Nice people!!!!!!!

Yesterday I took K to her wood working class. Upon sending her into the workshop I realized that one of the people in charge was explaining to another parent all the opportunities that were part of TrackersNW (the organization that has set up the wood class). I was listening to the schpeel and when they were done I introduced myself and asked about some of the classes and camps.

One of the camps is a family camp that sounds really cool. It takes place out in Sandy, OR (about 45 minutes away) on the property of the owners of the company. The activities include, archery, wood working, caring for farm animals, collecting edible plants from the forest, making cheese from fresh goat's milk, tracking skills, camp cooking, and a laundry list of other activities.

Some of the other classes include a couple of homeschool classes. One focuses on ranger type skills and the other is more pioneering skills. They are big on letting students direct the activities, so they could be making wooden bows one day and navigating a river in a canoe the next. The staff act more as facilitators that provide experts. Then after getting a taste of what the person knows, the kids dialong with the staff and come up with their projects. Primative clay sculting, boat building, survivor skills.....soooooo much to choose from. Unfortunately, the classes can cost a bit, but not all. I'll have to keep my eyes open.

They even have adult classes. While I was chatting with the lady, I found out that the group in another workshop was making German 10th century leather shoes from scratch. They teach all sorts of classes, it is really quite interesting. One that I am not sure I would jump on was a hunting class. The students don't actually hunt, but the teacher does hunt a nutra (rodent), then shows how to "off" it (without prolonged suffering), skin it, and tan its hide. Wild...weird! It is really a different culture up here sometimes.

I came to the class just to take K and hang out and read my book. Instead I had the most interesting conversation with this lady. I gave her lots of "outs" to end the conversation, but she seemed quite happy to hang out and talk about all sorts of things. The people up here are so nice, I tell you!