Family Outdoor Life Archives

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Barb — 1 Comment

Outdoor Mom – April 2018

Outdoor Mom

April 2018

I was born and raised in California and California spring is all I’ve ever experienced until this year. Central Oregon has rocked my conception of what March and April weather should be and how it should look. Usually by now, I’m in the thick of spring wildflower season, taking hikes to see the lupines and poppies. Not this year.

April has been a subtle changing of the season. Our landscape is just now starting to show some signs of green and I actually spotted my very first dandelion in my yard. Our temperatures are getting warmer and we had some rain this week rather than snow so maybe, just maybe, we are headed to spring.

This new version of spring has not stopped us from getting outdoors. In fact, my husband and I take a daily walk to check out our river and the changes that are happening there.

Changes in Our World

We’ve spotted more birds, including new ones for our life list like the Wilson’s snipe, the wood duck, and the common goldeneye. Also, we spied our very first rufous hummingbird scouting out our backyard. I had an inkling that they were around so I’d just hung our feeder and sure enough, they visited while I was watching. I’ve been super happy with the Merlin Bird ID app from Cornell. This is a free app that helps you identify a bird without the use of a field guide. I find it very easy to use and pretty much every time, I can use the app to find out a bird’s name.

We’ve been observing the Belding’s ground squirrels with binoculars. I’d noticed activity around the holes out back and one afternoon they made their appearance. They’re such busy little creatures as they scratch around on the ground looking for something to eat. They’re smaller than I thought they should be and their tails are much shorter than expected. But, there is something quite entertaining about these ground squirrels and I love their cinnamon color.

We’ve been talking about taking the kayaks out on the river and today it was so sunny and warm that we just did it!

We’ve started exploring our area some more and all of its many lakes. My son and I drove up to the Twin Lakes, stopping to hike completely around South Twin Lake. What an enjoyable mile or so hike! There are some gorgeous ponderosa pines along the trail and we saw quite a bit of green manzanita just starting to blossom. It’s great to have my hiking buddy living with us for now…hoping to find some more trails to explore soon with this guy.

I’m eagerly anticipating a great upcoming month of outdoor time as the spring weather really hits. It’s like awakening from a long winter’s nap to find a new world to observe with new plants, animals, birds, and insects to get to know.

How are you enjoying your spring?

Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. If you’d like me to take a look at one of your images on Instagram, use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge.

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…
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
One last image…

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Goals 2018 – 1st Quarter Update

Nature Study Goals 2018

1^st Quarter Update

Here are my goals for the 1st Quarter of 2018:

1. Begin to use the Nature Observer journal every day to keep track of my nature experiences. Use the journal prompts included in the book to inspire my outdoor time. Don’t expect each page to be perfect but create a personalized record of my outdoor observations and adventures in 2018. I’ve been faithfully entering my experiences each day in the journal. At first, I thought this would be too much for me but it has proven to be a huge inspiration for me to get outside nearly every single day. I highly recommend this journal so put it on your wish list for next year!

2. Find two books to help me learn about the local habitat. I’m happy to say that I found one book that has been added to my library that has loads of helpful information about my local habitat.

Natural History of the Pacific Northwest Mountains by Daniel Matthews

(This is my affiliate link and I will be writing a review of this book soon!)

3. Take one new local hike with my family. We hiked the Chimney Rock trail at Lower Crooked Wild and Scenic River. It was a super warm day and we enjoyed the new hike with its awesome views of the river and surrounding mountains. We’ll be back to this special area!

4. Visit the High Desert Museum and possibly buy a family pass. Look at the gift shop for books. We visited in January and purchased a membership! The highlight of our first visit was the river otter exhibit. What amazing animals! The docent was very knowledgeable about the otters and her enthusiasm made us eager to visit again. We have another visit scheduled this week to see the raptors.

5. Visit the nature center at Sunriver. Ask about volunteering. We visited the observatory but not the nature center at Sunriver. We’ll be adding it to our 2^nd quarter goals.

6. Continue to participate in Project Feederwatch. We’ve continued to participate for the whole first quarter, observing over twenty different birds during that time.

7. Participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenge by completing the reading in the Handbook of Nature Study, taking the walk, and doing a follow up journal page (or something else appropriate). If needed, I will also look up the topic in my local field guide to see if there is additional information. This is an ongoing goal that I really need to focus on better. I do all the preparation work and take the walks every week. The follow up journal page is not always completed. I take note of my thoughts and observations in the Nature Observer journal.

I’m ready to make my new quarterly goals!

Nature Study Goals 2018

2^nd Quarter – Get Outside and Experience Spring

Continue to use the Nature Observer journal to keep a record of my nature study experiences. Focus more on sketching!
Keep a record of the wildflowers that grow in my local habitat. Note the day they start to bloom and where we see them for future reference.
Visit the High Desert Museum each month, each time focusing on a different exhibit.
Visit the Sunriver Nature Center and ask about volunteering. In addition, make note of their garden and the native plants they have growing there as a reference in planning our backyard garden.
Take 3 new hikes. This may be ambitious but the weather should be warming up and this will give us an added incentive to hit the trail.
Get the kayaks out in a new place locally.

I’m truly looking forward to real spring here in Central Oregon. Creating nature study goals and working at achieving those goals helps me get outside and inspired to do more.

How did your nature study goals go this quarter?

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Mom – March 2018

Outdoor Mom

March 2018

So much has happened in a month! We’ve been focusing on bird counting as part of both Project Feederwatch and the Great Backyard Bird Count. Because this was the first year counting birds in my new Central Oregon home, I was hoping that we would see a variety that represented what my Feederwatch results have been over the past month or two.

Sure enough, we had all our usual visitors and a few surprise guests too!

Great Backyard Bird Count 2018

Mourning dove-6
Eurasian collared dove-3
Northern flicker-1
Varied thrush-1
California scrub jay-5
Mountain chickadee-4
Red-breasted nuthatch-1
Pygmy nuthatch-10
Dark eyed junco-14
Hairy woodpecker-1
House finch-5
Pine siskin-2
Canada goose-37
Mallard duck-9
European starling-3
Western bluebird-50
Common raven-2
Red-winged blackbird-4

A huge flock of Western bluebirds swarmed our backyard feeders one morning during the count period. It was an amazing sight. Many of them stuck around for a few days and they would sit all over the feeders and on our fence, glistening blue and red in the sunshine.

We were also surprised during the count to see the return of the red-winged blackbird to our yard and feeders. It seems so early and we’ve had quite a bit of snow since their arrival. I did some research online and read that the sturdiest birds return first and they should be able to make it through until we have a real spring.

The return of the elk to our neighborhood has been a delight to watch. The best time to spot them is early in the morning as the sun is rising. We’ve seen them in small groups right behind our fence and in large herds in several areas around town. I never tire of seeing them as they graze and move on.

We took a trip to the San Diego area for a week to have a little beach and ocean time with our daughter. She flew out from New York to meet up with us for a week of camping and adventuring. There was a lot of outdoor time!

Bike riding along the coast at Crystal Cove State Park was gorgeous! The views of the ocean and the clouds on this particular day made it look like a postcard. We rode our bikes to a spot where we could go down to the shore for some tide pool observations.

We found lots of interesting things to watch and photograph in the tide pool area. We planned our visit to be there at the negative tide, so there were lots of things exposed for us to see that are normally under water. The most prevalent living creatures were sea anemones, mussels, hermit crabs, snails, and sea slugs!

We couldn’t get over the size of this slug! There were quite a few in spots we could watch closely and they moved amazingly fast.

We had a memorable day at the tide pools!

One last thing I want to tell you about is our visit to the NAT at Balboa Park in San Diego. If you ever get a chance to visit this area, make sure to plan some time here checking out the Coast to Cactus in Southern California exhibit. I found it to be top notch! The displays and the interactive elements make this habitat come alive. I could have explored this area for hours.

But, by far, my favorite exhibit they have on display currently is Unshelved: Cool Stuff from Storage. It has collections of things that are normally in storage, out for you to see. It’s an eclectic group of things from tiny bugs to big bones. My favorite things on display were the collections of butterflies. So astonishing to see how beautiful these insects are up close!

This last image shows my happy face on a happy day with my family at the ocean. The ocean just seems to wash away my troubles and refreshes me in a way that keeps me coming back time after time. I forget how much just the sound of the waves and the scent of the salt air can bring relief from the busy life I lead. This photo will remind me that an ocean visit may be just what the doctor orders when I start to feel anxious and overwhelmed.

Do you have a place that refreshes you when you are facing trials?

Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. If you would like me to take a look at one of your images on Instagram, use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge.

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

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…
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
One last image…

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Barb — 3 Comments

Outdoor Mom- February 2018

Outdoor Mom – February 2018

It’s been unusually warm here in Central Oregon; some days the thermometer rises up to temperatures that are to be expected in spring. Well, you know that just makes me want to be outside and continue exploring!

During our outdoor time this month we went….looking at tree silhouettes.

We don’t have a huge variety of trees in our area, mostly pines and a few aspens. I absolutely love the aspens and the big gorgeous ponderosa pines. The Outdoor Hour Challenge for winter trees helped us get to know our new habitat better.

Side note: It’s hard to take a good tree silhouette photo.

I’m dreaming about….the green grasses and plants of summer.

The Outdoor Hour Challenge for winter weeds focused our attention on the plants we see during our river walks. Mostly dried and packed down by the winter snow, the winter weeds we observed are pretty much done for the season. But, on closer inspection, we can see new green growth starting to sprout underneath….that is exciting.

Our outdoor time made us ask….who made the trails in the weeds?

I noticed last month there appear to be “trails” under the weeds where small animals are moving around beneath the matted grasses. Some of the trails lead to holes and have fresh dirt at the openings. Could these be the subnivean zone trails of our local rodents?

I even found a spot that has a pile of scat, small little droppings sort of like mouse scat but much lighter in color. Fascinating!

The most inspiring thing we experienced…seeing beaver bank dens.

The ongoing hunt to actually see our beavers down at the river continued this month as we took to our kayaks and floated over to the opposite side of the river to check out some activity we could see going on over there.

On this warm afternoon, we spotted lots of signs of beaver activity like gnawed willow branches, beaver “slides” where they enter and exit the water, and trees that the beavers cut down.

We spent an hour or so traipsing around the willows and trees and along the river bank trying to see where they are living. We found a spot on the bank that looked like it was a possibility so we got back into the kayaks and checked it out from the water side.

Could this be it? When we got back home, we researched bank dens of beavers and discovered this is exactly the kind of place they create for shelter. We’ve been looking for the typical beaver lodge with its big mound of branches and a dam. But, we have learned that they will create hollows in the river bank to make a series of dens for living space.

Now we need to get out there at a time they’re active which is typically an hour before darkness or at sunrise. I have a friend who lives down river from us and he says he has seen the beavers out in the late afternoon and he’s heard their tails slapping on the water so that gives me a glimmer of hope that we may see our beavers if we’re persistent.

One more image….our elk!

Finally, the elk have returned to our neighborhood. We had visitors from California that were keen to see them and we spotted them not too far from the house. Then the next week, we had four elk right behind our fence in the early morning hours. It was barely light enough to spot them but they stuck around for a little while and I was able to get an image. They are such beautiful animals, much larger than expected, and so agile as they move along. I’m looking forward to observing them until the late spring when they return to the mountains.

Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. If you would like me to take a look at one of your images on Instagram, use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

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….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
One last image…

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Barb — 2 Comments

Nature Photos – Seeing Patterns

Nature Photos – Seeing Patterns

My assignment: Take time to note the patterns and textures found in nature during the winter.

This was a nature prompt from my new Nature Observer journal, the one I’m working in every day as part of my nature goals for 2018 (see more here). The prompt is for the whole month of January and much like the Outdoor Hour Challenges, it creates the focus for your time outdoors. I have woven it into my river walks and even when we are just out and about in the neighborhood.

Examples of Patterns and Textures from January 2018

Ice: Here in Central Oregon the ice comes in different varieties. A few times we have experienced hoar frost and freezing fog which create ice on everything in spikes and crystals. Sometimes, even the air sparkles with ice if conditions are just right…magical.

Bark: Bark patterns make it possible to identify a tree even without leaves. Our evergreens all have different bark colors, textures, and patterns of growth. My favorite bark “pattern” is the aspen and paper birch. The quintessential winter scene for me is the snowy landscape with white aspen trunks and leafless limbs.

Cones: Can you identify which tree a cone comes from by looking at the pattern and texture? Yes! This is quite amazing when you think about how each tree has a unique cone size, color, and shape. You would never confuse a ponderosa pinecone with a lodge pole pinecone because they are completely different.

These are just a few of the patterns and textures that I’ve observed during my walks in January.

Activity Idea:

Look for patterns and textures in your yard and neighborhood. Take a photo or make a sketch for your nature journal page. Take time to reflect on the beauty of patterns in nature.

This page on National Geographic has some amazing images of patterns in nature: Patterns in Nature

You can use the Outdoor Hour Challenge for Asters and Daisies to look into patterns found in flowers: Outdoor Hour Challenge: White Daisies, Black-eyed Susans, and Asters.

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Mom – January 2018

Outdoor Mom January 2018

During our outdoor time this month we went….river walking!

We are keeping our routine of walking to the river just about every day. Our weather has had so many ups and downs with rain, ice, snow, fog, and sunshine. It just can’t seem to make up its mind about what season it is and we just take it as it comes. On the snowy days, I feel as if I am living in a snow globe and marvel at the big fluffy flakes that descend down on us to blanket the landscape. I love walking after a snowstorm in the crunchy snow, looking for tracks. It is so quiet and peaceful. I often just stop and wish I could capture the moment and share it with all of you because photos just don’t do it justice.

My son had two friends spend the weekend and we enjoyed sharing our world with them by walking to the river and taking them on a hike.

The most inspiring things we experienced were…rainbows and ice.

We had a day of rainbows that were brightly colored. It looked like you could reach out and touch the end of the bow!

We woke up to a frozen wonderland one day this month. Everything was decorated in spiky hoar frost. I couldn’t resist going out to take photos even though it was really cold. I have decided that the proper clothes make getting outdoors so much easier. My family laughs at me with my wardrobe of boots, hats, and scarves.

Our outdoor time made us ask…who?

Who is making all of the tracks we see in the snow and mud? We are constantly finding tracks but can’t be sure who is making them. We spotted coyote scat along the trail so we know that we have some of those critters roaming around. We also found crayfish claws left on the river bank which we think are remnants of a river otter’s dinner. Then there was the single deer hoof we found with about 6 inches of leg and fur. Where did the rest go?

Each time we visit the river we are fascinated by the changes that can happen overnight. One day the water is flowing, the next it is frozen. Then there are the days that the sun shines warmly on the water and breaks up the ice, sending little floating icebergs down the river. It is so different than in the summertime!

We have been trying to find some winter color during our nature walks as part of the Winter World of Colors challenge from a few weeks ago. The challenge included the idea of seeking out some color against the drab winter background and although these pops of color are far and few between, we did manage to find some outstanding examples of color since we started looking for them. If you haven’t had a chance to work through this Winter World of Colors challenge, I invite you to give it a try soon.

Just a note: I had someone comment about the lack of images in my posts lately. I have cut back on the images here on the blog but I do post many, many images over on Instagram. You can follow me there and see images from our adventures just about every day.

Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. If you would like me to take a look at one of your images on Instagram, use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

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….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
One last image…

Don’t miss the winter membership sale going on over at NotebookingPages.com!

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Barb — 3 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Nature Goals 2018

I’ve learned a lot about goal making (and keeping) over the past few years. My conclusion? Goals will motivate us if we keep them simple, clear, and reachable. Goals are different than wishes. Goals need to have steps built into them to get you where you want to be by the deadline.

Nature Goal for 2018

I spent a lot of time this past year becoming familiar with my new habitat here in Central Oregon and my overall goal for 2018 is to continue to grow in knowledge about the local flora and fauna, with a particular emphasis on the birds, mammals, and plants that are in my own backyard.

This year I’m going to make my goals quarterly. I can pretty much see the next few months ahead and can create goals to keep me on track. At the end of the quarter I can decide if I’ve achieved a goal, if I need to continue working towards a goal, or if I need to revamp my expectations.

1^st Quarter 2018 – Baby It’s Cold Outside

Begin to use the Nature Observer journal every day to keep track of my nature experiences. Use the journal prompts included in the book to inspire my outdoor time. Don’t expect each page to be perfect but create a personalized record of my outdoor observations and adventures in 2018.
Find two books to help me learn about the local habitat.
Take one new local hike with my family.
Visit the High Desert Museum and possibly buy a family pass. Look at the gift shop for books.
Visit the nature center at Sunriver. Ask about volunteering.
Continue to participate in Project Feederwatch.
Participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenge by completing the reading in the Handbook of Nature Study, taking the walk, and doing a follow up journal page (or something else appropriate). If needed, I will also look up the topic in my local field guide to see if there is additional information.

Additional things on my nature to do list

Decide if we’re going to purchase a National Parks pass and/or a State Parks pass.
Plan a trip to the ocean.
Make plans to visit John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Continue working on our new garden plan, emphasizing native plants and natural features.
Participate in the online Nature Book Club by sharing one book per month here on the blog along with a corresponding activity. I’ll be sharing more on this in the near future.

I always love to read your goals so leave me a comment with your goals or a link to your blog if you post an entry there.

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Nature Study Goals From Previous Years:

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

Are you interested in creating your own nature goals? Here is a free printable for you to use as you brainstorm the goal and the steps to meeting that goal.

Nature Study Goals 2017 Planning Page

You may also want to plan out your nature book project for 2018. Here is a planning page you can print and use!

Nature Book Project Planning Page

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

Nature Goals 2017 – End of Year Recap

Nature Study Goals 2017 – This was the year I focused on my nature journal!

The following items were on my nature goals list this year. I’m so glad I kept it simple for a change and made the journal page the measure of my success.

image of page in my nature journal

1. Create monthly entries for my Outdoor Mom experiences- I did my last entry a few days ago (recap included): Outdoor Mom – December 2017.

2. Focus on my nature journal, creating a weekly nature journal page – I’m so happy to report that this has been a joy and a big success. My journal is full and I’m going to continue on now that it’s part of my weekly routine. I highly recommend this goal to everyone who wishes to create a meaningful record of their outdoor learning and experiences. I’ve been so inspired that I’m going to write a new ebook that will hopefully inspire its readers to make their own journaling habit.

3. Instagram images of my journal – This was done every Wednesday in 2017! You can follow me on Instagram!

4. Read and review 6 nature journal related books – I was fairly successful in reading the books (5 out of 6) but not so good at reviewing them. (Note some of these are Amazon affiliate links.)

1. Laws Guide to Nature Drawing (Review shared in January 2017)

2. 20 Ways to Draw a Tree – I shared this on Instagram but not here on the blog.

3. Nature Anatomy – Skimmed through this for inspiration.

4. The Curious Nature Guide – This helped me with some new journal ideas.

5. Draw 500 Things from Nature – Still working on this one.

I’ll be posting my 2018 nature goals soon…excited to get started!

Join us for another year of nature study using the ebooks shown above. All of these ebooks are available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Our Central Oregon November World

November World – Central Oregon High Desert

We’ve only lived here in Central Oregon since May so we haven’t experienced all of the seasons yet. The November World Outdoor Hour Challenge suggested comparing the things we see this week with another season. I guess that means I would need to compare my November habitat to that of summertime. We had such a glorious summer season with lots of time spent outdoors so this should be fairly easy.

The river behind our house runs year round but there is a small slough that was filled up with water in May and almost dried up in mid-summer. Right now it has lots of water and at times is covered in a sheet of ice. When we moved in last May, we could pull our kayaks out to this slough and make it out to the main river, but by the end of June it was landlocked again. We’ve been keeping track of the amount of water as it rises higher with the rains and snow.

The green grasses of early summer are all gone, either from the cattle grazing or from it turning brown in the freezing temperatures. There are small patches of yellow-gold, tall grass still showing in areas and we read that this is what the winter elk will be eating because it will be sticking up out of the snow. I am anxious to see if the elk come back….they left in late spring when the deer showed up.

Most of the trees in our area are evergreens so they look pretty much the same as in the summer. There are lots of cones on the ground and the squirrels have been very busy gathering them up. We will have up to five gray squirrels in our yard at a time scurrying around under the feeders and up in the trees.

The river willows are all barren but are still very pretty with their reddish-orange colored twigs. The leaves are gone but there are buds forming with the spring time leaves sleeping inside.

The beavers are cutting the willow limbs and dragging them down to the river. We’ve been trying to find where they are taking all of the willows but have been unsuccessful. We think it may be easier to spot their activity once the snow is blanketing the ground and we can see tracks or other signs of their movements. I am thoroughly enjoying the investigating of the beavers…it’s a bit like finding treasure when we see some tracks or cut willows.

The Canada goose are back on the river. We often see up to 12 at a time as they float in the eddy near our house. I’m not sure if they will be winter residents or not. You know I will be watching! (The image above is my best attempt at sneaking up on the geese and getting a photo.)

All in all, November has been a really good month for being outdoors for our family. There were some cold, snowy days but we are finding that even on a snowy day, if you bundle up right, getting outside is a refreshing experience and makes my attitude more positive.

If you want to follow along with the next series of Winter Outdoor Hour Challenges, we will be starting them up again in January. Make sure to subscribe to my blog and you will receive a new Outdoor Hour Challenge right in your inbox every Friday. There is no commitment to do every one. Winter can be a hard time to keep nature study going with your family but I guarantee you if you get them outside, even for fifteen minutes once a week, you will see the benefit in better attitudes (including yours!) Click the link above for more information on the nature study plans for the complete year using the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

You can subscribe to my blog here: Handbook of Nature Study Email Subscription

Use the discount code Nature5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Barb — 1 Comment

Outdoor Mom – November 2017

Outdoor Mom – November 2017

This has been a true month of transition. November has the feel of a real autumn as the aspens turn yellow and the snow comes in small storms, never sticking around but melting on sunny afternoons.

If you read my entry earlier this month, you know that I’m dedicated to the idea of walking to the river every day regardless of the weather for the whole of November. I’ve tried to faithfully keep to the goal and have only missed a couple of days so far. My walks are sometimes in solitude but often my husband or one of my sons will accompany me to see what there is to see. The sky is really the star of these walks and often the clouds put on a show. I benefit from these walks the minute I put on my shoes and step out the back door. It helps keep things in perspective and I feel far less anxious.

Also, adding to my nature happiness is my participation in some simple citizen science. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be counting birds again as part of Project Feederwatch. I’ve been super eager to get started, printing out my tally sheets and hanging and filling my feeders. I haven’t been disappointed in the number or variety of birds that I have observed. I love that this is a way to feel connected to my habitat and I don’t even need to leave the house to have an encouraging experience.

My favorite images from this month are from a walk we took in Bend, Oregon at Drake Park. It was a dazzling day of sunshine and the trees along the river were ablaze with color. There were lots of geese along the pathway and some mallard ducks too. I could have taken 1,000 photos and still not captured the glory of the experience. You will have to take my word for it!

We’ve been wondering what animal makes these mounds of earth out in the space behind our house. There doesn’t appear to be any openings but just random groups of dark earth mounded up, sometimes 2 feet in diameter and about a foot high. I’ve researched online and in my Central Oregon field guides but haven’t found a definite answer as to who is creating the mounds. I’m leaning towards a badger but my friend is trying to convince me it’s a marmot. I would appreciate any of your guesses.

In our yard, we’re still cleaning up debris and were able to light our burn piles since the weather has turned and they lifted the burn ban. The photo above shows the amazing sky we have and the variety of clouds in various layers that drift overhead. It doesn’t feel like work when you’re cleaning up under a sky that looks like that. It makes me feel grateful and small and humbled.

Here is one last image from the month that captures the feel of my outdoor life. You can see “my” river there in the photo as well as the back of my son as he hikes back home along its edge. If you look to the far left of the photo, you may be able to spot my house in the distance. I’m so grateful to be able to share this place with my sons.

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

During our outdoor time this week 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….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…

It’s been a wonderful month outdoors…looking forward to a wonderful December.

Category: Family Outdoor Life

Outdoor Mom – April 2018

How are you enjoying your spring?

Nature Goals 2018 – 1st Quarter Update

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Outdoor Mom – March 2018

Outdoor Mom- February 2018

Nature Photos – Seeing Patterns

Outdoor Mom – January 2018

Outdoor Mom’s Nature Goals 2018

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Nature Goals 2017 – End of Year Recap

Our Central Oregon November World

Use the discount code Nature5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Outdoor Mom – November 2017

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!