Bo and Tess's Pirate Flag for the TreeHouse
I am over three weeks behind now with entries to this blog. I had just done the first week when I inadvertently deleted it so here we go again . . .
Matthew, Saskia and the girls Bo and Tess arrived Monday afternoon. It is delightful to see them all again. The girls are pleased with the bedroom I have decorated and prepared for them and disappeared up there to play.
Later, they discovered the 'gold coins' and treasure map in their Treasure Chest (see previous post in April). They had fun reading the map and finding the treasure.
Treasure parcels
Matthew outlined the plans he has for their two weeks here.
One idea was to dig a new pond with the tractor just below the millpond where there is a damp area – perhaps a spring or leakage from the millpond.
Here it is although some finishing off needs to be done:
New Pond
He also had plans to fire pottery in a sawdust-filled container. It is called ‘smoke-firing’ and if you want to know more about it just google ‘smoke firing’. We were not around when this was done but here are the results made by Matthew and the girls.
He wanted to make some paper – again we had left for Spain when this was done.
Three sheets of handmade paper with petals and leaves
Bench at Peter's Place
Then to the beach at the lake. It would seem that Matthew and family have been going to a different beach at Espinet on a different part of the lake. The weather was warm and sunny and the girls tried out their new air beds.
Tess with ring and airbed
Fun was had down at 'our' beach also despite the mysterious disappearance of some of the sand.
Matt and Sas watching the dryads girls at the 'beach'
This week we also managed to get the bread oven going and to have a pizza party.
Bo, Tess, Saskia and Rufus
Great Green Grasshopper
Red Clover
Well that all looks grand. Can't wait to see the pond. And such good sunny summer weather. I wonder whether the animal park at Gramat has a Giraffe they might lend to Jim? I learnt recently that Giraffes are the only animals that will eat brambles, spines and all. I admire Matthew's inventiveness with paper and pots though I can't help feeling that it has a kind of apple press quality to it.
ReplyDeleteThe apples are ripening as you type. They might be ready when you arrive. What ideas do you have?
ReplyDeleteNo money was spent in the pottery and paper projects - the clay was donated by the Don Pottery last year, the sawdust was collected by Jim from the barn floor after sawing the logs and the materials for the paper making are all scrap.