Ice Fishing Take 2: We get it now

We went to the kid's ice fishing derby at Range Pond State Park on Friday, a day before the ice deterioration reported on Sebago Lake happened for the regular derby. Range Pond was frozen solid and although we stayed close to shore, it was perfectly safe for the hundreds of families at the derby Friday morning.

This is only our second time ever ice fishing. Our first experience was not well-researched by moi about how to prepare for the activity.

I left the house for this second round of ice fishing (two years later) well-prepared. The mini-van was packed with chairs, blankets, hot cocoa, lots of games and the assurance that a few of our friends would meet up with us at the state park.

Here are the highlights of our morning on the ice.

L. got some help from an experienced ice fisherman and 4H leader about setting up her trap.

And it was L.'s job to bait her own hook, which she willingly did.

Then when faced with the prospect of waiting around for her flag to fly, she pulled out her ribbon wand to play with her friends.

Then more waiting around prompted another game.

After another half hour of playing the kids decided to sit and have some hot cocoa.

Then there was more waiting before the decision to play another game of toss, this time on the beach...

... which kept the next half an hour entertaining while waiting for that flag to flip skyward.

At some point G. got tired of the games - and waiting for the fish - and decided to take some photos of the cloud formations instead.

Then the decision was made by the kids to check on traps and re-bait hooks.

A while later the kids were prompted to sing a "here fishy fishy" song by a friend in hopes our group might get a nibble.

Unfortunately, there was only one kind of fish caught after our three hours on the ice.

But the kids didn't mind. We left thinking we could learn to like ice fishing and make it an annual winter event now that we know how it's really done.

Snowy little lambs

Yesterday L. met - and named - one of the new lambs at the sheep farm where she plans to get her sheep this spring for her 4H project.

She was thrilled with naming the little black ewe (girl) and in usual L. fashion, came up with an interesting name.

Meet Midnight Minette.

A book series was her inspiration for her pigs' names last year and a different series inspired the name of this little one.

And just in case you didn't know (I didn't until recently), sheep like to be outside in all sorts of weather. Cold and a little (or a lot) of snow does not bother them one bit.

And the lambs? Well, they just follow their mothers and learn to like it too.

Hmm, I wonder if this translates as well to humans?

Winter firework show worth braving cold

The Naples Winter Carnival had a great fireworks show over the weekend and G. caught some great pictures of it.

I had never seen a winter fireworks show but after chatting with the Carnival's event coordinator for a preview story I wrote for the Sunday Telegram, I was sure it was something my family needed to check out.

It was a little chilly sitting on our chairs on the ice but the hot cocoa and blankets kept us comfortable and L. made a trip over to the bonfire to warm up her hands.

When the event coordinator told me that the fireworks would start promptly at 6 p.m. because there wouldn't be any fussing with conditions on a frozen lake (not like the dry summer season), he wasn't kidding. Those fireworks started on the dot.

We had a great view on the ice and the girls said that it was one of the best shows they'd ever seen. The reflection of the lights on the ice made the fireworks seem even brighter. And we had a wonderful view only a hundred yards from where the fireworks were being shot into the air. I guess when you have an entire frozen lake for a fabulous - and unobstructed - 360 view to choose from. it can really offer a totally different perspective. We might be ruined for seeing summer shows after this one.

There was one aspect that was just like the summer though...

... the traffic on the causeway after the fireworks.

Kid Tracks column: XC skiing's fun factor

My family really likes cross country skiing. My children’s first experience on skis was downhill but that’s been on the back burner for several years. Cross country skiing is my kids’ preferred winter sport and they have several friends who share their enthusiasm for it.

One thing I have learned through the years of cross country skiing with my children, as well as coordinating a ski club (a non-competitive, just-for-fun group), is choosing a trail that suits the ability of the kids I’m skiing with on the trail. Taking the features of the area in to consideration is important as well because I want to make sure the kids have fun and stay interested in skiing once we’re on the trail.

My family has never been focused on how much mileage we cover. When the kids were younger we simply needed an open field and a small hill to keep everyone entertained. Now they are middle schoolers, stronger skiers and have a more vocal opinion about the trails we choose to visit. And although the girls tend to make the final decision about where we go skiing, it’s my job to present the options in a way that will appeal to them, and to their friends.

LITTLE HILLS ARE FUN
Our ski group has skied the Mountain Division Trail in Standish together more than a dozen times in the past several years and it’s still a favorite destination. There is a small hill about 1/2 mile from the trail head the kids dubbed "the favorite hill" several years ago because we typically linger at it to play silly games. We have spent multiple afternoons on this one hill skiing through hula hoops (read my blog for more about this hulahoopski). Our ski group is capable of covering more mileage now but when the kids were younger, this made for a great afternoon of fun for all ages.

THE BIG HILL THRILL
Cross country skis are not designed like downhill ones and there is less control with more narrow skis that don’t lock-in the heel of your foot. But as my children will tell you, that doesn’t mean you can’t go down a hill on them. Quite the contrary. These days my kids will deem a trail exciting if it has at least one big hill. A trip to Five Fields Farm in Bridgton this winter offered a special treat with the biggest hill they’ve ever skied down on their "skinny skis." I disgraced myself by choosing to fall down on said hill when I felt I was going too fast for my own comfort level. But the kids did several runs up and down it, quite competently, and clocked their speed at 17 miles per hour with our GPS unit. If you’re unfamiliar with cross country ski speeds, for an average ability skier (i.e., a non-racing type) this is quite fast, hence a big thumbs up from my the kids on that trail system’s "thrill factor."

GET TRAIL ADVICE
If you’re family is new to cross country skiing, you’ll likely want to avoid hills. Typically trail systems will identify novice trails based on the lack of hills and fairly level terrain. Twin Brooks in Cumberland has a groomed open field track and is a great place for new skiers to get comfortable on their skis. Riverside Golf Course in Portland also offers groomed trails on level terrain.

Many cross country ski centers that charge a trail use fee can be worth every penny of their fee for people new to the sport. These centers typically have a detailed map and someone familiar with the trail system to explain options and offer suggestions based on ability and features to ensure your family has an enjoyable experience on their skis.

MULTI-USE TRAILS
Many of the free cross country ski trails options around the state are "multi-use" trails. This typically means that you’ll share the trail with snowmobiles. If you’re going on a trail you know will have snowmobiles, talk to your kids about how you’re going to handle the approaching vehicles. My family skis in a single file on one side of the trail we know has regular snowmobile traffic. In all the years we’ve been cross country skiing, only twice have we ever had a snowmobiler race by us. They are generally a curteous lot and will slow down when they spot a skier. A little common sense and a chat with your children about what to do is all that’s needed to share the trail and have an enjoyable afternoon on the trail system.

FAMILIAR PLACES ARE NICE
This winter the kids’ ski group decided to challenge themselves to cover more mileage on the Mountain Division Trail with a loop around the Otter Ponds and on to the shores of Sebago Lake. Now a bit of distance and a scenic view appeals to them. It’s easier for me to plan a trip on this trail system because I’m familiar with it and know what to expect. If you’re considering taking your kids someplace you’ve never been to, it might be helpful to go on your own first, even to simply walk around a bit to get a feel for things. I took the kids to a trail our first year skiing that I was unfamilar with and found a semi-steep (but very steep to us as novice skiers) hill at the trail head even though the trail was rated for novices. If I’d known about that intial hill though, I would have prepared my kids by telling them we would walk down that hill before putting on our skis. Instead, I had a couple of nervous kids nearly in tears before we even got out of the car. It took some fast talking on my part to explain our walking plan but the rest of that afternoon was spent having fun on some nice level terrain.

SNACK BREAKS
I’ve found it’s a good idea to identify natural stopping points when skiing with kids before anyone actually needs a break. Sometimes that’s a picnic table and/or bench on the trail, or a body of water to watch people ice fish. Typically trails that charge a fee to ski on their trails have some special amenities. During a trip to Beech Hill in Wayne a couple of years ago the kids discovered a warming hut on that trail system. They ate their snack inside, placed a few pieces in an in-progress puzzle and then went back out to ski. They stopped back at the hut multiple times to do the same thing before we headed home. They still talk about how much fun that skiing (and warming hut) adventure was.

ALL ABOUT THE KIDS
I asked our group of cross country ski friends why they liked skiing and what they looked for in a trail. Here’s what they had to say:

"I like cruising on the trails, enjoying the scenery and finding new hills to go skiing down."
-12 year old girl

"I like going distances and if you go on the right trail, you can go on forever."
-10 year old boy

"I just like cross country skiing because it’s easier than going hiking and you can go faster. And I like the hills. You can go really fast on them just like it’s downhill."
-13 year old girl

"I like the fresh air and the scenery and the exercise."
-12 year old girl

"It’s different from just walking and it’s really fun when you get together with a group. And we still get to go fast down hills."
-14 year old girl

"I just like how you just go and all the sudden something cool turns up, like a huge lake like this one (Sebago) and it looks really pretty."
-7 year old girl

Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, February 2010

Sometimes a little push is good for kids

The girls competed in a junior 3-position target shooting sectional in Augusta last weekend with their 4H shooting sports club. The girls were resistant to attend a state-level competition (they compete in the NRA postal leagues at their home range and have never shot anywhere else) but one of their leaders said it would be a good experience for them. My girls tend to shy away from competitions of any kind so it was a hard sell but they finally agreed on the condition that someone help them at the new range.

All year the girls' shooting sports 4H leaders (they have several) have suggested they try shooting jackets but each time they refused. These jackets are widely used by target shooters of all levels because they help stabilize the torso and arms to improve accuracy. The jackets are snug and have shoulder and elbow pads to help steady and cushion the shooter. There is also a sling that attaches to the arm of the jacket as well that helps steady the arm even more. Nearly every boy in their club wears a jacket but the girls have always passed the rack with a quiet (and amused) comment to me that "the boys like their accessories."

My girls have done OK for a couple of years without this equipment and have recorded some good scores for their ages and level of experience. But they are long overdue to accept the equipment used by all the other junior shooters at the range.

When the girls arrived in Augusta at the sectional competition, the range leaders there assumed the girls wore jackets and directed them to get one from the rack. When the girls hesitated, the Augusta leader walked them over and outfitted them each with a jacket. There was simply no choice about the jackets - or shooting sling and glove - and once donned, they were brought directly to the range to start shooting.

I met the girls in the range but there was no time for them to complain to me about the uncomfortable jackets because the Augusta leader didn't give them a chance to say anything. He jumped right in to the safety rules and then offered instruction on how to manage the arm strap correctly (it's not so simple).

This leader also offered some tips and corrections for each of their shooting positions before the match began. It was all very matter of fact and left no room for discussion to take the jackets off. The girls quickly forgot their discomfort because they were focused on the new leader's directions, which turned out to be super helpful to the girls.

[And I have to note that the range guys were prepped by the girls' 4H leader ahead of time that they were resistant to the equipment. Hence the strategic maneuvering and lack of opportunity to complain.]

By the end of the match (90 straight minutes, which was a whole lot longer than they're used to) the girls were smiling and feeling a lot more confident with their new found abilities and management of the "accessories."

Then the big surprise (to them) came. When their scores were tallied they were told by their 4H leader that each of them improved their overall scores by ~30 points and shot their all-time personal bests that day.

At their home range meeting a couple of days later, the girls put their new learnings from Augusta to use - including wearing the jackets and sling - and were pleased with their improved scores there as well.

Although the girls do not have aspirations to be truly competitive target shooters, they learned some great skills from that Augusta leader, including the notion that the accessories can be helpful.

There have been many times when I've been concerned about how much to push the girls to accept trying something new versus letting them come to the decision on their own. There are both positive and negative outcomes with both approaches and it can be really hard to know which way to go as a parent.

But once in a while it is helpful to have the decision taken out of my (parental) hands because my kids are less likely to whine and complain to a new teacher than they are with me. Sometimes it just takes a different person, and approach, to help a child come to a new realization - and a new level of understanding.

Thanks Jim.

G. getting some instruction on the strap attached to her shooting jacket.

G. warmed up to the experience a little more quickly than L.

L. was giving me "the look" but as soon as I snapped this picture her leader had her busy with a new task to practice.

It didn't take long after that to get L. smiling and laughing. A couple of good looking (completed) targets rolling up the range from her lane helped her acceptance that the jackets and sling did in fact improve her accuracy.

It's all about the smoothies

For the past five years the girls have attended the 4H Mini Forum. It's an all day conference held at USM for kids in the 4H program in Cumberland County. Workshops are taught by volunteers and teen 4Hers on a variety of topics - from crafts to cooking to GPS/technology to wood working, etc. The kids choose the workshops they'd like to attend and the finale includes the Fashion Revue Showcase (kids model their sewing or crochet/knitting projects in a fashion show). Mini Forum is a great event and my kids have a ton of fun every year.

L. was 6 years old the first time she attended this conference and took her first "Groovy Smoothies" class. She absolutely loved it. I mean LOVED it. She was inspired to make all sorts of fruit concoctions in our blender at home for weeks afterward and talked about that being her favorite class to anyone who would listen.

The following year when the time came to choose workshops again, she *had* to take Groovy Smoothies. It was the same class with the same recipes but L. didn't care.

"That class is great!"

And every year since she has taken that Groovy Smoothies class in spite of a wide variety of other workshop options to choose from.

Every. Single. Year.

Now that L. is 12, she has agreed to co-teach a class with her dad on cat anatomy at Mini Forum. She's nervous but excited to be on the other side of the conference table this year. But she only wanted to teach the workshop for one time block so she could take some other classes at the conference, including (of course) Groovy Smoothies.

During a 4H meeting in January she was asked to explain to the new club members what Mini Forum was like and as expected by every adult there, she talked about how great the Groovy Smoothies class was. (This is an on-going joke of predictability that my 4H leader cohorts and I find very amusing.)

But her 4H leader broke the news that the woman who taught that class (obviously, for years) had moved away and thus would not be part of the workshop options at Mini Forum this year.

L. was distraught, "But mom, I LOVE that class! I'm so sad I can't do it this year!"

Tonight she was lamenting for the umpteenth time about that class' demise (L. is a serious dweller) so I asked her if she'd like to teach her own smoothies class. She had plenty of experience with the topic and she'd already agreed to teach another class, why not add this one too?

In an overly dramatic voice she said, "No mom, (big sigh) it just won't be the same."

In my attempt to coax her in to teaching her own version of Groovy Smoothies, I asked her about her favorite recipes and things she's learned about how to make them tasty. She didn't agreed to teach the class this year but she did come up with a good list of "tips" I thought I'd share.

* Powdered sugar makes smoothies taste smoother than using other sweeteners (like granulated sugar). And you don't need to use too much to make it sweet and smooth.
* If you use some frozen fruit, you don't need to add too many ice cubes so your smoothie will be more fruity and not too watery.
* You can use spices in your smoothies so they can taste like apple pie (see recipes below)
* Tropical fruit taste smoother and don't have as many seeds as berries. So mango, pineapple, papaya, peach and orange make really good smoothies. But you can add a bit of berries to sweeten it without making the mix too seedy.

L. has a lot of 'favorite' recipes but when pressed to give me only two, she settled on these:

Two Fruit Frosty
from UMaine Cooperative Extension's "Groovy Smoothies" recipe book

1-1 1/2 cups frozen (or fresh) blueberries
1 cup canned (drained) or frozen peaches
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup ice cubes
Blend and serve.

Witches' Brew
from "Silly Snacks" recipe book

2 cups apple cider (apple juice isn't as good as cider in this recipe)
1 1/2 cups low-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt**
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Blend and serve.

** You need to use frozen yogurt because the recipe doesn't call for ice cubes and really does taste better without the ice.

When we don't have all the ingredients in the house for the recipes above, L. makes up something based on what's available. Typically that includes a frozen berry (blueberry or strawberries from our summer picking season), a canned fruit (peaches, pineapple or mandarin oranges because we almost always have a can in our pantry), 1/2 cup of ice, 1 cup of water and 2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar.

I'm not so disappointed that the Groovy Smoothies class isn't happening this year because it will be good for L. to expand her (workshop) horizons. But I doubt I (or the Mini Forum coordinators) have heard the last about this issue from L.

February is backyard bird counting time

Every year my kids look forward to Cornell's Great Backyard Bird Count. The girls like the whole notion of being citizen scientists and knowing that the bird count reports they submit will actually be used by real scientists who study birds and migration patterns.

It's a super simple weekend project for families and even little ones can help with daily observations. And although we love being outside during the winter, I have friends that like this bird count because it's a good way to teach their kids about the outdoors without actually having to be out in the cold.

The count is this weekend - February 12-15, 2010 - and you simply set up a chair by a window in your house and watch your backyard (or front yard in our case) to see what birds stop by. Then you record the time, type and number of birds you see and submit your report at the end of each day to the GBBC website. If you're not sure you've identified the bird you've seen correctly, there are some great photos and resource of the birds you're likely to see during the count.

The girls are faithful about keeping the bird feeder filled with seeds during the winter with the hope that they will have a lot of numbers to report. Then they pull up a chair to the big glass window in our living room and make sure the camera is positioned nearby at all times to catch the birds 'in action' during the weekend. G. likes to submit her best picsfor the photo contest.

In anticipation of the count, this morning L. spotted a woodpecker near the feeder and she grabbed the camera. That woodpecker proved a bit elusive to photograph but she did catch a few birds in the yard today.

Some we'll be counting for Cornell's research....

The blue jays - aka the bullies of the bird feeder - are our most popular visitors.

The chickadees usually manage to sneak a few seeds when the blue jays aren't looking.

.... and some we will not be counting even though we see a flock of these birds every day in the yard.

We try to keep our chickens away from the feeders as a general rule but every once in a while we have a renegade that stops by the investigate, and hope a few seeds are dropped by the wild ones.

Round won, we're expanding horizons with sheep

L. finally convinced me to commit to raising sheep this year after putting her research (and very good debate) skills to work to prove to me she could handle raising sheep on our property this year.

We're getting sheep this spring, in addition to our existing flock of poultry and the couple of piglets we'll get around the same time as the sheep. I've been in some denial that we're farmers (much to some friends' amusement) but I am now settling in on the idea. Fino and I with our big city upbringings (Los Angeles and Boston-area respectively), hadn't expected we would fully embrace raising multiple kinds of livestock. Our children however, have had a completely different childhood experience than their parents. To them, being around farm animals is just as normal as pie. Hence, I'm in acceptance mode that sheep are inevitable and I'm going with it.

So it's official - the research phase is over and the commitment phase is underway for the Almeida Fam to raise sheep (and pigs) this year.

Our first foray into learning about raising sheep was a workshop on sheep and goat nutrition sponsored by UMaine's Cooperative Extension folks back in October. The workshop was geared for farmers interested in making their own feed and I knew it would be too advanced for L. and I but thought it would still introduce us to the general topic and help us meet people who raise sheep. The workshop started out with an overview of the rumen (stomach) functions that included a video dissection of a sheep. Although a tad gory, the dissection was actually quite interesting and informative. Then they moved on to the nutritional needs of sheep/goats (sheep and goats have similar digestive system), plants toxic to these animals and then how to make your own feed. The feed part explained balancing a ration and included a complicated (to me) explanation of calculating percentages of protein, energy, minerals and vitamins using the Pearson's Square. L. and I left the workshop giggling about our biggest learning from the workshop: Buy feed in the feed store, don't try to make it yourself. We decided we'd worry about saving money on feed in a few years (or decades) once we got the basics of raising these animals figured out.

After that workshop L. joined a 4H sheep club and for Christmas I bought her "Raising Sheep the Modern Way" on the recommendation from several knowledgeable sheep farmers. They said it was the best resource book they owned. L. spent some time reading this book over the holiday vacation and then decided we needed to visit a couple of sheep farms to see how things were done. She was convinced by then she could raise sheep and I was almost beaten down there too.

I asked L. to come up with a list of questions to ask the owner of each farm so we would both have a better idea of what to expect, and what to look out for, with raising sheep on our property. Here were her questions:

The predator question was prompted because late last summer we saw multiple coyotes on our property. They never did bother the pigs and we believed at the time the reason for that was the electric fence. Not only did it serve to keep the pigs contained, but protected them from the predators on the outside of it as well. Both sheep farms we visited shared our theory (although L. tried to convince me at one point before Christmas we needed llamas to protect sheep). So in preparing for our sheep's arrival we need to not only build a shelter (Fino and L. are on the job with building plans), but put up another electric fence pen for them (and standing firm on no llamas).

The first sheep farm we visited also had beef cows, pigs and ducks but not chickens so that farmer couldn't answer L.'s question about the chickens/sheep proximity issue. The reason for that question was because last year she was told that there is a bacteria that chickens carry (naturally) that can kill young piglets so it's important to keep the two species separated. We weren't sure if this was true for sheep as well but after a visit to the second sheep farm, it was confirmed that it's not a problem. That farm has had chickens roaming in the sheep pens for years without a problem and the farmer believed her animals had less issues with worms and bugs in general because of the cohabitation of the chicken flock with her sheep.

The feeding schedule of sheep seems to be about the same as pigs, twice a day, with water readily available at all times. Our pigs had a spigot to drink from last year because their goal in life was to tip over their water dishes at every opportunity. But sheep don't have that same life mission and a simple bucket of water should work just fine for them.

The diseases question on L.'s list prompted both sheep farmers to make suggestions of symptoms to look for and an offer to simply call the farm if L. noticed anything funky. The bottom line we learned from this discussion was that farming is unpredictable so you do your best to know your animals and investigate any variations in their behavior as soon as possible.

The feed question turned out to be a can of worms. The majority of people we know who raise pigs prefer Blue Seal pig feed so that's what L. fed her pigs last year. At 300 pounds a piece at fair time, L.'s pigs clearly did well on that feed. But because our chickens don't do well on that brand, we get their feed from a Nutrena seller at a local hardware store (the chickens look healthier and lay their eggs more consistently on Nutrena).

But the sheep farmers we spoke with prefer Poulin Grain feed, which is from yet another supply store. Fino is sure we do not want to run around for six months buying grain from three different places so we're researching our options (again) to settle on how we're going to handle this issue. Since taking the sheep/goat nutrition workshop, L. and I learned the basics of how to read grain labels so our plan is to visit each feed store to compare them all. I think this is worth the time and effort because people with more experience than us have reasons why they like the feed grain they do and I'm not one to discount the voice of experience in making choices about keeping our animals (and financial investments) healthy. So we're still working out how we plan to handle this part.

I know, this is a long-winded entry about how I came around to agreeing to let L. get sheep this spring. But I thought there might be other people who would find our research helpful in deciding if they might be headed down this farming road with their own kids some day. As I discovered after chatting with the owners of each sheep farm, neither farmer had any experience raising livestock until.... their kids pushed them in to it.

So I guess there is some comfort in knowing that as I stumble my way down this new road, I'm not the only parent who has navigated the steep learning curve of raising livestock at the insistence of their children.

And L., well she's pleased as punch she's won this round, although she had to really work for it. But I admit I'm also a sucker for a kid that can set goals and a learning plan (on her own) for why she wants to do something.

This is the 4H record sheet she has started for her sheep project this year.

And although G. isn't doing a formal 4H sheep project like L., she's looking forward to the photo opportunities she'll have with them around this year. G. had fun taking photos at the sheep farm while L. and I were chatting it up with the owner.