Snow doesn't usually make me happy, but it did last week. It came down and covered our neighborhood just in time to line up with our History lesson. We've been reading about the Yukon gold rush of 1898, and after learning about the icy mountains they had to climb we decided to try to simulate the experience. The kids loaded their backpacks with lots of heavy books to be able to sympathize with the enormous loads of equipment the gold stampeders had to carry. Then they bundled up in their warmest clothes and began their ascent up the hill.

No gold was found that day. We are saving that for next week when we'll pull out our gold-panning kit and hope to sift out a nugget or two.