� 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. 4, 2008 - I Received an Award

I was given this award by job19v25 at Travel Tales. I am truly humbled to receive it, but I'm glad others enjoy what I put on here(which isn't very much compared to some).  I am supposed to pass on the award to others(it's supposed to be 10, but I don't think I could come up with that many) and I will choose other nature blogs that I enjoy(it's OK if they've already received one). I pass this award on to: Nature Notes From Above My Nature Journal Sunny Shoots Nature Handbook of Nature Study Thank-you for sharing all of your great ideas and photos!!

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� Feb. 2, 2008 - Tagged!

� 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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� Jan. 4, 2008 - The Northern Catalpa Tree

When we moved to this house last Summer, we discovered a new and strange looking tree on our street.  Every time we would go for a walk we would stare up at it's huge leaves and long skinny pods.  Unfortunately,  all of our school books were the last to get unpacked and so I didn't have a nature book to identify it with until September. It was then that we learned that it was a Northern Catalpa. (At least I'm assuming it's a 'Northern' rather than a 'Southern' because we live in the Northern Hemisphere.) This is how it looked in the early Fall, before it lost it's leaves: (catalpa speciosa) My kids couldn't wait until the 'pods' fell because we were so curious about what was in them.  We thought there might be seeds, but it was only a woody substance. It's hard to tell how big the leaves actually are(6-12 in.) and so I took this photo to show you: (the children's scissors are there for a size reference) And here it is on a sunny, yet cold December day: (I do not have a Spring or Summer photo, when I do I'll make 'Year for a tree' post.) You can see all of the pods (fruit) dangling from the branches.  Apparently the flowers are white with purple and yellow flecks.  We will have to wait to see those!

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� Dec. 19, 2007 - Mistletoe

There is a saying that goes "You learn something new everyday." and I often say "I am learning much more as a homeschool mom than I ever did as a public school student.  That is so true is this case. One of the books we refer to in our studies is The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden.  I know many who follow Charlotte Mason use this book and it has such lovely paintings in it. Anyhow, we did a little reading up on mistletoe and this is what I learned: Mistletoe is actually a parasite. I did not know that. It grows in big clumps like this on other trees: It grows mostly on Apple trees and occasionally on Oaks.  Birds will eat the berries which contain a sticky substance.  The birds will try to rub off the sticky substance on the bark of a tree and that is how the seeds get transported form one tree to another. (Viscum album) I am always amazed at God's marvelous creation when I learn of something like that.  Some little intricate detail that only an Infinite Creator could think up. So, there is more to mistletoe than meets the eye, and it still does look pretty when tied up.

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� Dec. 4, 2007 - I Lift My Eyes Up

I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 I did not take this photo.  It is from stock.xchng. It was, however taken in Fernie, British Columbia.

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� Nov. 17, 2007 - An Apple Study

Being Fall and the season of apples, last week did an apple study.  I got the idea to study different varieties of apples from BChsMamaof3. This is what we did: We managed to find 10 different varieties of apples at our local farm market.  They included: Gala, Red Delicious, Cameo, Spartan, Ambrosia, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Fuji(organic). Yes, like BChsMamaof3, we got comments from the cashier, but at least I had labeled all the different bags so she knew what each of them were as she scanned them. Then we made up this chart and the comparing began: We rated the apples in these categories: size&shape, colour, smell, texture, taste, country of origin, and uses(You may have noticed that this row is blank and that is because we still have to look up what the different varieties are used mostly for. i.e. juice, baking etc.). Then we gave each apple an overall rating by voting on a scale of 1 - 5.  1 being 'didn't like' and 5 being 'Yummy!' As you can see, Red Delicious was liked the least.  Our favourites included Granny Smith(all the kids like this one), Braeburn and Ambrosia.  Ambrosia was a unanimous '5' rating all round.  I also really like the Cameo which I had never had before.  Fuji, however is my personal favourite. Most of the apples came from our own Okanagan region and some were from Washington State.  The organic Fuji was the only one from overseas, all the way from New Zealand! I also had the kids pick one to sketch. What to do with all those leftover apples? A yummy Apple Crisp! Thanks for stopping by!

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� Nov. 10, 2007 - My Debut!

Welcome to my new Nature Study blog!  I'm just getting it going and have lots of ideas for it.  However as I'm just getting started, it may take a while to get it looking how I'd like. So check back for recent posts and in the meantime you can always visit my other blog. Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to 'meeting' you in the future!

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