An afternoon escape...

On Friday afternoon we took advantage of the beautiful weather and the fact that our national parks had free entry. We packed a picnic and went to Silvermine Dam to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. 

The kids tried to catch some fish but they seemed to be hiding.

Beautiful pink blossoms announced that spring is here. 

Frogs croaked, bees buzzed and a snake slithered across our path, much to the delight of a little girl who was with us...her first snake seen in nature. 

A beautiful afternoon and good for the soul to be outdoors.

Enjoying nature...

'Charlotte Mason loved nature and felt that children should be outdoors among nature as much as possible each day, directly observing plants, animals, weather, and seasons."

It has been my goal to spend more time out in nature with the children. All though we may not get out every day, the children tend to make the most of the times that we do get out under the big blue sky. On Friday we took such an opportunity and it was a blessing to have my dear mum with us.

The Cape Fynbos is magnificent...

Our forest has been disappearing rapidly but has left us with magnificent views of our beloved Table Mountain.....

Have water....children will get wet.....

Z enjoyed leaping over the stream....

Tadpoles and frogs were caught.....

Boats were made and raced.....

Children fell into the stream.....on purpose I think.....

Memories were built with best friends.....

A glorious morning!

Autumn Nature Walk

This morning we set off for a walk in the Tokai Arboretum while J was on a mountain bike ride. It has been cold and rainy so it was good to get outdoors and refresh the mind, body and soul in Gods creation. The floor on the forest was thick with leaves shed during autumn.


We spotted these tiny pines covered in rain drops.


K found a porcupine quill!



The forest was clothed in rich greens with a touch of autumn reds and browns. I just love those autumn colours. Can you spot Z in the right hand corner of the picture?

Best of all, my mum was here to share the walk with with us.

Here are some of the spoils of our walk. We will try some nature drawings . The oddly spiked acorn cups and the leaves in the background are from the Sawthorn Oak from China. Its scientific name is Quercus Acutissima. I have never seen them before .

I was glad to have a warm bath after the refreshing walk.