Ann and Eric Yates

Hi Danielle,
I was looking at your site.
It is wonderful.
Very cute kids!

How did you make the climbing wall?
Sounds like something we might like to do.
Thanks,
Ann
----- Original Message -----
From: Danielle Conger
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 8:59 AM
Subject: Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Re: Need some gentle parenting help here!!!


> It is a beautiful pond Danielle. I saw the photos at your website. Very
> inspiring!
>
> Julie
====================
Thank you! I love it, and we all enjoy it so much! Dh was skeptical at
first, and more than a bit bummed out by the $$$ spent, though I did all the
labor. But now even he loves it and pouts if we feed the fish before he gets
home. I'll have to post a picture on my webpage that shows the top and
bottom ponds as a whole to give you the idea of what I was describing. I
deliberately built the upper pond with a gradual slope to it to create a
pebble beach for the kids and wildlife to wade in; it's only about 18" deep
or so. Of course, the kids' favorite past time is throwing the pebbles into
the ponds, so I'm constantly having to refresh the beach. But it's worth it!

The ponds are a great source of both enjoyment and learning. The weather
here has been really hot lately, and the kids have been in and out of the
pond multiple times a day. We've found tadpoles and black snails, moss and
algae. We test the water weekly for ph and nitrate levels. This weekend, the
kids spotted a snake sunning itself on the rocks--a pretty good size giant
garter snake, we think, either that or an eastern ribbon snake, but I don't
think so. It was probably hunting for frogs too. We've found box turtles and
blue salamanders. Bats and dragonflies love the water. It's a host to so
much wonderful wildlife. We live a mile in from the Chesapeake Bay, but
we're very wooded or else we'd probably have herons trying to eat our fish.

I garden because I love to do it, but the kids just gain so much from all of
our gardens and bird feeders and the wildlife they attract. Both dd's can
differentiate between 4 different woodpeckers that we see, and we've been
lucky enough to watch mating dances and "meet" the fledglings when they
first come to our feeders. Julia is amazing at catching butterflies by hand,
and we even hatched a chrysalis this spring that had overwintered in our
shed. The past several days the kids have been out every day picking
strawberries as they ripen, and I'm hoping that this year they'll enjoy the
blackberries just as much.

Now, we're in the process of researching chickens and designing a coop for a
backyard flock of layers. I've applied to 4-H to become a leader, largely
due to the recent conversation on this list. I had been looking into scouts,
but wasn't thrilled with it while 4-H sounds ideal for our family. I also
figure it's a good way for me to learn about sheep, which I've always wanted
to keep. Dh keeps talking about moving, which he knows I'm so reluctant to
do because I've put so much time, energy and love into our home. I keep
telling him the only way he'll get me off this land is to buy me several
acres so I can add sheep, goats and possibly horses to my list!

--Danielle

http://www.danielleconger.com/Homeschool/Welcomehome.html



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