Last month I posted an entry discussing the emergence of spring wildflowers…the early ones. Read that entry here: Wildflower Succession and Ephemerals.
I’ve been on the lookout for our early spring wildflowers and the list is rather short so far.
Dandelions – The dandelions in our yard and down by the river are very short. They don’t grow very tall at all and I assume that’s because of our cold temperatures. They are still such a happy sight after the winter grays and browns.
Tiny White Flowers – The pasture behind our house has lots of miniature blooming white flowers. I’ve tried in the past to identify them, but so far I’ve had no success. If you don’t look closely, you’ll actually miss them, they are so very small.
We took a drive on a long, dirt forestry road this week and we spotted the green Manzanita blooming already. The insects were buzzing around all of the pink flowers dangling from the branches.
Those three flowering plants are really the only ones I’ve observed so far.
As I look at my records for the past two years, I notice that the bushes bloom before the wildflowers here in Central Oregon.
But, there are plenty of signs of flowers that are coming. From our recent wanderings, we’ve noted the promise of a few more flowers.
There are thousands of wild purple irises beginning to sprout their green flat leaves. We see them everywhere on our daily walks and they promise to bring beautiful flowers in the near future.
The bitter brush is starting to leaf out and it will soon be loaded with small, yellow flowers.
The wild wax currant bushes are also leafing out with their bloom time following closely behind the leaves.
I realized this week how anxious I am for some wildflower beauty in my life. With our short growing season, the flowers bloom consecutively all summer long and end with a flourish of golden rabbitbrush color in the fall.
Learning the bloom patterns of the natives in my neighborhood is a project I really enjoy.
In some ways, as this stay-at-home order continues, I’m finding it easier to allow myself to just go take a walk outside in the yard, pedal the bike down the street and back, and wander around as I bird watch behind our house near the river. There IS TIME now to be outdoors and to still follow the orders to just be out to exercise.
My children are all doing pretty much the same with their own desired means of exercise, whether it’s training for their first 5K race, taking off on a forestry road on their dirt bike, or hiking up a butte every day. I’m encouraging them to be out in the sunshine for their mental and physical health.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
Renewing our enthusiasm for our own backyard is even easier since the weather has cooperated with warm temperatures and an abundance of sunshine! We’ve been digging in the dirt clearing away the winter’s debris and nipping those spring weeds before they get too robust. These are things we want to do, but don’t normally have time to do. No excuses now as we stay at home.
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
We made and hung a few more nesting boxes in our yard for the birds to discover and use this nesting season. Guess what? It was almost immediately upon hanging the boxes that we had birds in and out of each and every one. Talk about good timing! Chickadees, nuthatches, bluebirds and swallows all came to take a look.
That’s right! The swallows are back which makes me so happy. But not only the swallows; the hummingbirds have also made an appearance. We spotted them at the feeder early one morning and now they are gone again. I’m not sure if they are moving on or if I’m just missing the tiny little calliope hummingbirds.
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
There are new ducks in our pond and we’ve had a heck of a time figuring out their identification. We caught several on our critter cam and it looks like they may be a wood duck. Several evenings we have gone out to chase these ducks down and try to sneak up on them to get a photo or even just a really good look with the binoculars. My husband says he feels like he is on a scavenger hunt with me as we hide behind the willows and sneak along the river’s edge and through the cattails that line the pond.
It reminds me of our journey to identify the snipe in just the same way.
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…I am dreaming about…
We now have a big plan to create a new side garden that will include large flower beds, a crab apple tree and some benches. I spend a lot of time on Pinterest collecting images to inspire my future garden. I’m learning that there are many flowers that will grow here in abundance if we give them the right start and support them with lots of water during our dry summer months. At our house in California, I had the ability to create several themed gardens over the years. The one that gave me the most pleasure and ended up extending throughout our yard was the butterfly, bee, and bird garden. I think I can create a Central Oregon version of this garden with a little hard work
One last image…
We were able to drag the kayaks down to the river behind our house and take a short paddle while social distancing with two of our sons. It felt “normal”….at least for an hour or so. I’m dreaming of the time to come when we’re able to freely move about and enjoy the spring season. In the meantime, we will keep our balance with a little outdoor time within the rules of this unique and life-changing time we live in right now.
Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
I added nature journal pages about…
One last image…
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Last October, my daughter and I were able to check a place off of our bucket list. Acadia National Park had been on our radar as soon as my daughter moved to New York. We love visiting national parks and Acadia had always seemed so very far away from our west coast home. But, now with a new home base just a long day’s drive from this particular national park, we could make plans to visit during the colorful autumn season.
I purchased a guide book and started doing my research into the Bar Harbor, Maine area before I flew out to meet up with Amanda. There were hikes and viewpoints to work into our schedule. The weather was a factor so we made contingency plans just in case the rains kept us from being outdoors.
These were both very helpful in guiding our plans. Please note these are affiliate links to Amazon.com.
I’ve wanted to share the highlights of our trip for months now and since I have more free time while sheltering in place, the time has finally come to show you the enchanting place called Acadia National Park.
Our drive from New York to Maine was a wet one. We ended up breaking up our travels with a half day drive from Orange County, New York to Portland, Maine and then continuing the next day into Bar Harbor, Maine and the national park.
Since neither of us had been to this part of the world before, making a short stop in Portland gave us the opportunity to explore an interesting area and do a little shopping at the L.L. Bean flagship store. If you get the chance to visit Portland, we highly recommend the L.L. Bean outlet store for some real bargains! We spent most of our time walking around the Old Port, looking in shops, drinking coffee at Bard Coffee, and eating a potato doughnut at Holy Donuts. It was a lot of fun.
The next day we drove up to Mt. Desert Island where Acadia National Park is located. With sprinkles on the windshield and a few colorful trees along the highway, we made our way to the Hull’s Cove Visitor Center. I always like to stop at the visitor center to get our bearings at any new park.
We picked up a map and a bus schedule which was invaluable to our time spent exploring the park. I would like to mention here that this is a free shuttle system and it will take you pretty much anywhere you want to go. The system is easy to figure out and there is a brochure you can pick up at the visitor center to determine which shuttle bus you want to take to reach your destination. We were pretty good at using the shuttle by the time we left.
Since it continued to rain, we opted to visit Jordan Pond and experience the famous popovers served at the Jordan House restaurant. I’m told that on a normal day the wait is LONG to get a table for tea and popovers. They are famous for their popovers which are a pastry they serve with jam and butter. Yum!
But, the combination of being late in the season and the weather made it possible for us to walk right up and be seated at a beautiful spot at the window, looking out over the pond and gardens.
Taking time to experience this treat was a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon. Before we finished, the weather cleared a bit and we were able to walk down to the pond itself and see the beautiful colors and the reflections in the water. I can imagine that the summertime gardens here are amazing.
We finished off our first day by driving the loop road around the park and back into Bar Harbor where we had hotel reservations. Bar Harbor is a quaint little town and the main streets are lined with lots of cute restaurants and shops. We had dinner at the Peekytoe Provisions. It was a fun atmosphere and delicious food.
The next morning we woke to clearer skies so we jumped on the chance to get out and hike! First stop was breakfast in Bar Harbor at Café This Way. Super delicious! After that, we parked our car and rode the shuttle out to the trail head for the Ocean Path. We decided to walk the Ocean Path from Sand Beach to Otter Point. This trail went along the coast for about 2 miles but you can opt off the path at several spots along the way to shorten your walk by jumping back on the free shuttle.
We stuck it out the whole length of the trail because it was such a great way to see the ocean, the rock features, smell the distinct fragrance of the balsam fir coming from the trees, and just stretch our legs. The path is fairly level and I would recommend it to even beginning hikers. Parts of the trail were a little congested, especially at the Thunder Hole.
We ate our lunch sitting on a rock overlooking the ocean. I was glad we had made a stop at the grocery store in Bar Harbor and put some lunch items in our backpacks. Food always tastes better along the trail!
After our hike, we hopped back on the shuttle bus and went to Sieur du Monts where there is a beautiful native plants garden and spring. From there we took the Jesup Trail and saw the most beautiful autumn color of the whole visit. Sometimes a boardwalk and sometimes a dirt trail, we walked serenely along the trail. The trees are all around you and it’s so peaceful and quiet. We found ourselves in an open space that had a vista of colorful trees. It felt like we were inside a postcard image!
The sky was blue and the trees were varying shades of yellow, orange, burgundy, red, and gold. This is how we imagined a New England autumn!
We soaked in the views and then headed back to our car because we would need it for the next activity on our list. We wanted to experience Cadillac Mountain at sunset and you need to drive up there in your own car. We were told that you need to get there about 1 ½ hours before sunset to get a parking place and I can imagine that in the busier months, this is a nightmare to plan. Again, because we were there in a less popular time of year, we were able to drive up to the top, find a place to park quite easily, and then hike around at the top to take photos. We ended up leaving before sunset but only because it had been a great day already and the crowds up at the top were a little overwhelming. We didn’t want to ruin our good vibe!
We drove back to Bar Harbor and ate dinner at a brewery…pizza and beer after a day outdoors is just what we needed! Then back to the hotel for an early night.
On our last morning, on our way out of the park, we drove out to the Bass Harbor area of Acadia National Park. This is the place to see the iconic lighthouse that you see so many times in advertising and literature for Acadia. It looked just like you would imagine a Maine lighthouse would look like, perched up on the rocky cliffs.
It was a beautiful day and after taking photos at the lighthouse, we decided to hike the Wonderland Trail. Mostly under the trees and eventually ending up at the ocean, this is an easy flat hike with a gorgeous view at the end.
Thus ends our first ever epic trip to Acadia National Park. I was so impressed with the beauty of Maine in general and the variety of things to do and see at the national park. I can see why so many people visit this very out of the way place during the summer to experience the hiking and the beaches. But, if you find yourself with the time to visit in the autumn, the fall color will not disappoint.
We left with great memories but also a feeling that things were left undone as well. But, I always feel that way when leaving a national park.
I will think back on this trip and try to remember the fragrance of the balsam fir and sea air.
Additional Tips and Information
There is a $20 entrance fee that you need to pay at the visitor’s center. We used our National Parks pass.
I highly recommend staying in Bar Harbor and taking advantage of the free shuttle that picks you up at the town square. It takes you right into the park and comes frequently.
If you are hiking in the park, make sure to pack a lunch or snacks!
I would plan on at least 2 days to get the most out of your visit.
Take the park loop road at least once, stopping at some of the turn outs to take photos.
There is camping available in the park and I noted that one of the campgrounds is on the shuttle system.
I invite you to read my other national park entries to inspire your next visit. Make a plan and then make it happen!
You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:
Nature study and making daily nature observations is a fantastic way to take a break from the craziness of the COVID-19 situation. As long as you keep your social distancing, it’s recommended that we get outside and take a walk. I’m all in favor of that advice and hope that my outdoor experiences this month inspire you to get out and take that walk!
During our outdoor time this month we went…
We’ve taken several walks to our river to look at the river’s level, the condition of the banks with their muddy edges and animal tracks, and to listen to the spring birds that have returned to our neighborhood and make their nests in the river willows.
So far, the red-winged blackbirds, the robins, and the red crossbills have been the most numerous to return. Yes, I said crossbills! This is very early for them to make a stop at our birdfeeders. So early, that when I reported their numbers on my Project Feederwatch report last week, they wanted to know if I had a photo. Of course I had a photo!
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
The green grass is peeking through the remaining brown winter grasses. I can’t tell you how hopeful that made us that we’ll soon see the return of the longer spring days. Even now as I write this entry, and the greenness is covered up with five inches of fresh snow, my mind’s eye can see it under there just waiting for the warm sun’s rays to wake it up again.
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
We observed that one of the ground squirrel holes in our backyard shows signs of activity. It seems a bit early for their appearance but we are wondering if it’s like with ground hogs. Do the ground squirrels take a peek outside once in awhile to determine if it’s time to come out of hibernation? My guess is they went back to sleep!
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
I was so anxious for some spring color that I went to Home Depot and purchased a few colorful indoor plants to enjoy until we can plant our seeds. I brought home a “spring cactus” which is really a rhipsalidopsis. Two African violets also found a home in my kitchen window. What a difference it makes having just a bit of happiness in the form of a pretty flower within view most of my day!
I am dreaming about…
The bluebirds have been checking out the nesting boxes in our yard, going in and out, sitting near the entrances on sunny afternoons. It reminds me of the summer days of bluebird babies poking their heads out of the box to have their mothers bring them a meal. Such a comforting image that I look forward to seeing again soon.
I am reading…
While it’s strictly not a nature related book, I thought I would share a title that gave me a little winter escape to a place I would like to visit in real life, Avonlea and Prince Edward Island. The book is titled, Marilla of Green Gables, and is the prequel to Anne of Green Gables, telling the story of Marilla Cuthbert.
Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
During our outdoor time this month we went…
There have been no great trips out and about this month….spending most of my days inside, looking out at the wintery landscape. Don’t get me wrong. We have sunshine but it is COLD!
This winter I’ve been more of a hibernator than in years past.
Maybe it’s my age or the weight of the responsibility I’m under, taking care of elderly parents, but I enjoy the warmth and rejuvenating powers of sitting by a warm woodstove more than bundling up and going out in the freezing temperatures.
I don’t think I’ll always be this way; it’s just a season of something different for us here in Central Oregon.
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
I have to admit that the most inspiring and interesting thing we’ve done is to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. The juncos took the prize for the most birds of any species. But the chickadees, nuthatches, and house finches have been the most consistent visitors to our feeders this season. The most surprising visitors we had were three red-winged blackbirds! They made an appearance one morning up on the tall bird feeder…I can’t believe how early they are this year, almost a full month before I expected them to arrive. We also had a few varied thrushes to count and flickers, downy woodpeckers, and hairy woodpeckers. Under the feeder we had mourning doves and collared doves that duked it out with the gray squirrels for the seeds on the ground.
Great Backyard Bird Count 2020
Northern flicker-1
Downy woodpecker-1
Hairy woodpecker-2
Mourning dove-6
Collared dove-2
Red-breasted nuthatch-1
Pygmy nuthatch-4
House finches-6
Dark-eyed juncos-30
American robin-2
Varied thrush-2
Mountain chickadee-5
California scrub jay-4
Red-winged blackbirds-3
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
It’s time for planning new garden beds to be filled with plants that will attract birds, bees, and butterflies. After our success in growing quite a few colorful and habitat friendly flowers, we’re going to expand our wildflower meadow and increase the number of sunflowers and bird/bee attractive plants.
I love Renee’s Garden seeds and each year I order some old favorites and a few new things to test out in our yard. I’ve long had a relationship with this awesome seed company and this year they are sending me the following seeds to try as part of their media partnership.
Beekeeper’s Mix – This is a mix we had last year under our sunflowers and they were so pretty!
Seeds for a Hummingbird Garden – This will be a new mix of flowers that will go in one of my garden boxes. I’m anxious to see if they flourish here in Central Oregon.
Butterfly Monarda – I’m going to add this packet to my wildflower garden to add a little height and color.
Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
Somehow this post never made it to the blog in January. This doesn’t surprise me since my life has been so over the top busy and it just slipped through the cracks.
I hope you enjoy reading about my January adventures.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
We didn’t need to travel too far this month to have some outdoor time. By going through our backyard and then down to the river, we have the perfect place to take long walks in the snow. My favorite time to go out is when the sun is shining, making the snow all sparkly and glistening with snow crystals.
I also love to follow any tracks we find in the snow and imagine who made them.
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
I think about all of the life going on down under the snow and ice. We only see the tops of a few plants sticking out but I know from last year’s study of the subnivean zone (space between ground and bottom of the snow) that there is a whole habitat underneath where smaller creatures live. I imagine the Belding’s ground squirrels all snug in their burrows and the mice and pocket gophers keeping warm underground as well.
We also know the otters and beavers are active under the ice and along the river banks. Once we saw an otter jump out from a hole in the ice with a fish in his mouth. He ran along the ice a little way and then popped back under the water and ice. Such excitement!
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
The elk are back traveling back and forth along the river in small herds. We need to get up very early to see them because it’s usually just as the sun is rising that we observe them on the move. There are young elk with the herd, sticking close to the adults as
I added nature journal pages about…
I’m back at my Nature Observer journal this year where I record the temperatures, daily thoughts, and any outstanding observations. Determined to keep up on my daily records, I try to work on it first thing in the morning. It’s interesting to me that I will quickly forget things we’ve noticed if I don’t get them down on paper each day.
I finally finished my journal page from Acadia National Park.
I’m also back to posting more regularly on Instagram. Join us over there if you want to be a part of that community.
Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
I started thinking on my new nature study goals about a month ago when I was in the thick of packing up my mother-in-law’s belongings so she could move to Oregon to be nearer to us. It brought into focus for me what is truly important in my life and what brings me happiness and contentment. It was clear that “things” are not my focus but rather making memories, keeping a sense of adventure about the world, and continuing to learn about the creation that I see in my everyday life.
With that experience and insight fresh in my mind, I made a new list of nature study goals for 2020.
Keep a nature journal.
Add to our backyard habitat. We are thinking of adding a water feature!
Take local hikes.
Make notes in my field guides. I love it when I turn to a page in my field guide and I’ve written the date of an observation or a location of a sighting.
Continue to participate in Project Feederwatch and the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Visit a new national park
Please note these are Amazon affiliate links to products I own and love.
I’m not sure how it got to be the end of December already, but here we are with a new year staring us in the face. The year 2019 has been a year of family upheaval, interspersed with short stretches of calm and space where my husband and I could get outside to enjoy Central Oregon. We forced ourselves this month to go outdoors even when the temperatures were at freezing or a little below. The key to being outside in the cold air is to be properly attired. Over the last three winters we’ve learned how to layer up to keep out the freezing winds and snowflakes.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
This month our snow started falling and the winter landscape came into view. The mountains in the distance glistened on sunny days with their snow caps. Our back pasture leading down to the river was covered in snow with only the tallest summer grasses still visible with brown stalks and drooping seed heads.
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
The river has started to ice over and we can see small animal tracks on top of the ice where they crossed from one side to the other.
I also really enjoy the sunrises at this time of the year because of the way the light creates deep shadows and the sky is a kaleidoscope of pastel colors.
I added nature journal pages about…
I’ve been working on catching up in my nature journal. I have several pages started but not completed that record things I want to remember. In my nature journal, I try to record the sweetness of each season by listing the birds we observe, the mammal visitors we encounter and the highlights of special hikes or our travels. I’m currently working on pages for my trip to Acadia National Park, the coyote we see frequently outside our back fence and the mushrooms from our local autumn hikes.
Plans for Winter 2020
I’m planning on a new nature journal for 2020 that will combine daily and monthly observations. I will share about that sometime in January.
Also, my husband and I both decided we need new snowshoes to inspire us to get out on the local trails this winter.
Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?
Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.
During our outdoor time this month we went…
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting…
Use the Outdoor Hour Challenge topics to stimulate my interest in my local habitat and help to build my skills as a naturalist. I have been faithfully following the Outdoor Hour Challenge but I have not been as good about posting my results here on the blog. I do lots of research and preparation work during the week leading up to each challenge and then sort of fall flat on writing about it. Perhaps a good addition to this goal would be to post at least on blog entry per month sharing what we learned in completing the weekly Outdoor Hour Challenges.
Keep a detailed record of my nature observations. I’m still going strong with my observations in my daily journal, the five year journal, and my personal nature journal. I have learned a lot about our habitat by comparing this year’s details with last year’s records. It helps me see patterns and then anticipate when something will bloom or the arrival of a particular bird. In general, things are much later in the season this year, our temperatures are much cooler, and there has been far more rainfall.
Hiking and Kayaking. Our hiking and kayaking have ramped up for the season. There have three kayak trips and numerous short hikes. We hiked a new trail from La Pine State Park to Fall River which is mostly through the evergreen forest but also a little along the Deschutes River. We also hiked a favorite trail at Smith Rock State Park (making a note to write a blog entry about this awesome state park).
Read nature related books this year. I’m enjoying a new book featuring insects of the Pacific Northwest. I am also working my way through the book, Nature Walks by Claire Leslie Walker.
As noted in my Nature Observer post for June 2019, I am spending a lot of time outdoors while the weather is warmer and things are growing and visiting in my yard. It seems like every effort I make to be outdoors is rewarded with an interesting discovery.
Note for 2020: Next year I am going to make it a goal to plant more seeds earlier indoors, perhaps in a green house, so that I can get a jump on the growing season here in Central Oregon. The seeds we did put in pots early are doing fantastic and we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor. This goal may dovetail into another goal to increase the bird and butterfly friendly areas of our yard.
Did you make nature goals this year? How are doing at achieving those goals?
These are Amazon affiliate links to books I own and love.
I decided to observe the first day of summer by taking a tour of our yard to look for interesting things to note. First of all, the temperatures have been cool again…really cool at 33 degrees when I get up in the morning. I haven’t lost any of our plants yet to the cold temperatures so I’m hoping they will continue to grow.
Our transplanted sunflowers are looking good in their new box. I think we may have over planted but my husband just can’t bear to thin the seedlings. I’m dreaming of the colorful flowers to come. The only thing to be concerned about are the deer that may somehow get inside our fence and eat the flowers like they’re at a salad bar. It’s happened before!
I don’t think I have mentioned that the sunflowers we are growing come from Renee’s Garden. I have once again received some complimentary seeds from them to use in my garden.
We’re blessed with an abundance and variety of wildflowers in our yard this year. Partly because we have kept the deer out and mostly because I convinced my husband to let a few areas just grow wildly. This has revealed a number of plants we didn’t know we had growing along the edges like the penstemon, the goosefoot violets, and the salsify.
Along with the increase in flowers, there are many more insects to observe. Right now there’s an insect that is rolling itself up in our aspen tree leaves.
We have ground squirrels that are burrowing into our landscaping berms. They are trying to tunnel their way over to the birdfeeder. Our dogs then take the opportunity to dig the tunnels out and chase the squirrels away. This is a problem because they unearth so many of our newly planted flowers in the process. I’m trying to resolve this problem without harming any flora or fauna.
Chickadee
The babies are all hatching in our nests and nesting boxes. There have been a few casualties along the way but I think for the most part the birds are thriving and it has been a successful year of supporting the birds in our habitat.
On a more serious note, we almost had a tragedy involving our puppy and mushrooms growing in our yard. We didn’t realize we had any mushrooms until I started looking carefully when Sierra started acting strangely. She was stumbling around, very agitated, and drooling. I found the mushroom near where she had dug up a small tree stump in our backyard. We rushed her to the vet’s and they were able to get her stabilized with fluids and oxygen. They tried to induce vomiting but were not successful. But, in the end, after a long and scary night, she came out the other side and seems to be recovering. We were very relieved that we caught it in time to get her help and that she’s a strong, healthy puppy.
PLEASE check your yard for mushrooms. Doing more research on this topic, I’ve learned that mushrooms are a common cause of poisoning for dogs. You can bet I will be mighty vigilant from now on and pluck any mushrooms up and throw them away as soon as I see them.
We’re looking out over the next couple months with anticipation for all the summer things we want to do while the weather is warm.
What did you do for the first day of summer?
Here’s a link to the original challenge for many ideas and printables to use as part of your early summer weather study: Outdoor Hour Challenge – Summer Weather
Learning the bloom patterns of the natives in my neighborhood is a project I really enjoy.
