Huntsville know how much we enjoy hiking. They took us to one of their favorites, Ragged Falls Trail. We followed a path that hugged the river and water fall. At the top the rocks form a look-out and natural rest area. The boys loved jumping from rock to rock, checking out all sides.

We continued along to find a shallow place to swim. With this rainy summer the water was quite high, but the water level or soft squishy ground didn't stop some of our party (others convinced some for piggy backs).

At the bottom the boys were treated to a 'whirl pool' at the bottom of the falls. Everyone enjoyed exploring a new place with friends.

Sorry Mum, more mushrooms!

On our recent trip North, friends took us for a hike on one of their favorite trails Ragged Falls. (more to come :) It has been a rainy summer there, as it has here. Which for us fungus fans is very exciting. Every few minutes the kids were running back to tell me of a different type of mushroom they found; red, grey, brown, orange, yellow, big, really big, small, dotted, spikey. Incredible.

Molars.

They are hard work.

And painful.

Staring Penny the Penguin!

Her debut was amazing! She invited her grandparents, cousin, and good friends to her big performance, in which she played a penguin named penny. It was her first time on stage, which she was initially nervous about but quickly got over. Her role was a penguin on an island discovered by a group of adventurers. She sang lots of songs, and three lines in the play. During the week the kids worked on all the props and decorations, they sewed and painted their own costumes, giving them a real sense of ownership for the play. It was a true joy to see her shine at something that was so important to her to be a part of.

At the sculpture park, there is a campsite complete with fire, kettle, boots. Shai is signing hot. Too cute.

Sculpture Park

We drove past the sculpture park

every time we dropped off and picked up Aria from camp. The kids were so excited to stop and visit all their favorite sculptures. You can hear them call out their favorites as they found each corner, tree or path. After doing the rounds in the outdoor park we headed inside to view the display of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson.

Park Days

It never ceases to amaze me, the creativity that arises just playing at the park.
We have been visiting various parks quite regularly lately. The boys and their friends brought some ropes to one of their favorite places and created swings from the the football posts. They tried swinging, flips, tumbles etc. It was like a little mini circus.

We also joined our Friday families at a splash pad for some play time. After a dip in the water the kids worked hard filling the slide with rocks completely from top to bottom. They used their towels as carriers for the rock, transporting it to the top. They took turns sliding through them when it was finished.

They are smitten over each other.

New Experiences- for both of us!

This is our first week of camp. Aria was adamant about attending an operetta day camp which focus' on theatre. The camp is operated and owned by a friend whom Aria knows very well, there are also lots of kids at the camp that she knows. Still, it is camp.
None of the kids have really shown an interest before (especially at age 5). She was excited by the idea alone, and despite my nervousness and concerns she never wavered. She has loved it, the new experiences, the songs, the crafts, the friends, the lunch, the drop off and pick up. She has been exhausted at the end of the day, but also filled with joy and excitement for the next day to come. She amazes me. She is growing up so fast.

Fairytale Mushrooms

I found fairy tale mushrooms! They are huge!

In a shady area, surrounded by skinny pine trees the kids found a group of these mushrooms. They were huge (i took a picture by my foot), and really were magical with the light glowing off them slightly.

I don't know a lot about fungus, or which types are which. Getting a book about mushrooms is on our list to add to our hiking bag. Until then they shall be named 'fairytale mushrooms'.

Trekking the Gorge

The last few years we have bought a pass to the local conservation areas. There are 11 different parks along the Grand River, offering us great hiking trails, beaches, swimming, camping, nature programs, pools, birding, etc. These are places we visit regularly so the pass is just an added bonus.

Today we visited the gorge. This is somewhere I came every year to camp as a kid so I have found memories of the small beach, the camping, the trails, the amazing rocks and rapids. As a teenager we used to come tubing here. We would drive to one end, hop in the giant truck tire inner tube and float through calm and rapid water until we were into the shallow water and then we would hike back. Today lots of people are still tubing, although there is an extra fee and safety equipment required. The kids loved standing up high looking down, watching the tubes go through the white water and occasionally falling off!

We hiked past where the tubers use the river and watched some rescue training. The gorge sees many kayaks, rock climbers,hikers and tubers and depending on the water level it can be dangerous. It was interesting to watch how they navigated the slippery rocks, the swirling eddy, the fast moving water to cross and come back.

The trail has a few spots where you are able to hike down from the cliff to the water. The kids noticed many of the rock faces and formations were similar to those at the other parks, remembering information about lime stone and rock pools. The trees growing out of the cliff were incredible, some performing gymnastic like moves to reach the sun.

After a great hike we headed to the tiny beach for a cool down in the water.