Getting Through the February Blahs

We are sort of done with winter.  I hasn't been a cold one or an icy one but come this time of year as the days start to get longer, I long to be outside more.

When life gives you snow.... get out and enjoy!

I shall conquer you!

 King of the castle!

Leading the charge

C'mon Mom, try and take our hill

Meanwhile at Karate, training continues.  Sid can climb anything and made it to the top of Mr. Kick Me.  Sigung was so impressed her duct taped her there.  Then Justin got on top and the two of them were duct taped together. 

Sid has been training a lot against bigger kids and is starting to find holes.  She fought Naomi, a 10 year old, twice yesterday and won both fights.

Here she shows her flying front jump kick!

Kata's and fighting are just part of karate.  They also do lots of conditioning and balance games.  There is always something new and fun going on.

At home we have been working really hard on school.  Lots of science, math, English and art.  Above is a clay cat Sid made as a pencil holder.  It has been glazed and fired and is the centerpiece on our table.

Valentines is just around the corner so we have been doing a few Valentines crafts too.  We still LOVE the chalk pastels. Such intense colours.

And while Sid does her Karate I have been bringing my felting.  This is the most recent creation which should be up in the store today.  Rainbow Sheep Mobile!

More training this week for this weekends big tourney.  More school, more friend time, more felting and more fun!

Another Neighbour!

We used to visit Bearbrook farms when they were at their other location but it wasn't often because it was a bit out of the way.  Then they moved really close.  We were able to ride our bikes down the road and see the farm but the last time we did that they still had not moved the animals.  This week we needed some elderberry and thought we'd pick up some sausage at the same time so we trekked over to the farm.

What we quickly discovered are amazing neighbours who have welcomed us to come and visit anytime and drive or walk around all the enclosures to visit with their animals.  How could we pass up a wonderful invitation like that?!  The next day we dressed in our woolies and drove up the road for some chilly fun.

Above are Elk, from the deer family.  They are ruminants (they have 4 stomachs) like their close cousins but the males grow to be about 700lbs unlike deer who reach about 300lbs.  The Elk also get a thicker winter coat so they can handle the open fields and wind a bit better than our regular white tailed deer.  The male elk are called bulls not bucks and the females and babies are cows and calves not does and fawns. 

 We also had the opportunity to visit the buffalo.  They look so fluffy and warm even though it was -20 with the wind.  The little guy above is super small, he had a rough go of it when he was born.  His mom was too young to have babies but accidentally got pregnant and gave birth in the fall instead of the spring.  He was born the fall of 2011 but is still super tiny.  They had to winter him and his mom in the barn last year so this is his first full winter outside.

This little buffalo was born this past fall.  I love the little horns.  These guys will stay on the farm until they are four years old then they will.... well let's not think about that.

There are peacocks, geese, ducks, rabbits and many more wonderful animals to visit at the farm.  Once it gets warm enough I can see us visiting weekly.  It is great having country neighbours!