It has been raining steady this month.  Nature study has been more about moving weather patterns than mammals and trees. We’ve talked a lot about trees – and I’ll show you some fun photos below. We’ve talked a lot about harbor seals as our Mammal of choice this month.  We have a resident raccoon that ate all of our goldfish when they were outside.  Not a lot of time to track foot prints.  Oh – we did see a bunch of deer tracks at the beach, and our resident elk herd is HUGE this year – over 50? They seem to know to hang out on this side of the power lines for safety. With all of the rain we have not enjoyed long forest walks – but we have done quite a few miles on the beach in the rain. The beach in the rain is always fun.  Here are a few storm pictures for ya.

This was one of my favorite trees. It is the view from our front deck, zoomed in. A perfectly shaped tree. It would have been our year round tree study if we were bold enough to go into their yard.  Those are two kayaks that have rested under the tree for 3 years. We’ve never seen them moved, and from here it looks like they may have just missed getting smashed.

This home is getting a new septic tank and new deck wraps around the house. This little boat gets tossed around in the storms. One more push and it would be in the water this time! Well, it is in the water, but not all the way.

The fence between our neighbor and our back yard.  Most of the fence is down up and down the yard.  I can get better photos of the canal this way – but the fence is nice.

Buffleheads!

A log that drifted under our boat house.  This is an ocean rock on this log. Too cold to put on the wet suit and get it, we’ll investigate later.

Another new Red Alder tree down next door to the south.  Sort of sad, as the birds like to go over in this corner and there is about 20 feet between this tree and the yard. It will be a nice safe hangout – outside of my site. Look at the photo below, there are two dead trees that have been there, the new one has the Ivy wrapped around it. People who SUP or Swim really don’t like deadheads in the lake – I scratched my leg pretty deep on one this summer swimming when my board flipped. OUCH!

Grebe

Someone wakeboarding behind a fishing boat? What?  Oh – see that splash behind her?  It’s a leash. That’s a surf board – a tow surfer on the lake. I think she is one of our Surf Team members, but I didn’t see her up close. Pretty sure it is her. You Go Girl!

Always fun to go outside after days of rain. Water is pretty churned up. We’re headed back into another pattern of storms – all the way through the 7th of December.  Sigh.

Eagle Eye Nate – and more trees down in our yard. We really need a mini chain saw.

Rains don’t slow Jon down – Go Jon Go!

I’ll get around to sharing all we are learning – we are in Ancients and Pearl Harbor – Graphing Equations and Pi – Lego Robotics and Stop Motion – always busy.