Another first for the season

Lots of beach days to be had, but this is the first swim in the lake. I am surprised with such a warm spring that no one has gone in yet, yesterday was the day. There are plans to return tomorrow.

Maple Syrup Festival

We took a little road trip to a small town about an hour north of us for their annual Maple Syrup festival. This year was unseasonably warm, sandals and shorts a common outfit, compared to the normal below zero temperatures, snow or freezing rain, it was a welcome change for the day. The festival did have lots of vendors selling maple syrup, a tour of a near by Maple Syrup production, with over 11,ooo trees being tapped with lines, it was really only a small part of the event.
There were lumberjacks demonstrating their skills, competing against each other for speed and accuracy. Science North had a tent, giving kids the chance to build with K'nex, make giant bubbles, guess different types of animal scat and skulls. The local astronomy society had many telescopes out for people to look through (something I had never done during the day time), ask questions and pick up some great info for star gazing. The streets were lined with music, food and crafts. We loved chatting with a local goat farmer who uses goat's milk to create soap and cream. The farmers brought a mama goat and her two four day old kids- instant love. The local fire department had all their trucks and equipment out to look at. It was a fun filled day of entertainment and sunshine.

Shearing Sheep

There was a sheep shearing demonstration at the festival. Something we were all excited to see. The person doing the demonstration took us through a bit of history, explaining how sheep were first sheared with razor sharp clippers, and still are in many places. The one year old sheep was brought out to have her coat trimmed first with a 100 year old crank operated pair of clippers. I was amazed at how still the sheep was, despite the large crowd. The clippers worked incredibly well, if it wasn't brought to my attention I would have guessed they were electric. The audience member who was turning the crank got tired quite quickly, it required that he keep a steady constant pace.

After using this older model the rest of the sheep was sheered with a pair of modern day clippers. In less then 10 minutes the sheep was sheared. And look quite handsome. The fleece was offered to people, and we were one of the few to take some home. We have plans to wash, card and use it.
The farmer gave a great talk afterwards about food security, the importance of buying local, the impact on the price of lamb and wool because of the world market and multinationals. Unfortunately before long we were the only ones listening to him speak, slowly everyone else left. We chatted for a little while about everything from the drastic drop in the price of raw wool in the last ten years, to agricultural awareness in education, to the local market for local food. I left a little more aware and thankful for crossing paths with someone who is passionate and inspiring. Since this demo there has been lots of chatting going on about sheep.....

River Time

A friend recently wrote her own blog post about how hiking with her kids has changed over time. That as they are now older, they are more able to explore further away from her. Her role has changed for them, being there for them to touch base with, provide snack, hear what discoveries are being made. She is now able to take photos along the trail, follow a little more what catches her eye.

It got me thinking about how hiking for me and the kids during the week is always changing. From having Shai in the backpack chatting about what he saw, to walking at an incredibly slow pace to accommodate his tiny legs and his big plans, to insisting that he join the bigger kids off the trail. I find myself exploring off the trail with him, partly to help him out a bit and partly to give the bigger kids free hands. I am loving the discoveries we are making, the situations I am getting into (literally) and the new perspectives I get to see. Shai is enjoying sharing every discovery he makes with me, insisting I fully stop to take it in. The worms, the ants, the flowers, the leaves, the birds. He is also insisting that each one gets a photo, including a photo of him at his favorite stops.

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music

.....Well they aren't hills, it's our yard.

And you can't really see me as Maria can you?

But the music part is totally accurate. The outdoors is alive with sounds, music. I am in awe of the stark contrast between the winter and the spring. Perhaps I am so aware of it because the mild winter meant lots of time spent outside at night this year and really take in the quiet of those nights. The type of winter quiet where you feel like if you strain your hearing just a little bit more you could hear those incredible stars twinkle. The snow underneath the snow shoes crunches loudly, echoing off the trees as you walk. Your breathing sounds loud against the silent backdrop.


This past month the spring music has been like an orchestra. A different instrument, voice being added every few days, at different times. The ravens, the robins, the cardinals, all chiming in. A pair of ruffled grouse making noisy appearances, our chickens clucking as they lay their eggs, the splashes of kids exploring the pond. The tree frogs singing loudly enough they can be heard through closed doors. It's marvelous. I really feel like I connect with the idea of the earth waking from a winter sleep, that I have witnessed this awakening as opposed to being caught off guard that spring arrived. One of the kids commented when we were talking about how beautiful this process has been for us, that it is like watching a flower open in slow motion, stop photography is it called? Seeing the details of the flower petals pull open, revealing each part of its growth as opposed to coming across a beautiful grown flower.

Spring Crafting

The last few years I have wanted to make these for our Easter celebrations. After forgetting so many times, I finally got around to it! The wind cooperated perfectly for lots of fun.

The Search

It's all about the search when it comes to the Easter Eggs. It wasn't until the last few years that we started adding chocolate into the eggs, and even since then the looking and then finding is really what all the excitement is about.

Hints of Green

Its spring. There is hints of green both inside and outside the house. Chris has been busy getting a new coat of paint on almost everything. It feels so fresh and clean. Mother nature has been breathing new life all around us. The pussy willows are popping up, daffodils in the front yard, new grass beginning to grow.