I had a job up at a sort of 'alternate' town, lots of artists, schooling for kids who don't fit the mainstream, etc...deadwooding and thinning an Atlantic cedar in front of a house.
All the kids at the house are homeschooled, the two youngest girls watched us all day, were desperate to be involved and help brimming with curiosity and questions. They sat in the tray of the ute and quizzed my groundy relentlesly.
The little boy from next door came out to watch couldn't have been more than 4, complete with his 'leaf blower' made from a kleenex box and a cardboard tube, he sat on a little stool with a set of ear muffs on watching...then at the end of the day when I was down and we'd started to pack up, he and his little sister picked up all our cones and brought them to the truck, the girls from the house asked to swing on my rope, then wanted to pull it out of the tree...then help rake.
When Dad was loading the trailer, the lad from the house came out to help and another younger lad from next door came over and asked if he could help too!!!
What a treat, happy, curious, helpful kids, made my day.
