Despite the low boarder numbers in the house, our pack of eleven intrepid longweekenders were busy engaging in all sorts of activities that have been planned from Friday – Monday. Five Bolton brothers, Roberto, Darrell, Jonathan, Richard, and Kevin, plus one Timmis sister, Jenny, ventured a little ways up the Saanich Peninsula to Farmer Jim’s Organic Homestead. Farmer Jim prides himself of soil fertility and our small team of farmhands helped him towards this goal. Before getting down to work, they hand fed sheep, watched the pigs being fed, and learned that much of the feed is actually expired bread and dairy products that would be pitched in the garbage if not collected and used by Farmer Jim. After the feeding frenzy, it was time to don some gloves and get ankle deep in fresh horse manure! Most of the crew was required to shovel manure into wheelbarrows then redistribute it around the farm. Another job was picking up windfall apples that would be fed as treats to the livestock and some would be pressed for juice. Everyone worked hard and despite some drizzle, fun was had by all. And, a trip to Farmer Jim’s Organic Homestead wouldn’t be complete without sampling some fresh pressed apple juice – delicious!
The Friday night activity was a trip to the Silver City Theatres to watch Batman Begins on IMAX. By all accounts it was a great trip and a movie that can be enjoyed multiple times, as many had seen it when it was first released.
On Saturday, Richard, Diego, Darrell, Frank, Eric and Mr. Danskin donned their chef outfits (mostly in the form of masks) and headed to the London Chef to cook up lunch. What was on the menu you ask? Some delicious pasta and chicken salad! The overall reviews of the food were extremely positive, and everyone seemed to come back from this trip happier, fuller and (slightly) heavier 🙂
Sunday brought along a whole host of exciting adventures, starting with a very wet but very west-coast-experience whale watching trip with Phong, Cyrus and Mr. Kim! Under the tutelage of our fantastic guide Mr. Tommy, we headed out into the Georgia Strait and started looking out for wildlife. Although the waters were a bit choppy due to the strong winds, everyone toughed it out and in the end, we came across some seals, cormorants, bald eagles, and our big highlight, massive 2000-pound sea lions! We were not fortunate enough to run across any whales today, but we still had a great time and learned a lot about our local marine life 🙂
While some of the boys were on the water, a few of the other Bolton brothers, Richard, Diego, Darrell, Eric, and Frank, all took to the rope course and the zip-lines hight in the sky! Although it was a little wet, the boys had a fantastic time, practicing their superhero poses! Perhaps they learned some from the IMAX showing of Batman Begins on Friday night?!
And finally, at the end of the weekend, we all sat down for Thanksgiving Dinner together. As Bolton House Parents, we are so thankful for our vibrant community, and especially the Grade 11’s students who contribute to a wonderful house atmosphere. It has been an action-packed month, and this weekend has given everyone a chance to pause, and get ready for a full end to Term 1.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
