Pebblekeeper

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Nature Journals -Autumn 2010

This week’s Outdoor Hour Challenge is to spend 15 minutes in your own yard. Walking around. Observing. Picking up rocks. Picking up leaves. Listen. Smell. We had a break in the rain today – so the boys and I went out from 11:45 – 12:00. The little strip of woods to the south of the yard provided a great trail to walk. We have not been on this trail in September – the changes from the Spring/Summer are vast. Most of the skunk cabbage is dying down. The boys have gone in with machetes to create little “rooms”. They have their favorite spots. It was fun as the mom to go into their world and see the doors and roofs created out of the overgrowth. A little stream runs through the middle from the forest to the east, no houses are to the east – so the water smells sweet, the environment has a healthy earthy smell.

I spotted a seed pod that didn’t seem to belong in the forest. I collected the pod, a few leaves, the boys collected a few leaves, climbed on on logs, “accidently” dropped their pencil in the lake and had to retrieve it. . . .

Jon chose to write about the bees in the flower on the deck. This year I am going to work with him more on switching to Nature Sketches and less “art”. (The flowers are Red Tiny Dots, not blue huge flowers.) He did go back to contour drawing, leaf printing, and sketching the leaves. Nathan drew his leaf and berries, and then started carving on an old zucchini.

My favorite find, and the boys agreed, is the Vine Maple. It is a new to me species of tree. We learned that it has a 7 lobe leaf, the growth is under 20 feet tall, it thrives under towering conifers, in damp places, in good soil, survives in heavy shade – west of the cascades. Bingo! We have a Vine Maple. We learned that they grow like vines, tangling – choking out – other trees. Frontiersmen hated them, deer and small animal love them. They turn to the yellow/orange/deep red colors in fall. The beautiful undergrowth – now has a name. Vine Maple. 🙂

From Nathan’s Journal – He found Zucchini that had turned to sponge out in the yard –

Say Hello to my Leeetle Friend.

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He started out as a little seed. He was planted – and grew into a zucchini.
When he was full grown, he was chosen by the Korean Zucchini Army to become a zucchini warrior.

He grew to be – Zucchini Warrior ~~Man~~ Mon.

He Came To Me! I made him into an Epic Warrior.

Now he stands. Ready to shoot. (spear flying past) – Kapah!

They say I’m pretty good with a knife and a zucchini. My Leeetle Friend. Epic.
He’s so glad he didn’t become a Zucchini Mon Bread.

Mom. Sigh. Rolls Eyes. What does the kid have against Zucchini Bread? Or Legitimate Nature Sketch Journaling? Sigh.