Thanksgiving storm

Two days before Thanksgiving I was harvesting some last things in the vegetable gardens, get the outdoors ready for winter and we were all trying to gather and stack more firewood. The day before Thanksgiving 15" of snow fell and the power went out. Thanksgiving day we shoveled out before we could go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house. Also some of us had a heavy cold that week.

It was a long week!

My final garden haul, kale, carrots and onions, enough for a soup.

Colin digging out while wearing shorts!

The snow was heavy and caused a lot of power outages.

Wild turkey visitors. they like the garden remnants.

cozy kittens

They don't mind if it's snowing out!

New little ones

After Flurry passed away the kids really wanted for us to try again and get another kitten to be friends with Felix. It was always the plan to raise two kittens together. I was not so sure about this. It was very time consuming and yes, expensive to get Felix and Flurry started and tend to Flurry's illness and need for extra vet visit and a very limited and expensive diet. Plus I was emotionally drained. Well Hayley in particular was very persistent and a couple weeks later we found ourselves adopting not one but two little barn kittens. They couldn't be more different than Felix and Flurry. These babies were born outdoors and their owner did not even know where the mama cat had hidden the kittens for the first couple weeks. They were about 6 weeks old when we adopted them and their names are Stormy and Rufus. At first Felix did not like these little invaders at all. Now they are best of friends and constant companions, also quite a team of mischief makers!

Field trip to The Fort at No 4

I set up this field trip to coincide with my co-op class and our study of the book Calico Captive and the history or the French and Indian War. It was a fun and educational day. Plan to go back to the Fort for one of their special events or reenactments at some point.

Life Scout

Tristan's been busy with Boy scouting over the summer. There was summer camp, fundraising, a parade and some merit badge work. he also acted as senior patrol leader for camp and a few meetings after the former SPL aged out and went off to college. Tonight was a court of honor where the boys were awarded badges they'd earned at camp and over the summer as well as any new earned ranks. Tristan received 4 merit badges and his life scout rank. The scouts did some skits at the court of honor, watched a slideshow, received awards and the had some refreshments.

Flurry ran out of fight

Flurry the kitten passed away. I guess she was always sicker than we were willing to admit to ourselves. The veterinarian was gentle in his explanations of her illnesses and let us have some time to hope but she was too sick to go on very long. Looking back at pictures of her she looks sicker than I think we "saw" her at the time. Especially in comparison to her sister Felix. We really did think she would eventually do well, or maybe just REALLY wanted her to and tried to make it happen that she would be well by simple willpower. She lost her fight and went downhill quickly at the end. She was always sick from the day we adopted her but Flurry had her moments, she had spirit and fight in her and had some good times in spite of her illness. We will miss her and what could have been.

Homeschool, year 15, Day 1

Today began our 15th year of homeschooling! New year and new curriculum. For Tristan (and at co-op) I'm using Paths of Settlement with extension. Other curriculum and resources we will use this year are Apologia Physical science, Physics 101 (when it comes out), the Great Courses Math Fundamentals and Algebra, America-The Last Best Hope (older boys through co-op) and as usual anything that fits a need through the year.

It's very different this year, all boys! Hayley has graduated!! Another change it that, youngest child Tristan is starting high school!!! Trevor and Colin are so independent and doing all their courses through co-op or independently. So it's just me and Tristan for full on homeschooling, or should I say Tristan, me and....furry friends!

Tristan gets some "help" from Felix and Flurry.

Flurry studies the teacher's manual.

Homeschool with kittens=chaos!

Felix checks out the water routes of the early explorers.

Felix wants that pencil, Felix REALLY wants that pencil!

Felix snatched the pencil and tried to bury it!

Flurry is ready for read aloud time.

Now THIS looks fun!

Felix will help paint.

 

Tired kittens after their first day of homeschooling.