Nature Around Us

Our neighbor lake is historically low. They are draining it to clean it and do some type of protection lining thing to it. I took this picture from the car on the way home from Paddy's piano lesson this afternoon. 

We will go back there on Thursday for a make-up piano lesson and maybe actually get out of the car, especially if it's a bit warmer. 

Aidan saw this young deer out of his window and attracted our attention.   It's blurry because the camera is at full zoom through the window.  Deer have sharp ears.   Even though we were inside with the window closed and on the second story, its ears moved whenever Paddy talked!  (also Paddy has a high carrying way of speaking, the only one left in our family who still has a pre-adolescent pitched voice). 

Eventually we saw its twin sibling join it, and then two adult deer -- their mother, and another one.

A strange little spider we fished out of Paddy's bath.   It was tiny -- this zoom worked fairly decently.  You would never know that purple texture was a regular washcloth. 

It's warmer than it has been, but grey and cloudy today.  It sure seems like winter is closing in, and we're still in early October.    I am going to barbecue hamburgers for dinner but am bracing myself to go out to the deck.

We had a good day.   Kieron wants to learn Irish Gaelic, and why not.   I won't count it for his high school language, but as an ongoing elective it will work.  He can do his bit to be part of the Gaelic Revival.  I compiled some links and we have a book in the house from when Clare was trying to learn Gaelic. 

YouTube makes things easier.   I found a whole series on AP Biology topics given by a high school teacher.   The way I plan it, Kieron and I can listen together. 

There are a few things I want to blog about.   One would be how I compile credits for high school, given that we generally do things untraditionally (few textbooks, lots of self-designed courses).    And another would be about how I've been using "strewing" around here and also taking advantage of things like the changing seasons and various holidays to enrich our lives and learning.
Also I wanted to blog more about Abolition of Man.

And there were some other things.

But I am having trouble stringing thoughts together, especially since Aidan is trying to get me geared up to make some dinner!    And I have Bible Study tonight, so time to get off the computer!