END AUG/SEPT 3 BLOG #3
T officially started at his new English school, this morning. Smart in his simple uniform of navy cord trousers, crisp white shirt and red tie, he ducked through the hedge opening at the end of our garden, waved goodbye, and disappeared into the copse, through to the cricket pitch and the school beyond it. From our garden, or with the kitchen windows open, we can hear the children laughing and playing in the fields between our house and the school,during their breaks..
T’s class teacher this year is Mr Edwards, and T is in the “Harriers” group (they all have bird names: - Kestrels, Merlins, Kites, Ospreys are the other groups). There are about 5 full-time boarders in his year, and the children come from the UK, Spain, Japan, India and Italy. There's also a family that just moved back here from Alaska.
The boys are playing football (soccer) first, then rugby and hockey in the Spring, and finally cricket and tennis in the summer. All year they do athletics and swim (as they are lucky enough to have a covered pool - being refurbished next year, but fine for them now).
T will be plunged into French lessons (we have done an introduction to it over the summer together) and Latin, as well as all the usual subjects, plus Comparative Religion, which all the schools here seem to teach.
We have to go to a wedding in New York in October, and Tristan will get to board at the school for 5 nights! Should be a lot of fun for him. Very Harry Potter - he wishes!
We heard a screech owl last night. We are lucky that there are many very tall oak and pine trees at the end of the gardens in the road, and the houses are divided by thick, high hedges, which harbour masses of wildlife. We see foxes almost every night, sometimes deer venture into the garden, and we currently have dozens of little green frogs, and large frogs and toads, of tan, brown, beige colours, with all kinds of interesting patterns. It has been wet lately, but there are underground springs all along the road under the houses and gardens, plus a large lily pond by the school.
There are a couple of friendly robins who visit us every day too and are very keen when I do any digging or grass-mowing. It’s unusual to see two, as they are very territorial, but one appears to be older, with slightly greying and scruffy head feathers.
We don't have the wonderful lemon and orange trees in the garden that we had in LA but we do have apples and pears to be picked, and blackberries growing wild everywhere you walk.
T attended a week-long day camp on the nearby lakes. He learned to sail, and tried windsurfing, kayaking and canoeing, as well as raft-building. They all wore wetsuits and, although it rained quite a bit and was quite chilly at times, they were getting wet in the lake anyway, so it didn't seem to matter and they all had a great time!
They say it has been the wettest August since 1902 or something, but frankly it hasn't been THAT bad, so if this is the worst, it can only get much better! The rain is often in showers, between sunny spells, or drizzle, and it really hasn't stopped us doing anything. You learn to “read” the skies, smell the air, and of course look at the weather forecast! One thing I notice is that people here are so thrilled when it's a nice sunny or warm day that there is a palpable atmosphere of overt joy, with everyone outside, appreciating the nice day. The parks are full, people bike everywhere, or walk, and it's quite festive!
We have become avid users of the local library, to which we can cycle within 10 minutes. We have lots of books out, or on order. It's so convenient, especially as I have time to read them for the first time in years.
