We have had so much time out doors this month in January – through the rain and the mud – that we haven’t had a lot of time to tell you about our
Winter Wednesday challenges
from the Handbook of Nature Study.
So – this will serve as my January Challenge Re-Cap.
We covered this post about our Color Scavenger Hunt.
We had a great time walking our yard and then walking the Connie Hansen Gardens looking for Color!
Winter Stars and Moon,Winter Sky
We received a Telescope as a gift this month – a friend bought it for his grand kids – and they didn’t have a use for it, and he thought of our boys. They had fun looking at Orion’s Belt this week. We had quite a few clear sky nights. Here is the moon shining over the Red Alder Tree at about 3 a.m. Not sure if this is what the Word meant when He said Joy comes in the Morning! But it was! See the little stars up there? Sa-weet. The boys got to see the pulsating star that is getting ready to split into twins. Really Cool!
Winter Sky Challenge
The other part of the night viewing challenge was to pay attention to the sunsets.
Moon in the Sky in the Morning Sunrise
Sunset a couple of evenings ago –
Sunset Tonight (January 28, 2011, East Devils Lake – Lincoln City)
(This science nature study is hard work – but someone’s got to teach it!)
Winter Weather and Winter Tree Silhouettes -This is a photo of the Red Alder tree that we have been looking at year round. We have not done any of the challenges, but we have stood on the deck and “looked” at it. We follow the woodpeckers and northern flickers that love to eat the bugs from the tree! If you follow our blog at all – you will be tired of seeing about all of our Winter Weather – Rain and Flooding!
Random Shots – Playing with the telescope –
We could see all the way across the lake. These views were taken through the telescope lens, through the window – Those houses are at least 3/4 mile away. There is a guy fishing off of the dock of the brown boathouse. Pretty cool.
From my deck, I can only see a floating mass of black dots. With the telescope – I can really see the detail of each bird!
(shots taken using the telescope)
I’ll try to stay more focused on the challenges this month – We did the outings, loved the notebooking pages – but didn’t get the posts done. This is one advantage to buying the e-book!
+Angie Wright
Pebblekeeper 
Awesome! 🙂
Oh boy! Gorgeous photos! Sunset, twinkling stars, sunset. The close up of the birds through the telescope. Wow. What a great gift – and such fun to use. Love this.
Wow! GREAT photos! I think you’ve caught up on more of the challenges this winter than we have! We just started this month though…and the kids have asked to spend more time on different challenges. We are doing Winter Weather this week though!
Jessy – HHH
http://oursideofthemtn.blogspot.com
Beautiful pictures again. I especially like the sunset picture with such a vivid pink/red.
wait a minute… your telescope takes pictures??
I just put my camera up to the eye piece. I have seen instructions online to make an attatchment out of wood and bolt the camera to the telescope. fyi – I just have a Nikon L22 – aka lowest price department store digital camera available. 😉
GREAT pics! Do you enjoy having a telescope? We are contemplating getting one, I am just not sure where we would keep it. It looks like you keep yours set up?
Hubby just walked through the door with the telescope – so the beauty part was that it was free! It has three lenses. I keep it set up by the window near my morning reading material – if a new duck comes by, I can look at him. Northern Pintails are out there this morning. I would like a closet or spot to put it, I have collapsed it twice to shove it in a corner. If I didn’t have the lake to look at, I am not sure I”d bother. I like looking at the birds in the day time, I have not seen the point of looking at stars at night. (Hard to find on the telescope, makes gazing at the stars work instead of peace). I think it would be worth it to look on Craigslist or some used source – our mirror is a bit dirty, it doesn’t have instructions, but it still works, well enough for us. 🙂
Oh my goodness…the Winter Stars and Moon, Winter Sky photo is absolutely breathtaking. Wow! I think that is the same photo that Barb is talking about. It’s beautiful.
This is my nature study 😉 reading your entries! heehee… now that has to be cheating!
You crack me up – Cheat away!
I don’t think this was cheating. 🙂
Wonderful entry and I had fun reading your words and seeing your beautiful images. I especially like the first night shot with the tree and lights…awesome.
I am hankering for a telescope for my boys, we shall see. 🙂
Thanks so much for your entry and sharing your month’s nature study.