Remember the Summer

Taking Learning Outdoors

The OE staff along with support from Countryside Rangers and others have been running this outdoor experience programme with Primary school staff for over a year now. The programme seems to change a bit each time but the enthusiasm from the school staff has been inspirational. The last 2 programmes earlier in June took place on a warm but very wet day at Lochore Meadows and Devilla Forest. We tackled everything from counting, measuring trees, sensory awareness and our old favourite risk assessments.
The response to the format of dealing in a simple and sensible way with all the skills and knowledge required to take more learning outside has had a very positive response from the schools we have worked with.

Extreme Chainwalk Fun

After a bit of a blog break it is back with a fresh new look and some new features. Same old crazy outdoor fun.

Ochils Skitour

Huge thanks to Tony C for the loan of the gear and the company on my first ever skitour. I promised myself I wasn't going to stand in queues for lifts, skipasses, skihire this year and try some skitouring. We had an awesome day in typical scottish style with a bit of everything thrown in but most importantly loads of snow.

Extreme Sledging

In case you hadn't noticed it is cold and white out there. The family adventures of 2010 have got off to a great start with some world class sledging action!

Family Adventures 2009

Thanks to all my great family and friends for sharing some happy times this year. Hope you have a great 2010 and hope to see you soon for more adventure.

Outdoor Adventures 2009

Thanks for the company, the shared highs and lows and all the laughs during a great year. Best wishes for the year ahead and here's hoping for more challenge and adventure in 2010.

Mud, Rain and Tears

Here's a thought.
At the weekend I just have to get outside whatever the weather, so the kids don't really have a choice and have to tag along (especially when your wife is gallavanting over to America for a week). Sometimes they are as keen as me but not always and there can be lengthy standoffs as we set off on the latest adventure. There is one sure way to get a smile back on the face of a grumpy daughter and that is to find a big muddy puddle and make a mud stew. Don't get carried away with the role play though, it doesn't taste great.
We found another of those sofa trees that featured in an earlier post.

Ireland October09

Hard to believe it is 2 and a half years since we moved back to Scotland. The welcome back was incredibly warm and welcoming and we quickly reaquainted ourselves with our favourite bays and beaches. The girls loved the waves and Beckie enjoyed some great waves on the boogie board. I even caught a couple of waves on the surfboard.

Cheap Summer Entertainment for Kids

1. The best face paints I have ever seen done (I have seen a lot) at the RNLI South Queensferry funndraising day.
Cost = zero because you would have made a donation anyway wouldn't you

2. Find a rocky peninsula along with a Force 5 breeze. Play at leaning into the wind.

Cost= petrol money getting to the beach.

3. Find a sea wall. Build a huge pile of sand and jump off the wall onto the sand for an hour.

Cost= the same petrol money to get to the beach.

Natural Giants

On a short walk at the brilliant Forestry Commission site at Alice Holt in Surrey. The girls are not quite old enough for the Go Ape ropes course but these giant animals provided just as much fun and no charge. The whole facility was spotless, really nicely planned out and had a variety of long and short walks and bike rides. There is also a bike hire facility with child seats, trailers and animal trailers as well - dogs are getting lazy as well these days.

Camping in Scotland

Camping in the rain, Fishing in the Rain, On the Beach in the Rain, Icecreams in the rain, Hiding from the rain in the big new tent and all great fun.

Gartmorn Country Park

Rainbow

Enjoying a brilliant evening on the Forth with a public activity group. Great weather with the threatening clouds and rainbow hanging over Edinburgh and the Pentlands while we are safe and dry on the Fife side. The sun always shines in Fife - well usually, maybe, sometimes!

Moving on Up

During a visit to Fishers Farm the girls tackled the climbing wall. I hate to admit that DD2 beat me to the top

Frenzy09

I usually keep this wee Blog for tales of outdoor adventures but I couldn't let this event go by without a mention. The number 1 song on this blog for the past few months has been There Will be a Day by Jeremy Camp. Yesterday Beckie and I got the chance to see him live at the Frenzy christian music festival. All the bands were fantastic but he has some particularly great songs and words which mean a lot in what can be a difficult world to live in at times. Enjoy the song!

ML Again

Photos here from the last shakedown walk before the ML assessment (2nd attempt). Andy provided the company again on this one. Good company as usual as long as you stayed upwind of him. The location is the Tarmachan ridge from the North.

Cant let this post end without sneaking in that I did pass the ML one week later.

Loch Leven Heritage Trail

This a great new easy access trail round Loch Leven, Kinross. I have already used it for biking with a group for Queen Anne HS. The 12 mile round trip was a great challenge for the group and successfully completed by all. We tackled a shorter 5 mile section as the 12" wheels of a 6yr olds bike takes a bit more effort to get along. The Hot Chocolate at Loch Leven's larder was a great half way incentive.

Happy Birthday to Me

I don't mind giving that away as it was over a month ago now. I cant think of a better way to wake up on your birthday, snuggled up in a tent with three women (slight exageration maybe). Blair Atholl was the venue here. Brilliant place for walks and wildlife.

The BBQ was back home where the opportunity to roast marshmallows and keep the fire going occupied the kids for about 2hrs.

Admin Team Development

An advantage of working outdoors is that development and training usually take place outdoors as well - a kind of double bonus. Not true for the office based admin team who do a brilliant job of making sure outdoor learning takes place in a professional and organised way but are often stuck inside (instructors are great at instructing but not always top of the pops with paperwork). To cut a long story short we had a great day out on Loch Faskally - The team meeting took place on rafted canoes, lunch under a tarp on the beach and a very sedate paddle up and down the Loch.