Family Outdoor Life Archives

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – Early Fall Thoughts

“But he learns naturally at his own pace, never tiring, and slowly learning just what he needs to know about the world around him. And this is exactly what a child should be doing for the first few years. He should be getting familiar with the real things in his own environment. Some day he will read about things he can’t see; how will he conceive of them without the knowledge of common objects in his experience to relate them to? Some day he will reflect, contemplate, reason. What will he have to think about without a file of knowledge collected and stored in his memory?”

Charlotte Mason in Modern English, volume 1 page 66

Renee’s Garden Seeds – Just Look at My Garden!

If you have been following the blog in the past few years, you are aware that Renee’s Garden Seeds has been a sponsor and valued part of my summer gardening experience. Not only have I enjoyed her seeds in my garden, but I have shared seeds with my dad. He has a beautiful garden and each year he tenderly nurtures his vegetables through the hot California summer. This year his pond went dry but he still kept his garden green with his well water.

Here in town I did not have that option…we are on city water and have been restricted not only in the number of days we can water but we were asked to reduce our usage by using less than last year. I took the challenge and created a container garden on my back deck and watered using only a drip system and water that I caught from our shower warm up time that I collected in a five gallon bucket. This garden has brought such joy to me over the summer. I could look out and see the insects buzzing around the blossoms and the hummingbirds stopping by for some nectar.

Hello Mr. Sunflower! So glad you joined us….the bees have spent many hours hovering and gathering at my container sunflowers.

Each morning I would check my plants for something to harvest. It could be a handful of cherry tomatoes, a zucchini to pick, or some herbs to include in my dinner plans.

I would talk to my morning glory vines and coach them to stop growing so tall and to start blooming. The first morning that I looked out my window and saw these gorgeous flowers made all the waiting worth it. They now greet me every morning with a few blue flowers…happy, happy, happy.

The zucchini at the beginning of the season were small but more of a traditional shape. As the summer has worn on, they have started to change into this interesting shape, still tasty and summery on the table at dinner.

Apple Time!

We are looking forward to apple time in the coming weeks. Not only our local orchard but our very own apple tree in our backyard! This is the first year we really have an apple “harvest” on our young tree and it surprises me that even in our drought that we have apples to eat from our own tree. We will be visiting our local apple farm to purchase apples for various treats including applesauce. The taste of autumn around here is apple!

You can do your own apple study using the Outdoor Hour Challenge: Autumn Apples Nature Study.

Join Jami over on An Oregon Cottage for her Tuesday Garden Party!

August was a great month of being outdoors for this nature loving mama. I accomplished one of my nature study goals for the year by visiting a new state park, Sugar Pine Point State Park! I will share that in an up-coming post here on the Handbook of Nature Study. The season is about to change here and that means even more time outside hiking with the cooler temperatures.

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world. I hope you have enjoyed your August.

How Do You Join?

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 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…
A photo I would like to share…

I will be posting my Outdoor Mom’s Journal entry once a month. Look for it during the first week of the month each month.

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

Summer Days Filled With Goodness

It doesn’t get much better than this on a hot summer July day in my neck of the woods. It is times like this that I count my blessings.

We had a glorious day up at the lake….a short last minute idea to go for a hike and then have a picnic dinner. This lake was the bluest I have seen in a very long time….three shades of blue-turquoise, blue-gray, and deep blue.

We hiked a new trail for us and it was surprising that we had it all to ourselves. We had planned to hike from a popular trailhead but there were no parking spots left, which is what happens when you show up at around 2 PM. We decided to park on the highway, walk down the road leading to a closed campground, and then see what adventure would come our way. It was far better than expected!

The trail we found wandered around and out onto a peninsula overlooking Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay. The sun was hot but there was a breeze and in the shade it was comfortable. We sat out at the point for a long time just drinking in the views. There were several birds flying overhead and I could identify the call of the osprey and the song of the chickadee.

After that hike, we drove back down to Taylor Creek and hiked down to the water. This is my favorite little aspen grove and right now it is very green and filled with wildflowers. The cow parsnip is thick and smells fragrant…giving the hike a wonderful smell to remember. The insects were busy working in the flowers…mostly bees.

Play I Spy and you will see the crayfish that was scuttling along the creek bed. The water wasn’t very deep or moving very fast and we actually saw five different crayfish on this trip. They are strange creatures!

Here is another little wild friend that we stopped to watch along the trail. This squirrel (actually a chickaree) actually climbed up the tree with that cone in his mouth and then he sat eating the seeds up on the branch. Adorable!

We saw lots of snow plant on this hike.

And here is a really tall specimen of pine drops!

Here it is up close! So interesting!

Here come the wildflowers! I am trying to positively identify this purple flower.. Rydberg’s penstemon?

One of my favorite flowers! Western sky pilot....so pretty!

Then we found a whole patch of Ranger buttons.…the insects were loving this flower!

Down on the beach it was covered in Hooker’s primrose and lupine….almost unreal how beautiful it was in the fading light. We walked and found a place to sit as the sun was setting…watching the shadows getting longer and longer.

This shows the lupine better….maybe this one will need to get printed out and put up on my wall. I love this place, feels like home. Do you know what I mean? Do you have a place that just feels like it was meant for you?

One last wildflower, this time a pink one, Checkermallow

So ends our most excellent summer day at the lake up in the mountains….sigh. Can’t wait to do it all again sometime!

I managed to create a Five Senses Nature Journal page as part of my Once a Month Nature Journal Project. This is a super simple idea for a quick nature journal page that you and your children can do very easily this month!

Go create your own summer day filled with goodness….enjoy!

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Goals 2015 – 2nd Quarter Update

This has been an amazing quarter for us as far as getting outdoors and exploring!

You can read my original post here: Nature Study Goals 2015

Goals Update

1. Yosemite Photo Project: We have a trip planned to Yosemite next week so I have my list ready to go of photos to take.

2. Visit one new state park: Failed this one again. I picked one to visit over the summer so I am determined to accomplish this goal in the up=coming quarter.

3. Visit one new national park: Zion National Park!!! We also spent four days at the Grand Canyon and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

4. Visit a bird refuge: Fail on this one again.

5. Take one new hike: Still waiting to take a hike from our new guide book.

6. Read ten nature-related books this year: I am keeping up with my schedule and really enjoying the way I had it planned out from the beginning of the year.

7. Rock project: This will be accomplished in July with a trip to visit Devil’s Postpile National Monument. I won’t be able to collect any samples there but we are going to see basalt rocks.

8. Create one nature journal entry each month: I am keeping up with the Once a Month Nature Journal ideas to create at least one page a month.

It is not too late to create some nature study goals of your own. I invite you to download and use this free printable goals planner:

Printable Nature Study Goals Planner

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wildflower Hike

We have enjoyed a few hikes to the river this month and I thought I would share a glimpse of our wildflowers here in Northern California.

Purple vetch

Purple lupine

Miniature lupine

Just an image of the American River at sunset…serenity!

This one is new to us!!! It is a California peony (Paeonia californica). It was just one plant alongside the path and we almost missed it!

Pretty Faces

White Fairy Lantern

Scotch Broom

I hope you enjoyed seeing my spring wildflowers and now you can go out to find your own! You might want to use the printable photo hunt below to get you started.

Free Printable Wildflower Photo Hunt

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Study Goals 2015- 1st Quarter Update

The first quarter of 2015 has flown by and with it many missed opportunities to work on my goals. Taking time to check in on the progress made towards goals is as important as making the goals. It is a way to stir up some urgency to make concrete plans before the year is completely gone. So, that is where I am this morning as I reflect on what has been achieved and what has not in relation to my Nature Study Goals for 2015.

You can read my original post here: Nature Study Goals 2015

Goals Update

1. Yosemite Photo Project: We took one of the photos during our last visit to Yosemite a few weeks ago. I need to plan better for our next visit in June.

2. Visit one new state park: Nope, not yet.

3. Visit one new national park: We have firm plans and reservations to visit Zion National Park later in the year.

4. Visit a bird refuge: We picked a refuge that is about three hours away and will be visiting in May and then again in November….it is written on my calendar!

5. Take one new hike: Nope, not yet.

6. Read ten nature-related books this year: I have read three and will be started the fourth in April.

7. Rock project: I wrote on my goals sheet the places we will visit to learn about two of the remaining rocks on the list.

8. Create one nature journal entry each month: I am using the Once a Month Nature Journal ideas to create at least one page a month.

9. Rewatch the National Park series on Netflix: Accomplished!!!

It is not too late to create some nature study goals of your own. I invite you to download and use this free printable goals planner:

Printable Nature Study Goals Planner

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Barb — 2 Comments

Early March Garden Colors

Would you like a walk through my garden? We are having an early spring in our area and with that is the bursting forth of colors and leaves of all shapes. I love the garden’s treasures and each time I take a stroll I find something to enjoy. I forced some forsythia blossoms in the house this year but nothing beats the sprays of yellow that decorate the front corner of my yard. The birds love to sit in the top of the limbs and pick out the dried blackberries that share this space in the garden.

I can never remember the name of this shrub that lines the border between my neighbor’s yard and mine. It has these amazing blossoms that attract bees by the dozens. Yes, we have bees even now in the early spring. Bees in this shrub, in the rosemary, and around the opening California lilac!

The side of the house has its usual daffodils, narcissus, and bleeding hearts all making their usual appearance at the beginning of the flower season.

The pittosporum is coming alive and soon it will have its fragrant blossoms to scent the spring air.

My candytuft is full of blossoms and insects. Look closely and you will see an insect poking into the center of a flower cluster. This must be one happy little insect. The flowerbed with this plant is slowly filling in year after year with more and more of this pretty flower.

I am thinking this is a holly hock volunteering to grow in the middle of one of my garden boxes. I don’t remember planting anything in this spot last year because of our drought conditions but it sure is springing up nice and healthy so we will leave it for awhile to see what comes later in the year.

Our day lilies are pushing up their fan-shaped leaves and will soon be shooting up some flower stalks with their pastel colored flowers to come later in the summer. It is like an old friend and I welcome its appearance.

At the end of last summer, I chopped my rose bushes back with a hard pruning. They were so pitiful and ugly then and I decided anything that happened would be better than looking at those scrawny bushes that had not endured the drought very well at all. And look! They are coming back with a pretty shape and even have buds! The way it has made a comeback makes me smile.

Do these leaves look soft and fuzzy to you? In real life they are amazingly soft and this plant is such a great choice for our dry climate. I may just need to plant a few more Jerusalem sages to fill in where other plants have completely died from lack of water. This one just keeps on going!

My wallflowers were very sad at the end of last summer but now look at how many flowers and buds there are to enjoy! I love the little teeth on the leaves and the purpleness of the buds.

The birds have once again come through with some sunflower plantings. I have about six sunflowers all growing in pots on my deck which you know I will be watering through the summer.

The zinnias have self seeded in the pots again this year and I will be adding in a few more as the spring progresses. These are some of my favorite cut flowers for my kitchen table and I hope I end up with a variety of colors to enjoy.

That is a quick tour of the garden….hope it cheers you up and inspires you to start thinking about the up-coming flower season in your part of the world.

Happy garden day!

Are you ready for your spring greens? You may want to do a “spring green” nature journal.

Here is a link to the original entry: Spring Green Nature Journal.

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Barb — Leave a comment

February Wildflowers 2015

Here in my part of the world we have experienced a warmer than normal February. This means we are looking at early spring conditions and lots of wildflowers already. For those of you who live where you are buried in snow or are having super cold days, forgive me! My kids live in New York state and they have been frozen most of February and I understand how long your winter seems to be this year.

Look at my wildflower photos as a breath of spring that will be coming your way before too much longer.

The above flower is one of our normal early wildflowers and it greeted us alongside our normal hiking trail. This pretty flower is the Hound’s tongue.

We also have this beauty starting to bloom along the trail and it always marks the beginning of our wildflower season. The Sierra shooting star is one of my very favorites and is going to be featured in my nature journal later this week!

Now we are jumping to a different habitat…the California coastal trail near Muir Beach in Marin County. We had the chance to visit there last weekend and I snapped this pretty yellow flower during a hike.

Here is another flower we saw quite a bit of on our day at the coast.

We also made it to Muir Woods and we had a great hike under the redwoods. The redwood sorrel was everywhere…getting ready to bloom I think. Look for an entry on Muir Woods National Monument soon here on the blog.

There is nothing so wonderful as a month of early spring wildflowers to enjoy with family and friends. As the season progresses we will no doubt enjoy many more days wandering the trails looking at flowers. I know the names of quite a few flowers but there are some that I need to learn so my field guide will be in my pack and my nature journal will get some new entries as I continue to become friends with the wildflowers of California.

Have you been out looking in your woods yet?

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Barb — 4 Comments

Nature Study Goals – 2015

1. Yosemite Photography Project – Start my long term project to take photos from every spot listed in the book. (The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite)

2. Visit one new state park. I didn’t realize how many parks I have not visited right in my own area. (My reference book:Day Hiker’s Guide to California’s State Parks)

3. Visit one new national park. I know it is worth the effort to achieve this goal so we have begun thinking and exploring how to visit a park this year.

4. Visit a bird refuge. I love learning about birds so much and this is something that our family can accomplish with a day trip.

5. Take one new hike from the guide book we purchased last year. (Best Hikes Near Sacramento)

6. Read ten nature-related books this year. Stay tuned for a separate post with the books I have chosen to read.

7. Continue my rock project.

8. Create at least one nature journal entry each month (participate in the Once a Month Journal Project).

9. Rewatch the National Parks series on Netflix.

This is my third year creating goals for our nature study and I think I am getting better at being realistic about listing things that are both meaningful and achievable. I will be updating my goals and sharing my victories every quarter instead of each month in 2015. Join me if you like and share a link to your goals in a comment so I can pop over and cheer you on.

Here’s to a great year!

Please note there are Amazon affiliate links in this post.

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Barb — 4 Comments

Nature Study Goals 2014 – Final Recap

Concluding Thoughts

Overall I think I did pretty good this year in reaching my nature study goals. A few areas I could have done a better job but those goals can rollover into 2015. We were able to do some amazing traveling during 2014 which was very unexpected and exciting. So, what started out as a rather wacky idea to make nature study goals way back at the beginning of 2013 has actually been just what I needed to push me in creating the opportunity to grow and learn as a person deeply interested in discovering and then learning more about what I see in my natural surroundings.

December 2014 Final Results

#1- Visit two new national parks in 2014. Complete.

#2- Identify and journal three new birds. Complete.

Completed the Bewick’s Wren, the Clark’s Nutcracker, and now the Killdeer.

#3- Identify and journal three new rocks. Completed only one but will continue on again in 2015.

#4- Three new hikes. Complete!

#5 Visit a new-to-me nature center. Complete.

#6- Post a nature photo of the week for the entire year. I came really close to accomplishing this goal! I did 48 of the 52 prompts. If you are interested in seeing the Pinterest board with all of the images from the year, you can pop over to Nature Photo of the Week 2014.

#7- Camping in all four seasons.

We made summer and autumn camping trips easily. After much thought and discussion with my husband, we decided we really don’t have any desire to go camping in the winter. Call it wimping out or whatever you want but we would rather go camping when the conditions are warmer and the days are longer. Our spring camping trip will happen in 2015!

Grand Canyon May 2014 (3) — My daughter and I had our cross country road trip.

Shelving Rock Falls May 2014 (2) — Our family had some time in New York, Vermont, and Connecticut! This was at Shelving Rock Falls in New York.

Half Dome Top — My boys climbed Half Dome!

My son went on an extended trip to Peru.

I will be posting my 2015 after the new year rolls in and I get them down on paper.

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Barb — 4 Comments

Family Rock Study – Looking for Mica

Mica has been our rock seeking list for the past two years. Remember when I was trying to find, collect, and journal about all the rocks in the book Rocks, Fossils & Arrowheads ?

This was part of my Nature Study Goals in 2013.

I wasn’t completely successful in 2013 and now in 2014 I finally pushed us to get out and find some mica close to home. It is actually muscovite which is abundant in California and in the county where I live. I can’t believe how much time I have spent looking into this rock. I am just not a confident rockhound.

Here is a glimpse into our mica rock study.

So some sources said we have muscovite mica and some say mica schist. I am not completely sure what the difference is between the two (if any). I will just call it mica.

We visited our cattail site and took a look at the changes to the plants during the past few months. You may wish to start or continue your own year-long cattail study. Make sure to mark your weekly planner for a date coming up soon.

We were able to spy some cool bracket fungi.. a little late for our official bracket fungi study but still so very interesting.

There was water collected in the top that was shaped like a cup.

Well, that was our mica rock walk and study. I am still trying to come up with a better way to identify rocks without taking hours and hours. Any suggestions are appreciated!

Just a note to all my faithful readers.

I will be sharing how my Nature Study Goals for 2014 turned out and posting my 2015 goals soon. Look for a printable for your to use to record you nature study goals here on the blog soon.

Category: Family Outdoor Life

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – Early Fall Thoughts

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Summer Days Filled With Goodness

Nature Goals 2015 – 2nd Quarter Update

It is not too late to create some nature study goals of your own. I invite you to download and use this free printable goals planner:

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Wildflower Hike

Nature Study Goals 2015- 1st Quarter Update

It is not too late to create some nature study goals of your own. I invite you to download and use this free printable goals planner:

Early March Garden Colors

February Wildflowers 2015

Have you been out looking in your woods yet?

Nature Study Goals – 2015

Nature Study Goals 2014 – Final Recap

December 2014 Final Results

Family Rock Study – Looking for Mica

Just a note to all my faithful readers.

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!