Wish me Luck!

This beautiful photograph (it is not mine, it is taken from Here)  is of the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire.  We  have not had snow yet, but weather watchers are starting to whisper about it.  We have had three or four days of frost though that has not thawed.  Very very chilly.  Don't get me wrong I love 'The Great Outdoors'. I love taking children into 'The Great Outdoors' too, but I am a little worried.  Tomorrow I will be taking a group of children (with six other 'grown ups') to the Wyre Forest for the day.  It is day one of a 'ten' session 'Forest Schools' course.  We will go every Wednesday rain or shine for ten weeks.  Some of the kids have been before but I have not.  There is no toilet!  If we want to keep warm we need to collect firewood and make our own fire, if we want a warm drink we need to hope the Fire Gods are looking kindly upon us and Lord knows what we will eat.  One of the kids said to me today "Miss, you are not allowed to tell us off for climbing trees!"  It is 'Child lead learning' where we support whatever it is they choose to do in the forest, it may involve ropes, home made bows and arrows, fire skills, games and general Tom foolery!  The children I teach are permanently excluded from their mainstream schools, due to emotional and behavioural issues  I have been doing this job for twelve years and I don't have a single grey hair!  I hope I do not gain any tomorrow.  I need to hunt out my warmest woollies to take with me and get my bag packed, I can't see me sleeping  much tonight, I don't know if I am excited or anxious, probably a healthy mix of both.   So wish me luck, I will update you tomorrow if I survive!  Once my bag is packed I will be taking my nervous energy out on my Crochet Ripple.  I also have a very 'Good' book to read at bedtime.

Dropped Dead Stitch by Maggie Sefton