Catching petals...

I am very excited, as I am planning a trip to the Lake District with my boys. I had this in my heart to do for a number of years, but this year my heart is singing with joy at the idea of it. This could be for a number of reasons, one of which is I am feeling fitter and more energetic than I have in a long while, thanks to No Excuses Workouts, or just that it's the right time.

In their usual competitive style both boys are very motivated by the thought of climbing the highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike, and another mountain which I have loved from my youth, Helvellyn, which has a scary looking edge to scramble along.

A quick google search for Helvellyn (mainly because I wanted the correct spelling) revealed a poem by Sir Walter Scott. He tells a romantic description of the mountainside and of how he came upon the spot where a walker had died and the story of the walkers faithful dog had remained at his side for months until found by a shepherd.  Wainwright also wrote a poem about this 'Fidelity'.

Well I remember as a child coming across the commemorative stone of this tale that some one has erected on the mountain, being a romantic it has remained in my heart for years, the story of the faithful dog who never left his masters side...I am wondering what the boys will think seeing it, knowing their personalities, I think my eldest will be fascinated and curious to know more and my younger son will be touched by the romanticism much like I was, and give his own dog a big hug.

This is when my home education head takes note, I will read the poems to my boys when we are back in our tent after the expedition. The moment of standing on the mountain, surrounded by wild beauty, with a distant tale of old in your head is when children's imaginations and interest is sparked. These learning moments are like catching petals falling from a tree, you have to quickly seize the moment but not too tightly or you crush the petal, then know when to drop it before you spoil it's beauty.