Nature Connections

I wrote this poem a few weeks ago.
     
                                      Observations

                      Do you ever stop and look,                            
                      What's high above, what's under foot?

                      Walk quietly over the forest floor,
                      There are endless mysteries to explore.

                      A leaf, a meadow, a babbling brook,
                      A path less traveled, that only you took.

                      Who made these things,
                      Do you wonder why?

                      Beauty abounds, just open your eyes!

We were out in the woods late, one evening, and
my son noticed how the sunset made all the trees look red.  It is moments like that, when you know your children are aware of what's around them. A few weeks ago he said, "something smelled like those purple flowers that bloom in the spring." (lilacs)
Those are nature connections.                                                                                                                      

When we can engage all  of our senses and connect them to everything God has created,  we can see and feel His glory. That, to me, is what makes nature so beautiful and peaceful.

We had to try out a fire in their  new fort. :)  Below are A's mud pies she made by  packing mud in clay pigeons we found in the woods.  They dried overnight and came out "purfik."

We took a walk on a park trail.  We've had a lot of rain and the creeks were flowing strong.  I think she was feeling the breeze or maybe pretending to fly?  I am learning how to step away and let the kids explore and wander on their own.  (distant supervision)

We found this print near the creek.  Opposum?

My daughter loves to see the colorful sunsets.  She laughs and says "look mommy, God likes pink, too."

So.....it is the end of February.  The first boquet of buttercups has been picked, the birds are pairing up and scouting out places to build their nests, and this evening, we heard the frogs singing their first songs of hello, spring!
















We are linking up with Sherry this month at livingandlearningnow.blogspot.com  Join us!

Building A Fort

  We had beautiful weather this week and the kids have been busy working on their new fort.

 They gathered a lot of sticks, made
a fire pit, and added a few log benches.

 A is sweeping out the fort and cleaning the rock stepping stones on the porch.  They have been adding special trinkets that they find in the woods.

We took a book and a picnic lunch one day, and they played hide and seek.

H decided this little tree was in the way of the door.  So he chopped it down...this took a while because the axe is quite dull...however, he didn't mind the work.  Then he had this grand idea to strip the log and make a flag pole.  He had cut up an old tee-shirt the day before and had written his name on the flag.

This was hours of joy..... 

Challenging herself to climb to the top of this fallen  tree.  She talked to herself the whole time saying, "you can do this, have courage"

Gathering a weed boquet...

They were tired after hours of play and H offered to carry A home.....until they got to a hill, then he told her how easy it was to run down hill and she could walk herself...





A Snow Day

Last week we had more snow, so the kids and I went out to play.

Wishing they could ice skate on the pond...

Looking for a squirrel....

Whoa!  Look at this one!

Thinking about this beautiful day...

 

They found this little spot, under some cedar trees and decided it would make a good place to build a fort.

                                                                 A perfect little vine swing.

He is telling me how dead trees make great homes for wildlife.

The buttercups....first signs of spring!

PLAYING WITH SHADOWS

Guinea on the fence

An old oak tree

Fall Camping

We like to camp in the spring and the fall, when the weather is mild and pleasant.  We have a great little place on the backside of our farm, we like to go.  We all enjoy the warmth and smell of a campfire, cooking our food, and telling stories.  At night we all cuddle in a tent and listen to the symphony of crickets and frogs, and the spooky sound of coyotes, howling back and forth across the holler. 

Gathering fire wood...

The fire is going and the tent is set up.... we go for a walk and explore.

We went looking for the Paw Paw trees, K had seen a few weeks before, when he was bush-hogging.  They are ripe in late fall. http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pawpaw.html

They have the texture of a mango and a very mild banana flavor.  I can't say I really liked them and I couldn't convince the kids to try more than a bite. I ate several, just because they are "good for you."  We left them for the deer and other critters to eat.

On our walk back we observed this beautiful Swallowtail butterfly, feeding on a thistle flower.

Breakfast the next morning....when we camp the kids wake up at the first light of dawn.  No sleeping in!

The dogs like breakfast and always wait patiently for leftovers.

Try camping sometime.  You might like it!

Wonderful memories.