Nature Connections-November

windy November days to fly kites(and bags)...they decided to tie them to the tree and watch from a blanket.(and our dog Lucy thought she would join them)  I think they spent half the day playing with their kites.  They were full of laughter and observation..noting the changes of the wind and feeling the cool breeze on their faces.

a time to rest and draw...

the kids like to play in the barn a lot in the fall.  it's filled with rolls of hay and makes a great climbing course.  Our cat is always up for a game of hide and seek...

I looked out the kitchen window and saw him with our spring bottle calf, Sara....I looked later and saw him laying down beside her while she napped in the sunshine...I think they enjoyed one another's company.

a day in the woods, scouting for deer...we found several tree rubs(where the bucks rub their antlers) and a few scrapes(an area on the ground scraped clean by the buck, to mark his territory)

Daniel Smith Days

Earlier in September we went to Rock Castle for the Daniel Smith Colonial Days.  We spent a beautiful day experiencing history and fun.

wood carving

log hewing

a little bit of everything

good inspiration for a fort 

animal skinning demonstration

"A" was intrigued by this delightful, hand crafted Zither 

Les Graces Game

rolling a hoop

This "French Pirate" was a magnificent story teller.

Nature Connections- September

This month has passed quickly!  The weather has been beautiful and we've been busy outside.  Here are a few of the things we've done this month...I would like to post more, later.

We spent the day with friends at Salt Lick Campground, fishing, bike riding, and swimming.

Working on a raft, with driftwood...

Practicing his fire building skills...

"Patching" the dead tree with mud...helpful? Maybe not.  Fun and messy? Absolutely!

Building a "fort" for supper with his friends.

We dug sweet potatoes out of the garden...

Found a patch of Green Spored Lepiota. (POISONOUS)

So we tried a few spore prints...

Cut down two dead trees in the yard.  Temporarily they made a fun climbing fort.  But we had to cut them up for firewood this winter.

"A" found these two Monarch Butterflies, mating...

A beautiful day for a picnic at Cheekwood. (I will have to make another post)

A walk with our cousins, we haven't seen in a long time.

Heifer Ranch

While visiting Arkansas we had the opportunity to visit Heifer Ranch.  "The mission of Heifer International is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth.  This ranch is over 1,200 acres and trains volunteers from all over the world to help educate others to pass on the gift.  By giving families a hand-up, not just a hand-out, Heifer empowers them to turn lives of hunger and poverty into self-reliance and hope."

We watched a video about several young people from different countries and how they live.  They were amazing stories of how one person can make a difference! 

One we are reading about now is Beatrice.

Bee's can provide a great source of income for families.

The farm tour....

Water Buffalo

A very friendly Camel...

Goats also provide for the families...

Different types of housing in the Global Villiage

The farm has several programs that provide participants a first-hand look at the challenges surrounding hunger and poverty.  There are many ways to get involved and help.  To learn more, visit Heifer International.

We are looking into the Read to Feed program and coming up with other ideas to be more aware and understanding of the needs of others. Not only those in other countries around the world, but also those in our own town. God has blessed us so much and I want us to be ever mindful of how we can give and serve others.

Petit Jean State Park (Part II)

The first day we took the Cedar Creek Falls Hike.

We made our own trail down to the creek to cool off. 

A great rock ledge for jumping into the water...

The next day we hiked on the other side of the falls to Turtle Rock and an old cave once used by the indians.

Turtle Rock

Rock House Cave

A lot of the rock is full of iron...

Trail to the overlook...