Jul. 22, 2009~ I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud... ~ |
 These clouds loomed ominously overhead during my son's birthday party a couple of weeks ago. I love the clouds. I love watching them...always moving...changing and in so many beautiful patterns.  We did a weather unit when my older two were younger, but I actually don't remember much. I'd love to do one again now that the little ones are getting older. It will have to wait a year though, this year's science has already been decided on. |
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Jun. 27, 2009~ ~ |
Simply Beautiful!
While at a local garden park, we wandered through the conservatory greenhouse. It was there that I saw this lovely flower.
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May. 27, 2009~ Nature Walk ~ |
On a lovely, sunny day last week I took the kids for a nature walk
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A young Oak.
New growth
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Humph, not so nature-ish.
Also not so nature-ish, but too cute to resist!
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Jan. 25, 2009~ Frosty Morning ~ |
We've had some very thick fog lately and below zero temperatures at night creating a beautiful frosted winterland come morning.
One morning I went a bit crazy with the camera. I just loved how pretty everything looked. It reminded me of the kind of frosts they get in England because the air is so damp. I even caught a little junco searching out scattered bird seed. There are a few more pictures at the end of the slideshow that don't appear at first. My favourite is the one with white scraggley(that's a word right?) branches against a dark background.
Enjoy!
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Dec. 2, 2008~ A Photo Walk ~ |
A few weeks ago, we went on a 'photo walk' organized by a mom from our support group. We met at a park where she gave a short talk on photography and then the kids were free to take pictures. With all of the Fall foliage, nature was the primary focus(no pun intended!). However, there were other subjects of interest too, like the garbage can lid that Chickadee captured that I thought looked like a face!
These aren't all of the pictures we took, just some favourites. The ones above were taken by me and Chickadee took the ones below. The picture of my son running with his backpack was taken by my other son. It looks better blown up because you can see the blurred effect evoking movement.
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Aug. 5, 2008~ Our Feathered Visitor ~ |
The other day, while eating lunch, my son thought he heard a bird hit the livingroom window. He looked over and saw something fluttering in behind the curtain. He went to check it out and discovered a little bird on the window sill!
None of us saw it fly in the house. It was a warm day and so the back door was open and we had all been outside, so I don't know how long it had been there.
The poor little thing kept flying up and hitting the window. It didn't understand that it couldn't get out!
We opened all of the windows and doors and I made a little trail of birdseed that led out the front door.
I have never seen my kids stand so still while we waited for him to find his way. He seemed to study the trail for a few minutes and then eventually flew out the door. He had to make a turn to do this, as the door was on the same wall as the window. I like to think my little trail helped him find his way out!
Anyhow, I'm pretty sure that it was a Sparrow. They come to our feeder all the time. It sure was neat to see one up close!
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Jul. 8, 2008~ Name That Moth ~ |
You know you're a homeschool mom when you're taking pictures of interesting creatures at 11:00pm so you can identify them in the morning!
That's what I was doing the other night as I brushed my teeth before turning in. I noticed the striking colour of this specimen on the pale yellow bathroom wall.
If this moth had been brown or gray, I might not have taken a picture, but it was such a pretty blue that I couldn't let it get away without a snapshot.
I never did get an accurate identification of it, I think it might be blue version of a White-Fringed Emerald (Nemoria Mimosaria), which is typically green,
or a type of Pyralid or Geometrid .
However, I did find some neat bug websites:
Bug Guide
and
What's That Bug.
Check them out if you need to identify an odd insect!
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Jun. 18, 2008~ Bird Sanctuary ~ |
This is a slideshow(and it's my very first attempt at one!) of our nature walk at Serpentine Wildlife Area. The walk was 4km long and we were all worn out by the time we got back to our van. I can't believe that even my little 4yr old made it the whole way! As you can see there were plenty of clouds around, and a cool breeze, but when the sun came out it got quite warm rather quickly.
The area is protected for wildlife. That wildlife is mainly birds. Over 175 different types of birds use the sanctuary during the year at some point during their migration. We were there at the wrong time of year to see any great variety, but we did manage to see a hawk, a heron, a red winged blackbird and some ducks. As you can see there are no pictures of any birds as they were too far away to get a good shot.
There were plenty of observation towers and the kids had to check out each one. Now my Hubby is thinking we should build something like that in our yard!! 
The river is the Serpentine River and it was very low, but there was evidence that it had recently been quite high. It was interesting to see the current in it change as the tide came in. We were only a short distance from the ocean, although you can't see it in the pictures either, and you could actually see the water coming in a going up-river.
Thanks for visiting!
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Jun. 16, 2008~ A Sketch by Me ~ |
One of the things I try to do, is sketch along with my kids, when I've given them a sketching assignment. I don't have as many entries in my sketchbook, because I'm usually distracted by my 'little ones' and a good sketch often takes time. I do what I can and I hope to do it more.
Here is one of my sketches of some English Daisies. I'm not sure of their real name as I already threw out the tag. I have them planted in one of about a dozen containers around the house.
(I do not have a 'real' garden yet, we're renovating our yard at the moment, so maybe next year! In the meantime containers will have to do!)
Here are the real ones, although not the exact ones I looked at while sketching. I was trying to focus on the bee, but he's still a bit blurry!
I have not sketched these, yet, but I thought I'd share them anyway as they are just a few of the pretty blooms I have to look at from my kitchen window.
(Petunias and Osteopernum-I think?)
I love planting flowers and watching them bloom. All of the different colours are so pretty.
Hopefully next year I'll have pictures of a real garden to share!
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May. 17, 2008~ A Park Day ~ |
We're finally having some warmer weather and were able to get out to a park yesterday. I didn't make the kids do any official nature study, but there was plenty of observations to be made.
Inspecting a small, stagnant pond...
On the trail...
Western Bleeding Hearts(Dicentra formosa) lined our path...
I'm not sure what these little white flowers are. There were so many in our nature book, that it made them hard to figure out exactly which ones they were. They might be Goldthreads(Coptis) or Wood Anemones(Anemone quinquefolia).
The larger heart shaped leaves are a different plant. The nature guide said they are Dutchman's Pipe(Aristolochia durior), but it was hard to tell because there were no flowers. It could also be Western Wild Ginger.
A tempting creek...
Unfortunately, not only was everything fairly muddy(too muddy to play in) from all of our recent rain, but there were signs up asking people to stay out of the creek. It also said not to throw rocks in it. Why? Well, apparently this particular creek was home to a rare little fish called the Salish Sucker and it is only one of five creeks in BC where this fish lives and so it therefore protected.
We had a nice day, a little picnic topped off with ice-cream bars from DQ.
I hope to do more of these even through the Summer, if my pregnant self will grant me the energy!
Thanks for stopping by!
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Apr. 25, 2008~ Birdwatching Boys ~ |
I went to check on my boys this morning, to see if they were dressed yet, and this is what I saw:
They were both intently watching the activity at our bird feeder. The youngest(almost 4) was very excited to tell me of the Stellar Jay they had seen,
How could I scold them for not being dressed?
Instead I took a picture!
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Apr. 24, 2008~ Daffodils ~ |
Daffodils Flowering in Spring in Hyde Park, London
Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on hight o'er vales and hills.
When all at once I saw a crowd;
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way;
The stretched in never ending line
Along the margin of a bay
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed-and-gazed-but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.
For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.
William Wordsworth
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Apr. 18, 2008~ Long Time, No Entry ~ |
I know there has not been very much activity on this blog lately. In fact our nature studies haven't been regular either. You see, I'm pregnant(which is in fact a nature study in itself!) and have been having naps almost every afternoon, thus we have not been outside enjoying Spring. I'll re-phrase that, the kids have been outside a little, but we're having a very cold Spring as well. Today we had snow flurries!! And it's April!!
Anyhow, if you happen to stop by here, this blog is not dead, be patient and I'll be posting again soon! We're about to start a little unit on insects and so maybe that will produce some worthy nature blogging!
Have a lovely day! |
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Mar. 3, 2008~ Lunar Eclipse ~ |
Alright, so I'm a little late, but here is the picture of the lunar eclipse that happened in our northern skies on Feb 13,08. In a lunar eclipse the earth passes between the sun and the moon casting a shadow on the moon. The moon turns a red-ish orange because of the atmosphere. Apparently there was supposed to be a turquoise colour too, but we never saw it.
OK, so that's kind of a pathetic picture, but that's the best I could do with my camera. It was really neat to see though, and it was also neat to see the sun's light slowly appear on the moon again. Ooops, forgot to get a picture of that!
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Feb. 21, 2008~ A February Nature Walk ~ |
We have had a couple of sunny days which have made us feel like 'breaking out'! On Monday we headed out for a long awaited nature walk. When we arrived at our destination, we found the park covered in thick fog.
But that didn't stop us, in fact it added to the exploring.
I was glad we all had warm coats(it was so sunny as we left home the kids questioned whether they should bring coats, it's funny how they think Summer has arrived just because we get some sunshine!) as the fog made the air very cold and damp.
We started on the trail, keeping our bodies moving.
Slowly the warm sun began to burn away the fog, and soon we were bathed in glorious sunshine.
We did do some nature sketches, however my boys were much more inclined to poke things with sticks and throw rocks in the water.
It was a nice day out. An elderly man walking his dogs, stopped and asked my dd about her sketchbook that she was working on. He complemented her on her drawings. And a young man let the kids throw the ball for his dog to fetch.
Thanks for stopping by! |
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Feb. 2, 2008~ Tagged! ~ |
I have been tagged by mtnmamaof4.
TAG #1 Rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.
TAG #2 The rules are:
(1) Link to the person that tagged you.
(2) Post the rules on your blog.
(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
(5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
#1
I had two books close to me, a dictionary and a nature guide. Since this is a nature blog, I picked the nature guide.
It's North American Wildlife by Reader's Digest.
Since it's laid out different than a regular book, I just picked a bird
(p.123 happened to be in the 'bird' section) from that page.
The bird is The Horned Lark. I could not find a picture of it as everything is copyrighted, but you can see a picture here: horned lark .
This is what it says:
" The Horned Lark is a bird of the bare earth, where it nests and feeds, and the sky, where it soars, sings, and plummets downward once again. In the fall individuals from the Far North migrate in large flocks, joining the local breeding birds wherever they find their preferred habitat-ground with a minimum of low vegetation to supply the seeds on which they feed. This is North America's only true lark."
#2
I'm going to make my 6 random things to do with nature(because, after all, that's the theme here!),
1. I love yellow roses. I have not yet grown them, but hopefully when our yard gets excavated and landscaped this year, I can plant a rose bush.
2. I need 'nature' around me. It feeds my soul. If I lived in a city apartment, I'd fill my balcony with plants.
3. I love to be able to see mountains. I understand that the vast prairie can be beautiful as well(I've seen it.), but mountains are so majestic!
4. I love to watch the clouds, especially on windy days when they're moving very fast.
5. One of my favourite trees is the Willow. I just love how it droops and sways.
6. I am in constant awe of the intricacies of how God created our Earth. Everything from the atmosphere and how it works, to the smallest insect or deep sea creature, it's all stamped with His creativity and intellectual design. The fact that we can all live here, sharing this planet and have the means to survive is amazing. There is so much around each day, that He made and yet so easily taken for granted.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst forth with joy!
Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord!
Psalm 96:11-12
I choose not to specifically tag anyone, but if you decide to do it, let me know so I can come visit!
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Jan. 29, 2008~ Tides ~ |
We have been reading A Child's Geography
by Anne Voskamp. I'm really enjoying it-and so are the kids.
Before Christmas we read a lesson about tides. For the first time in my life I understood how they worked. I always knew if had something to do with the moon and magnetism. Anyhow, she described it in such a way that it made sense to me. She said it was like a big elastic band stretched around the Earth and the Moon and the pull is what causes the tides.
Anyhow, I guess my dd really understood it too. Without me asking her, she drew this picture on our wipe-off board.
My dd then proceeded to explain to me, in her own words, how tides worked, while describing what she had drawn.
What a good example of the beauty of homeschooling!!
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Jan. 22, 2008~ Birdwatching at Breakfast ~ |
I have been missing the trees and the birds that lived in them at our old house. So I was delighted to receive a bird feeder stand for Christmas. You see, our back yard has no trees!!
(We hope to rectify that this Spring.)
In no time I had our bird feeders hung and then the wait began.
Would they come?
It took a little while but slowly the word spread and for the last few mornings we've had birds at our feeders. It's been exciting for the whole family!! How neat to see my 9yr old son go running for his binoculars so he can get a better look!
During breakfast this morning, we spotted 4 different types of birds: Stellar's Jays, Chickadees, Starlings and another little bird that we haven't identified yet. It was mostly light brown, with no distinct markings and smaller than a Chickadee. My guess is that's some type of finch, but it was hard to identify it in our nature guide.
So, we did "Starling" nature sketches today:
Thanks for visiting! |
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Jan. 19, 2008~ The glories of Slush!! ~ |
We live in a valley. Weather systems blow in off of the ocean dropping all of their precipitation on us before hitting the mountains. Because of this we get an unusual type of weather called 'slushing'. At least thats what I call it. The weather man would call it 'snow mixed with rain'. It's not good for playing in because you get soaked and it makes everything slippery. But, it does make everything look pretty, giving the illusion of snow. We're having some today as a matter of fact, but I took these pictures during our last 'slushfall'. I had to venture out on our very 'slippery-when-wet' wooden deck to take them. I was so intrigued by the pattern that the slush had made on our walk way.
...and here is a close up
I think that the temperature was hovering around the freezing point and ice was beginning to form.
And here's a close up of slush:
Thanks for stopping by and enjoying my slushy post!!
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~ All About Me ~
Welcome to my Nature Study blog. I have been influenced greatly by the Charlotte Mason approach to studying God's marvelous creation. I'm learning so much, along with my children, that I'm sharing it with you here. Enjoy!
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