Thursday, July 7, 2016

April

Walking home from church.  We always stop to peak at the little episcopalian church on Main Street, (or, if we're Alexe, to steal the hydrangeas.) Maybe one day Water Valley will sprout enough episcopalians to open her up again.


Snoozing on the lawn.  The spring was long and cool and lovely.


Caspian dragged us out fishing many a Sunday afternoon.  On this trip we ran into some local boys, who let the kids reel in a few of their catches.  Alexe and I fished nearby, and while this crew was filling up a decent stringer, we didn't get a bite.


Eggs from the chickens, spinach/carrots/radishes grown by Alexe.


Prepping the classroom for Base Camp, the kids found a couple of laptops and were suddenly whizzing around the internets with zero direction. Mostly iReady and typing tutorials, but they found a free zombie video game somewhere that they will switch over to in a heartbeat.


Another Sunday evening fishing.  It was going so well the kids decided to go swimming.


Beautiful girl harvesting lettuce in her mother's garden.


Friday evening, Family Movie Night.


Board games at the brewery before the band starts up.


The kids and I went to the Enid Lake Hatchery for a pond management workshop.  (Educating myself as a soon to be pond manager.)

The kids amused themselves around the hatchery while I was in class, and then we went out to feed the catfish.


In preparation for the home pond project I set about clearing the valley, (see my birthday post from February,) and draining the current pond.  The kids joined me, and Alexe made an appearance or two, looking lovely.


Digging a channel through the dam.  For the new dam, we needed to stop all water flow down the valley, so the little pond needed to be low before we could use it to absorb all the spring flow for the time it would take to build the new dam.


Pretty.  Crazy.


A successful fishing trip with Mr. Cliff.  This guy was the biggest catch of the day.


Everyone got to reel in a fish.  


With the little pond drained to maybe six feet, we found the goldfish and minnows we have been putting in there over the years are doing just fine.  Caspian tried to catch some with a rod, and having no luck transitioned to a net and went after frogs and tad poles.  For the next month he came home from school, grabbed a net, and went to the pond.  


Settlers of Catan.


Helping scoop ice cream for an afternoon at the elementary school.  Students who saved their rewards points for the year, (instead of spending them at the school store) could apply them towards a special ice cream party.  Annaliese spent hers at the school store, Caspian had enough to attend the party and more.  


No comments: