Last Saturday, Mr. Nielson took the boys hiking with the Scouts.
They got up early, packed a lunch, and took Angus in
the car to meet with the rest of the group.
But not before heading to the gas station to get a few Gatorades,
because whoever heard of a Scout hike without Gatorade?
Clane had high hopes for their Saturday with lists of things to
do, closets to organize, and letters to write.
Turns out they only accomplished watching BBC's Victoria.
(I would like to add my love for this show; it is a masterpiece in
every sense of the word, and I am very much looking forward to season 2.).
Anyway, Saturday was looking wide open for me and Lottie.
I asked her in the ranch kitchen that morning while making her
favorite buttermilk pancakes what she wanted to do on our Saturday together.
She told me she wanted to go on a hike.
but with the boys and Angus gone and the girls curled up in
bed, Lottie and I spent the whole afternoon together.
We cleaned up, got dressed, and put out the pizza dough to rise on the counter.
Then we began our hike and decided to take the
small trail behind the ranch house.
We began walking but mostly stopping sometimes every few seconds to
look at beautiful colored and uniquely shaped rocks
hidden in the orange soil. It felt good to slow down.
I never slow down throughout the week.
I move fast, sort laundry, then wash and change loads, sweep the floor,
do dishes, pick up, cook, and discuss. And I do all of this while schooling,
Example:
"Write your spelling words into sentences
and when I get back from switching the laundry
I want them to be finished."
or
"Do math pages 73 and 74 while I load the dishwasher and sweep.
Yell my name if you need my help".
"Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom......."
This is all good stuff--it's just all very fast, and I often wonder
how many times I say, "come on!", "hurry!", "let's get this done,"
or "sit down" during the day.
I'm not necessarily impatient; I just want all of us to stay on task,
and let's be honest, I don't want to be doing school all day.
But here on the trail with Lottie we
examined feathers, footprints, and the cool shapes
of the winter cactus. Then the wind picked up.
We heard rumors that we were going to be getting snow, and the wind
was certainly suggesting that it was coming.
I taught Lottie the saying "the warm before the storm."
I told her that sometimes before a winter storm, the weather
is pleasant with warm temperatures,
and the day was certainly pleasant- and windy.
We visited the horses, the water tank, and the garden where
everything was sleeping in the rich soil.
Then we saw Mr. Nielson's truck bouncing down the ranch road
and Lottie and I ran back.
The boys were home!
I lit candles in the ranch house and started dinner.
Nights on the ranch are all things Hygge!
And just as predicted, around 8:30, snow started falling from the sky.
It was a miracle!
We all ran outside and screamed while Angus danced around.
