Back to School with Fairechild- Candice Hackett

Back to School with Fairechild

I find a sense of excitement in the way that August resembles a bridge that is positioned at the height of summer and carries you to the cusp of autumn. The mornings are cooler, the afternoons still ablaze, the garden is lively and full of nourishing food and the cheeriest flora, the pumpkins are rounding out, the woods are a respite from the heat, the blackberries are juicy sweet, the wild plums are heavy laden on their branches, the apples are alluring, and the pears and grapes give us much to look forward to when August leads us into September. 

We moved to this land just weeks after the twins turned two. I had such hopes and dreams of a childhood where their curiosity could lead them to worlds of discoveries. Hand in hand we set off to explore the woods, we scattered seeds among the earth, we hung ropes from a branch to swing from, and like true explorers, we began to name new territories around the land as we discovered them.

This bit of earth, where we found ourselves at home, has incidentally become our classroom, offering new and wonderful discoveries in every season. In this regard, we are never really “out of school”, but as we cross the bridge between summer and autumn, we begin to find ourselves making new rhythms at our little schoolhouse in the woods. 

As we continue to explore and learn through the seasons, we have found we enjoy it best when we are properly equipped with the right gear. Our Fairchild rain gear is always within an arm’s reach at any given time. The woods are often damp with heavy dew on autumn mornings, and when the rains come to stay for their lengthy Pacific Northwest visit, we look forward to the ground transitioning into a marshy wetland. If we had an “official” school uniform, it would absolutely include our rain pants, rain jackets, and waterproof mitts–that goes for myself as well, because I wouldn't miss out on these explorations for the world, and I too enjoy myself all the more when I stay warm and dry. 

As the twins are now age six, and my youngest, a very curious two, the seasons become more revealing and captivating with each new year. How thrilling it is to be standing just a few steps in on the August bridge, slowly crossing toward a new season with much to explore and learn as the land transforms from green to gold.