The Agrarian Family's School, week 1: Fishing!

Just about the time most of the homeschooling families are getting out the books

 and sorting out a new schedule, and the public schools are back in session, 

I get all kinds of questions from people wondering if we have started school yet.

Humbly, no, we are not anywhere close, 

although my school room is ready and my books and supplies are waiting. 

 Honestly, it will be a month before we begin any book lessons. 

September is a bad month to begin school, in my opinion.  

If you are an agrarian family, there is a month full of harvesting to be done. 

There are peaches, pears, apples and plums to can, 

it is archery season for elk, 

it is time the last of the firewood gathering,

 the butchering of pigs, 

the end of the garden and the clean up for winter;

 No, our "school" nearly always begins in October.

Not that our education and discipleship of the children has slackened or stopped, 

far from it. 

September, with all its harvesting, has a steep learning curve. 

For us, summer ends with a daddy-son camp trip.

Every boy certainly needs to know how to stream fish, 

this is of great necessity. 

I do love the liberty of homeschooling in Idaho!

When we are done with book learning,

 (which we keep to winter),

 we can be outdoors learning all about God's creation, sustainability,

 and all kinds of woodsman knowledge necessary for any redneck.

Good education is

 most importantly about godly character,

 but also includes a healthy dose of useful skills, as well as book learning.

Far to into the woods, a good 2 1/2 hours of gravel road traveled, the men find their camp site.

The fishing begins promptly.

 Once the boys catch their prey, they must learn how to gut it and prepare it for dinner. 

 In this process, they open the fish up and learn what it has been eating,

 thus making them better fisherman and, hey, this counts for biology, right? 

 Just kidding.  

Brian's intentions of the trip, 

besides catching fish, 

was to spend their away time teaching and training these young men. 

 Each day he used their time around the campfire to read aloud

 "Boyhood and Beyond" by  Bob Schultz

  and talk with the boys about manhood, masculinity, responsibility, and loving God.

Of course, there is much whittling and card games to be done as well, 

squirrels to shoot, 

bees nests to observe and stay away from, 

bugs, frogs, and snakes to find,

 and the quiet of the woods to glory in.

Hearts and creels full, 

they returned home jubilant, triumphant.

The boys had a fabulous time camping with their daddy,

 and they caught 49 fish!