The Day the Bear Came to VIsit

This is our first full day back from our Idaho adventure - which I will eventually blog, maybe after I catch up on May or last fall. ::snort:: 

Melia and I met with her home school contact teacher in the morning. Freedom is moving on to new opportunities, and this was our last meeting with her. We brought her an iced White Mocha Latte and settled in to report Melai's grades since moving into our home. Check this out! These are all the courses Melia has completed since January. She finished her 10th grade classes and went back and took 9th grade classes. These were not "recaptured" credits. She completed the FULL credit course for each one - unless it was a .5 credit class. These are not "mommy grades." These are the grades she EARNED on Acellus. 

Because IDEA cannot change transcripts from other schools (even when they obviously messed up), they decided to award her full credit for each of these which she completed - though she did them all in one semester.  When she came to us and we began homeschooling her GPA was 1.8. They added 4 of these classes a few months ago so we could add new courses. When they added those courses, her GPA moved up to 2.5. We are HOPING now that she added another 5.5 credits of A's that it will go to over 3. 

We explained our plan for next year. Freedom agreed. We are changing to a more rigorous program which will include online AND textbook learning. Melia is also applying to take one class at a local college.  She will continue one on one lessons in Japanese. The college requires a 3 GPA to enter...so as I said, we're praying and hoping.  We are happy with the plan. It will challenge her, but we believe she is up to it.  It will provide independent learning as well as institutional instruction and socialization. We are blessed Melia trusts we have her good in mind and is willing to push herself to new challenges! We are happy she wishes to continue homeschooling this year. She has decided she wants to be an obstetrician and so we have much math and science to cover in the next two years. 

We have been gone and GG was missing us. Melia agreed to come with me to the Assisted Living. We asked Dad if he'd like to visit there or get out. He wanted out. ::grin:: We went to a local greenhouse. 

Our next stop was Luci Mae's Bakery for a coffee and treat. 

Meanwhile, back at home the chickens and Millie were being odd...and lo and behold...a bear came to visit.  We watched the security cameras and laughed as Millie sunbathed, the chickens ran to investigate and a bear came out of the woods and walked between the chicken coop and our house. Millie didn't alert until she smelled something and the bear was already past her. WHAT? 

It looks to be about a year old. Evidently, he's been in our neighborhood for about a week and a half. He's very comfortable finding food in garbage cans and was a challenge to scare away. We have liv3ed here 9 years without a bear getting into the garbage. Now we have a ratchet strap on it. 

A state trooper visited to tell us when we can take a bear down in our yard. If we have baited it or lured it - we can't. Having an un-ratcheted can could be considered luring. He is the one who told us to just put a ratchet strap on it. If he comes back and threatens us, the dog or the chickens we are allowed to attempt to shoot him without a tag. We have two sons in laws with bear tags so we'd call them...but our neighbors would be very unhappy with us. 

After dinner Melia, Michael and I did a bit of yard maintenance. Here the two of them remove flags for our e-fence and spray paint the boundary so we can mow. 

Melia thatched the yard. 

Michael set up the new tiller. We didn't get to using it. I began edging the yard. We stopped when the batteries ran out. Our final job of the evening was releasing 1500 lady bugs into the garden. 

Melia was happiest taking pictures rather than letting them crawl all over her. I had to keep reminding myself there are no ticks in Alaska (sort of).