Sunday, December 26, 2021

Winter Nature Walk

 https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1TemUhrAibPVQb1iQyp6Rm3LTxRmH80z6

“If we had a keen vision of all that is ordinary in human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow or the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which is the other side of silence.”

- George Elliot

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1m6XViWnMA2F91XcPqsBYaaLj3D1B-PZo

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1DqnggYoBcBh-bJipDSMxnnWTvBtvwgvG

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1qGN63bM9JPbtwcVFStvV0mwiUY9JF0o-
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Thursday, February 18, 2021

A snowy nature day

Snow makes the most mundane landscapes beautiful, and it makes the beautiful landscapes magical.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ojnhIOdCISGkn-GuYgAeKnGI5rez0Ch7

We just got the most snow we have gotten for over 2 years. We were joking that we got the entire winter in one weekend. Currently, it’s still snowing! 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1hvmkqzq6-2wsme7zmjaX_MpWknTWJbmU

This sweet little bird was picking bugs off the underside of whatever branches were not frozen. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1jq-b-F8H4cOpBFlh43TbTYV02JC-nOdQ

Could this look any more like Narnia?!

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1VQo4VEykc6FW4_dOtxK7ym0wuSHPDUDz

This mama deer was going around the thickets of brush with her two doelings and they were so very sweet. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1KvIIUkcspNHIlLbmnhtQhQ8uSIGcjgdd

Baby number one:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ojnhIOdCISGkn-GuYgAeKnGI5rez0Ch7

Baby number two:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1NIG4wcHxFn1lvlhdZHrz7ufuVHH_NmFX

And the snow was so beautiful on all of the maples with their moss and little helicopters. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1pjktZ96MFveWyHUboJ470VJnId72gOF_

This spotted Towhee was following its friend from bush to bush, looking to see what he could dug up. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1YliieoVAdO8--Gpt12AsU6gk5TaOnQWb

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ujHyNip_QDHGaRJTkOyXHIKdNmL5rwpj

Can you see it?

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1WH47r24F8ExnIezhUrLzr5gFY4TQJnlL


How about now? 

This young eagle was calling to another eagle.

I would like to say I know what animals are thinking, but often I feel that even the personification of animals falls far short. Their motivations are so different from ours that I doubt we can possibly ever know their thought process. However, if I were to personify this wildlife encounter, I’d say, I just interrupted a fight between a mom and her dirty teenage son and she is giving me the appropriate look:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kgcda80vvwPr3J5NXZYBMx71VUnzf0U5
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Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Beaver Unit Study

In winter, nature study takes a turn of the colder variety. Especially this year, when masks are mandatory and groups are illegal.   

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1hcWz9eR3HXgZyop9X-T1dwa3-z6WjG0t

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1qnlpqjbVTlHUsmqvJNGGB5Mwg2HaBY6z

We enjoyed a beautiful but cold walk to try to find some evidence of beavers.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=14joZvIJd7LzaaquZxHNqsF9T0nL-ZDB2

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1-KyDlcuUc70FvRvxy9EGc-J847EVeq4Z

Then we headed to North West Trek, and were able to watch the sweet beaver family who are still hanging out in their den for winter.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1cV0qCyAMaWb-89gYsSKZZ53JKwMmxXWd

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1TqtE5ZVqtYC_ID0CegOIGQRvBf4PNCEw

Then we jumped into our bookshelf and pulled out the Beaver book from my favorite nature study author, Shirley Woods.  These books are incredible.  We paired Jack the Beaver book up with the Beaver lapbook from HomeSchoolShare.com.  

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1-PIyh0Y9PBQHdJN2q7JGKCmJ_bzY-KET
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Monday, February 1, 2021

A beautiful friend


“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.  And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”

― Albert Camus


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Medieval Plague Dinner Party

A plague party in the middle of a pandemic... too soon?  Maybe... but 14 year old boys have a dark sense of humor and so I decided to bank on that and just fall, head first, into the theme of the year... which apparently is plagues.  


If you have been following my blog for any amount of years, you have probably seen the HUGE parties I usually throw my incredibly extroverted son, Logan.  

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1c2iDusro6wKYQ078h7Y--v6oelzyzjVV

Forced to painfully tame his guest list, we decided to go all out with a sit down dinner. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=10AH67jtn_HL9a3X76N_zTcipUyMGZoH1

Everyone got plague masks to wear and rats to have as pets (not really, they were plastic) and a huge medieval feast!

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Hv4ufirNUMEd7FNyieP7azgprLfbQoC4

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=13nBGp19Li3pBPk2SPbpta_yw5v_wLfWN

I created a medieval ambiance with a cardboard and tissue paper stained glass wall that I tucked into my window to create a upscale but macabre kind of vibe.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1pCCQbeSl1gYw2rf5n5w1Dxc2I1iVRKSg

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1BryZj7zKQ8EXY8KDqqEbkskD-o86buEj

The "feast" was a full table charcuterie board with bread and 4 kinds of meat, 7 types of cheese, two types of grapes, two types of figs, dried fruit, jelly beans, salmon spread, nuts, chocolate candies, and any other decadence I could fit in.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1NogYd1armxgJ0O8X2h6WbaX1ESfkEE35

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1k8U8pjBgQLJwHD-Y4Ib2_DUxsYmdeKIY

The activities were this Madlib I made up special for the event and then we all sat on the couch with our snacks and watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  Always a crowd pleaser!

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kUThe2m3HjgU7nrEHdpKCaeKEBWFVzkj
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Saturday, January 30, 2021

Encounters with Nature


I got a new lens for Christmas..... I am not sure I need say more.  (Such fun!)







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Monday, January 18, 2021

Winter Nature Study

Winter nature study

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1bvMSBObYzu4syBdCvf6nKQAo3h_lNA0H

Lots of masked field trips or going to less crowded areas like lakes and walks.  2020 winter nature study has been an exercise in finding things close by to go to and making up our own field trips.  No Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts....  no nature clubs or co-op field trips.  This year has been a whole new animal.  

One thing we did do was take the drive-through trip through NW Trek.  This year they opened it up to personal vehicles to do the tour.  It was a wonderful day to watch for wildlife!  

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1gARE1LVNdTOghykMxDPS1oCE751cWfLQ

Afterwards we got to go into the park, masked, and do the walk through things.  Less animals out this time of year but we got to watch the black bears poke out of their cave under a tree, and that was thrilling.  :)

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=19G_qSL9hGLq26Jk-yvZIofupCkuDsB9R

We also followed quite a bit of the Handbook of Nature Study for our Nature Study books.  I hear they are coming out with a new version with color photos and I can't wait!  This is our most used book in our library by quite a bit.  Getting a version with color would be incredible!

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1L4kK-1ZpTIMVkNqMyGNCfJzCmW_hIktc

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1plL7cDQM0L7CVMWKwUIrtKDHmj7l00BH
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