Winter Holiday 2016 - Catch Up

I have not been very good about keep this blog updated for the past year or so. (Sorry Grandmaman) The last post I wrote about our Christmas holiday in 2016 was our ski trip to Vorlage. Whenever we go to Canada for Christmas, we try to get out, explore, and hike in the winter wonderland. The Mer Bleue Bog trail has always been one of our favorite hikes.

Daddy and Boogs stopped for a snowball fight before we even made it to the trail.

Anytime we get a chance to feed the chickadees, we will take it. Boogs loves to wait patiently with a handful (or hat full) of sunflower seeds. Feeling those little tiny bird feed land on your hand never gets old. We probably stood here for half an hour watching and feeding the birds.

Part of the trail is made of raised wooden-plank walkways. They stand about a foot above the peat bog. It is really neat to look out over the bog and see the beaver dams built up above the water and ice.

I love how isolated I feel on this trail. It is a true escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The only sounds you hear are bird calls, the rattle of dry grass in the wind, and the beating of wings. It is so peaceful.

Well, it is quiet until we start playing around. There are many great spots for a snowball ambush.

Even I got attacked by flying snowballs and then pushed off the edge of the walk way.

I love seeing Boogs' smile and rosy cheeks.

Daddy and Boogs were looking at a spot where the ice had cracked. They were wondering what had walked there or fallen there to make it crack. They had a long conversation about it.

There were several structures that people had built along the trail. Boogs stopped and explored each one.

These squirrels were chatting away under a bird feed. They seemed to be having a disagreement over who the dropped seeds belong to. I have never heard such noisy squirrels.

Near the end of the trail, I lost track of Boogs. It didn't take long to find him. He was silent and motionless with a handful of seeds, waiting for the chickadees to notice him.

We are not planning on going to Canada for Christmas 2017. It will be a long time before we see snow like this again.

Boogs' Point of View

I don't often think of handing a camera to Boogs. He does not have a phone. He does have a camera but we rarely remember to charge it. Earlier this year, my husband and I went on a scuba diving vacation in Belize. Boogs stayed home with my parents. My mom sent me these photos that Boogs took while they were walking the trail around Town Lake and visiting Zilker Gardens.

 

 

Here is the little photographer. Nonnie managed to get the camera back for a quick pic of Boogs.

There have been other outings where Boogs has focused a camera lens on the world around him. It is fun to see what interests him. I love the attention he paid to the details. My mom said he really took his time to line up each shot. I think he took some awesome pictures.

Have you given your kiddos a camera to see their point of view?

This post is linked to:

Revisiting Umlauf Sculpture Garden

Four years ago, Boogs and I visited Umlauf Sculpture Garden. You can see the post here. This time we did some of the same activities - scavenger hunt, salt water taffy sculpture, sketching our favorite sculpture, walking the grounds, and learning more about the artwork.

 Last time we came, I created a scavenger hunt because I did not know they offered one. During this visit, we used the one provided at the visitor center.

While we were there, Boogs measured himself against a sculpture called The Diver. Boogs was 7-years-old when we went last time and he was almost the exact same size as the statue.

I thought it would be neat to see how much he has grown since we last visited.

 

Look how much his arm has grown.

Boogs' foot is not that much bigger. I thought it would have grown more than that in four years.

 

 Taffy "sculpture" of The Diver.

Boogs still liked the Icarus sculpture. Last time he said it was his favorite sculpture in the garden. This time, he decided he liked The Diver best.

It was a beautiful afternoon to wander around the shady grounds of Umlauf Sculpture Garden.

It is hard to believe that Boogs is now a great big 11-year-old. Sometimes I wish I could turn back or slow down time. But then I realize what an amazing, thoughtful, and fun young man Boogs is becoming and I look forward to the future and all the changes that come with it as I watch him grow into a man.

This post is linked to Country Kids from Coombe Mill.