First canoe Trip

The boys and I spent a great afternoon canoeing at a local conservation area - what a fabulous way to spend the day!  There are definitely parts of me that miss my boys as little babies - I won't go into all of the details, because, well, it is just not a happy place to dwell.  But I also love it as they grow.  Our time together takes on a whole new flavor as we do things together on equal footing.  William can hold his own with a paddle, and Charlie is not far behind.  Together we were able to explore parts of the lake that would have been too tricky with only one paddler.  My goal was to spend more time in a kayak this summer (rather than only the week that we are away at family camp) but Charlie is not quite confident enough to kayak on his own, so canoeing is a great compromise.  There are a tonne of great places around to take out a boat, and we are working our way up to a 4 hour trek down the Grand River. 

The Hole in the Wall

One of the boys' favorite places to hike (especially when they can bring friends along) is called The Hole in the Wall.  It is only about 20 minutes away, the perfect 2 hour hike, and full of rocks to climb over, in, and around.  Today we took Ben and Maddie (or fabulous neighbours) along.  The kids chatted, ran ahead, played and climbed, and I got to enjoy a relatively quiet walk in the woods.  Perfect!

GeoCaching

The boys love playing with the GPS, especially when there is a treasure at the end of their search.  Today we went with Friday Friends to the Guelph lake nature centre to do a little geocaching.  It unfortunately ended with some grumpy, cold kids (apparently we have been up way too late this week!!) but I thought I would share some links anyway.  This is such a great way to explore the woods with kids...

Official Geocaching Site

Ontario Geocaching Association

Geocaching Kids

The Arboretum

Hiking at the U of Guelph Arboretum with our Friday Friends group...

Early Morning Hike

We got up early today and headed for the woods before it became too hot. It was peaceful, quiet, just the right temperature, and beautifully lit by the morning sun through the trees.  Exploring the trails around here always makes me grateful that we live where we do.

The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.
                                                                     ~ Plato

Walk in the woods

There is really nothing better than a walk in the woods when there are lessons to be done...

Bruce Trail Revisited

The boys are taking up the challenge of hiking the Bruce Trail again, and wanted to explore some new ground.  We went out to Mono today to the McCarston Lake Side Trail.  It would be so nice to be able to hike with another driver in the group so that we could go in a straight line instead of either having to double back or pick side loops!

Here is a bit of what we saw...

The Hole In The Wall

Parenthood challenges us in the most dramatic ways...such as following your kids, despite a nasty case of claustrophobia, into little, tiny, cold and dark cracks in the rocks along this section of the Bruce Trail that we had never visited before. The boys brought along a friend, and we spent the afternoon exploring these great caves, as well as the ruins of an old limestone kiln and the Black River along the trail. We are still a (very) long way from our goal of walking the whole trail system, but as the boys get older, we are able to tackle longer and longer stretches of trail each time we go out. We seem to divide our time these days between exploring new territory, and re-visiting our favorite places close to home.

Slithering Snakes, Batman!!

The area where we went hiking today is known as 'snake hill', so we were expecting to see a few critters slithering across our path. What we weren't expecting to see was a 'snake tree'!! This cedar tree by the side of the trail had easily 6 snakes in it (that we could see) and likely many more that we couldn't. The kids thought it was great. Although snakes have never been my favorite animals, even I have to admit that it was pretty interesting.

Rattle Snake Point

Today was such a special day - for the first time, ever, I took my boys to Rattle Snake Point. This beautiful spot on the Niagara Escarpment is one of my favorite places to hike. I have such wonderful memories of coming here with Jim before we were married - exploring the forest, or just relaxing and enjoying the view. William, Charlie and I often go hiking together, but this spot just seemed too dangerous for my little rock climbers, given how high the escarpment is, how steeply it falls away, and how close the trail runs to the edge. We had a very serious talk before we got out of the car about this being one forest where the boys needed to stay within sight (as opposed to the usual within hearing range) and that I was expecting absolute obedience - no second chances. I had prepared myself that I did in fact need to be willing to leave if they couldn't listen, but they both did great and we had a wonderful time. They both seemed to feel right away how important this place is to me (and now to them!) and also how it needed to be respected.

To make the day even more special, the boys each found a sacred place of their own here - William found a small stream trickling out of the rocks at the bottom of the cliff, and Charlie found a just-challenging-enough rock slide that felt perfect for him. Right away these places have become their own.

I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to be able to come here again. I am for the most part accepting of all of the sacrifices that Motherhood requires. Still, to be able to spend time here again, and now to be able to share it with the two most important people in my life, is really a blessing.

Tad Poles (almost!)

To celebrate the beautiful weather here lately, we invited some friends of ours to visit a local stream in search of tad poles. We know from past trips that this little creek is a bustling frog haven, and set out equipped with our nets and buckets. The kids had a great time looking, and we eventually came away with two buckets full of tinny, black squiggly things.....which we are now quite sure are mosquito larvae (oops!). I think that in our excitement, we made it out somewhat earlier than the frogs did. Still, it was not a loss. A beautiful hike, water striders admires, theories tossed about as to best possible locations for tad poles, and even the first snake sighting of the season. We have since been hearing the frogs serenading each other every evening, so I think that we will do a bit more research on amphibian reproduction, and then head out again. Stay tuned!!





As an aside, I am continually amazed by the flexibility of childrens' minds. Charlie is almost 5 years old, and is usually a very bright little boy. He knows that water is a liquid and not a solid, and generally understands the properties of each. He heard me say that if he stepped into the marsh his feet would get wet. He understands that wet shoes are uncomfortable. We have had this very same experience quite a few times before. And yet, somehow, he maintains hope beyond hope that if he steps there lightly, things may turn out differently. Needless to say, I am glad that it wasn't too long a hike back to the car, because carrying a 4 year old on my back whose shoes are now too wet and uncomfortable to wear is somewhat tiring.......