How sad

On the way to the Canada Day festival we had to be diverted because we couldn't get up Hwy 21. There had been an accident. We had to drive right up to the accident site to get around and it was chaos. There was a motorcycle lying in the road, police cars, ambulance.......and they were gathered around a body in the road.......but not much was being done.....it didn't look good...but we were hoping we would find out that the man had been ok......sadly on the news tonight it said he was killed instantly.

The children were all in the car and have been asking questions. They saw the man there quite clearly and know he died. I'm sure they will have a lot of questions over the next few days.

Seeing death so close makes you appreciate life so much.....we have had a wonderful day out as a family and been able to enjoy making wonderful memories for another Canada Day...but some families today won't be so lucky. I feel very fortunate.

I drive past the scene of that accident most days. My thoughts will be with the bikers family when I do in the future.

Festival time

Where has the last year gone???? It seems to have gone so fast...just a year ago my parents were here to spend Canada Day with us...it was so great last year.......this year all the children are sick...Chris was so ill he couldn't go to the festival...and he was supposed to be working there for the museum!

Still, we took the younger four and managed to have fun! I lost count of all the people I ran into....the first people we saw were Sh and J and their beautiful two girls...even tiny baby A had a Canada Day tattoo on her face!!! Very sweet :)

The children quickly managed to spend their pocket money....and had fun making crafts in the various areas etc etc......they loved the petting zoo as usual and the farmers market.

We brought home 4 trees to plant in our yard...I got chatting with the man who gave them to me..... he's from Oxford but lived in Plymouth for a while and I recognised his SW accent :)

Laurie ran into his friends the twins and ended up going back to their house and now wants to sleep over......he may or we may pick him up after the bbq when we go back into town for the fireworks.....

Happy Birthday Canada

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

A new visitor to our yard....

This beautiful American Goldfinch is the latest newcomer to our yard.....isn't he stunning? He sat on the fire bowl for ages allowing me to take his picture.....and then sat in the little tree in the flower bed for ages even as I walked closer and closer taking photographs.....

Just gorgeous....I am constantly amazed at the vibrant colours of birdlife we get here at home......and feel so lucky to live here and appreciate them.

Shadow lands........

Scenes from our stroll

A few pictures I took when we took the dogs for their walk.......when you walk down to the pond now the grass is literally moving around you with frogs of all sizes...they all rush back towards the pond as you go nearer....Lloyd caught this little one for me to photograph......in the sunlight it was almost copper......quite beautiful.

The little white shed is actually the bus shelter...because it is so cold here in winter most acreages have a little shelter so the school children can stand in there waiting for the bus to pick them up from the end of the driveway.......I think ours is lovely....most of them tend to be shabby and ugly. I'd like to stencil plants around the bottom of ours one day....

The pretty old gate that is still standing behind Lloyds workshop...I plan to keep it simply for photographs over the years.......and the last picture is Rosie with the ball....she adores playing fetch and is quite brilliant at it...not like her big sister Amber...........Amber hasn't got a clue about retrieving!!! I think she's an Irish Setter in disguise......

Chicken feet

Don't chickens have the most enormous revolting feet??????

Here are some of our girls....soon to start laying.......they are such odd creatures...they just sit on thier roost and stare at you..........yet as soon as you go they wander around...you go in again and they stay still again...as if they are playing musical statues at a birthday party and the first one who moves is out! .......or roasted on Sunday lol!

Lloyd adores his chickens...as does Chris....these are very, very pampered chickens. But they aren't very bright ;)

Summer evening stroll with the dogs....

My girls Rosie and Amber in the front paddock this evening.......

Plant life.....

Some of the plants and flowers (and cuckoo spit) from our land today.....Lloyd hadn't heard of cuckoo spit before but I remember seeing it on nature walks as a child...it's created by little bugs as a protective layer during metamorphosis......in this top picture its hard to focus on it but it's the white bubbly stuff by the plant stem.......

Peony pleasures

Flowering at last......and they are stunning......

F-ant-astic!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5128604.stm

We have Field Ant hills all over our land......they don't often come by the house so we haven't bothered to do anything about them......I find them facsinating.....and the article above shows just how amazing these creatures are at measuring distances....

.....maybe our house will cave in from all the ant tunnels under ground but ants sure are neat to study!!!

first impressions

Sometimes you meet people and you instantly feel comfortable with them...conversations flow easily and you just feel like you've met a new friend in this big old world......

And then there are those people that you meet and you just know you will never be friends...you feel uncomfortable, they 'rub you up the wrong way' (is that an English term????) and conversation is so hard......and you leave the situation feeling low....sometimes this happens with those you come across online and sometimes with those you meet in real life and sometimes both...but its most difficult to handle when you know you are going to cross each others paths again and again......

This has been a week where I have experienced both of the above......and I certainly know which situation I prefer ;)

How ironic

"Our third workshop will be held in May titled " Here there are dragons” .
Using Schema focused methods for challenging childhood/traumatic life traps or
resistant behaviour

" .

So The Farmhouse Therapy Centre recently held the above workshop.....hmmmm its about issues adults have that date back to childhood experiences......hhhmmmm

http://www.farmhousetherapycentre.co.uk/home.htm

interesting.....

And how funny that it was run by the owner of this therapy centre......my EX...the same ex that has not spoken to his children since Xmas 02...the very same Ex who hasn't seen his children since September 02...and then was late to come and pick them up because he didn't get out of bed on time........the same ex that lives in a half a million pound farmhouse and can honeymoon in the Caribbean and visit NYC regularly to see his Mom but can't come a few hours further to see his own children.....he doesn't send letters, doesn't email, doesn't phone....they sometimes get birthday cards and a little money...sometimes not...it's a guessing game for the children....maintenance hasn't been reliable lately......even though he pays a lot less than he really should...

He's 'curing' clients who were treated this way by their fathers....and they are paying hundreds for the privilege........can't he see that he's doingt he same thing to his own children?????

How ironic is that???????

And I bet none of his clients have a clue what their therapist is really like......ah but of course they all probably believe his wicked ex wife 'stole' his children away from him! That I won't allow contact.......he even has his new wife fooled...doesn't she wonder why he doesn't maske any effort to see his children????

Irony...what a funny thing it is........

Honours Award

Here are Chris's awards for getting Honours in grade 7. He's proud of course, but more than that I think he is just happy that the year is through and he is finally free of that school board.

Well done Chris!

Blackberry picking :)

Lloyd is at the homeschool boards end of year award ceremony. Chris is being given an award of some kind...he gets honours all the time so maybe its for that....... or who knows what award they have come up with....last year Chris got a special award when he graduated grade 6. It was voted for by staff and students for being an all-round great person...helpful, clever, friendly........I was very proud :) to me that award meant so much more than an award for honours because I know how easy studying comes to him......

That doesn't mean I'm not proud of him for his results...just that the fact that he is growing into such a good, kind, respectable and responsible human being is so much more important than test results.

Anyway Lloyd keeps emailing from his blackberry...some little girls are playing violins atm and he wants Abby to learn ha!!!! I told him she can practice in his office ;)

He also needs the bathroom so I keep emailing him water sounds....I also told him to stand up and swear and pretend he has tourettes...that would liven the place up ;)

Chris wrote a fab book report today....another book about the second world war...his interest atm.

I started feeling worse and worse this afternoon so popped some tylenol and soaked in a cool bath for a while......I read the entire Live Free Learn Free magazine from cover to cover - wow what an issue!!! EVERY article just spoke to me......if you homeschool or unschool or have the slightest interest in your childs education then subscribe to this magazine - or just order the July/Aug issue because it's worth every penny!!! www.livefreelearnfree.com

I read an article about 'exploring the slow lane' to Sam.....he loves to be read to...he doesn't mind whether its a childrens book or one of my magazines, he will happily sit and run his finger along the page and look around the room as I read to him.....

Laurie got invited to a sleepover tonight but I said no.....Lloyd came home and then drove back into the city for the ceremony and I don't feel up to driving tonight...but he can invite the boys over another night....I'm sure they'll be here a lot through the summer and he will be there too.....

Great Lloyd just called to say they are on their way home...with dinner :)