exploration baskets.

The boys found some goodies in their baskets today that drove us to the local pond. Walking sticks, nets, magnifying glasses, nature notebooks, guide books, sunprint paper and more were tucked into baskets to celebrate getting OUTSIDE again this spring.


We have all been a bit under the weather, but wanted to get some sunshine and fresh air after many days of cold and wet.


We wandered where the boys could test their new walking sticks as well as practice cast and use their new nets on ... frogs? Fish? Nets are fun for exploring and observation, before letting things go.


There is not much green around here with our really late spring ... trees are mostly bare, fields are brown, and the only green is the bit of grass. So being right by the water was nice. Tufts of neon green and the ridiculously loud singing of the frogs! Woo hoo!


The boys found their favorite spot to cast and hang out. Of course it is the steepest spot of the whole pond area, and within minutes of me taking these photos,


in fact in about 1.3 seconds from here, A slid down the gravel hill while trying to get some algae in his net and SPLASH!!!!! Brrrrrrrrr!!! A doesn't much like wearing cold soaked algae coated shoes (I had extra clothes so he could change out of soaked slimy pants, but not shoes), so we headed home after a bit. ;)


We have many more pond adventures to come, I'm sure! We have some more cold and rainy days heading our way, but we are happy after having some sunshine. And we have have a few baskets of goodies when the sun returns.


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pond fun.

My boys love casting. You read right. Casting, not fishing. They don't really want to catch fish. They don't like trying to pull hooks out of mouths and tossing fish back...


But they love heading out to ponds every single spring as soon as the ice has melted and using their fishing poles. And the best part is of course the process, the ritual.


They really enjoy going out to the pond on a sunny day to listen to frogs, cast the line and reel it in (we use practice casting weights, not hooks), see who can go farthest, who has the best aim. Watch birds. Look at the clouds. Feel the breeze. Try to figure out what all the plants are. Sit in the grass and feel the warm sunshine. See if they can find any garter snakes. Have a picnic.


They like to find new ponds or streams. Explore the water to see what is living in there (their easter baskets will have water testing kits - can't wait!!). They call themselves the "litter patrol" and clean up whatever paper/plastic we find when we visit our favorite spots. It is all such a nice way to spend a sunny spring day. It isn't about the catching, it is about the fishing.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without
knowing that it is not fish they are after.

~Henry David Thoreau


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weekend adventures.

We went on an adventure yesterday, to a (not too) far away place that the boys had never been before. We needed to add to our camping supplies for the summer, and knew the boys would find the 165,000 square feet of Cabela's pretty interesting.

The boys had a fun day strolling through the aquarium and checking out tents, boats, fishing poles, ATVs, camping supplies and so much more. I think the two most exciting things included a) both boys getting their own new fishing poles, and b) both boys getting turns in the archery range where they were able to use a bow. They did not want to leave, and A definitely wants to take an archery class this summer.


Of course the first thing they wanted to do today was practice casting with their fishing rods. They both had a quick 'how to' with us, and then got started. They spent a lot of time outside today casting over and over and over - they even put out some markers so they had a spot to aim for. Fun!


I only got bonked in the head with a practice weight once (and that was because I thought I should rake the beds while the boys were casting). Not bad!!!  ;)