Family Outdoor Life Archives

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Barb — 22 Comments

Searching My Heart: Nature Study

The last few years with the Outdoor Hour Challenge have been a wonderful way to intensify nature study in our family. I know for a fact that if I had not been writing and sharing so much on this blog that our nature study might not have been so enriching and consistent. The community that has developed surrounding the Outdoor Hour Challenges has encouraged our family tremendously in our attempts to keep a love of nature study alive…I could not have done what I have done without many, many faithful readers and contributors to the Outdoor Hour Challenges.

On the personal side, Friday is always looming for me with another challenge to post and then there is the need for me to post our results. After much thought and reflection, I see our family skipping many opportunities for nature study that come up each week because it is not the assignment for the week. I feel more and more like nature study is a job and not the joy I want it to be.

I have two years left with my sons at home. Two years for them to have me as their nature study companion and me to have them as a captive audience. I don’t want to miss the chance to make nature study a meaningful part of their lives, not just another school assignment.

I also realize that I am miss the balancing part of my personality, the artistic side. I look at my art supplies sitting so near but I know my hands are busy with the computer and my heart is divided. I have one son who has a creative soul and I need some time to spend with him not only in developing his love of beauty through nature study but lots of free time and play with paints and other art supplies.

So after much thought, reflection, and prayer I have decided a few things will change, if not in practice at least in my attitude. I am wise enough to know when I need to shift gears and make a few changes. I think that comes with turning 48 years old this year….yes, I am really close to the half century mark.

The blog will not look much different for you dear readers until perhaps January once the Autumn Challenges are completed. I have some amazing ideas to work on in the meantime and I will share my list of things that I brainstormed regarding the blog and the Outdoor Hour Challenges below. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com.

To Summarize My Thoughts and Intentions

I will still be here this season with the Autumn Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges, posting on Fridays and sharing lots of great stuff with you and reading what your families are up to as you complete the Autumn Challenges. You will still have my complete support and attention.
I will be posting the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival on the first of the month. There is nothing but joy associated with this project.
There will not be a new 2011 Winter Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges ebook. There are already two complete series of challenges available both in ebook format and listed on the blog as the Winter Wednesday series. I am still contemplating whether to write a new Winter 2011 Art and Music Appreciation ebook.
I will still be sharing what our family does with the Handbook of Nature Study as the opportunities arise and our nature study takes shape again.
Rest assured my brain is still formulating a new idea. The idea has been simmering for quite some time and I may be ready next spring to actually share with you some exciting new ways to more creative nature study and journals.
I have two new products to review and a giveaway in the works. Stay tuned for that in the next month or so….you will not want to miss them.

There is plenty to do around this blog to keep any family busy for a very long time. I just took an inventory of what is available on the blog sidebar for you to use with your family.

52 original Outdoor Hour Challenges
8 Bird Challenges
7 Crop Plant Challenges
Autumn 2009 Challenges =10
Winter 2010 Challenges =10
Spring 2010 Challenges =10
Summer 2010 Challenges =12
Autumn 2010 Challenges =10 (not listed yet but they will be over the next few months)
Winter Wednesday Challenges =9

That is a total of 128 challenges you can complete with your family!

So, there you have my thoughts for the week, month, and rest of the year. 🙂

I love what I do here on this blog and I am not going anywhere, just taking a different approach.

Posted on January 6, 2010 by Barb — 7 Comments

Winter Blah-It Even Happens To Me

Yesterday I decided I needed some outdoor time. Grabbing my camera I went out the door with a feeling of anticipation. I always feel that little spark of adventure even in my own backyard. I know it like the back of my hand, but it always has a way of surprising me

The winter storm we had really took its toll on our plants and trees. I shed a few tears as I surveyed the damage to my roses, butterfly bushes, and other flowering plants. Some sort of rodents have been digging around in my garden and under the birdfeeders…what a mess of holes and tunnels! How could such a beautiful space be so ugly in winter? It really made me sad.

I turned and started walking back up to the house, sort of feeling like winter had let me down. After all my pep talks on this blog about winter and winter nature study, I was the one having the bad attitude.

I noticed that the birdfeeders were getting down to the last few seeds so I stopped by the storage room and filled my seed pail with dinner for the birds. I filled every feeder up and started up the stairs again to go inside.

This time I heard a little scuffling behind me. I turned and realized that the birds had flocked to the feeders right after I had filled them up. There were juncos, sparrows, my favorite little titmouse, a couple of towhees, a scrub jay, and few finches. These birds did not care that all around them the branches of the trees are hanging down, broken from the winter storm. A few were scratching around under the feeders where the muddy rodent holes and tunnels were just inches away. The birds didn’t see any problem.

I stopped and looked up over the trees and there was a turkey vulture swooping and gliding in the crisp winter air. He didn’t seem to care that the roses were all broken down in my yard…he was just having a good time flying in the afternoon sunshine.

Okay, I remember now…winter just has its own ways of bringing beauty. The clearing of the old is a way of making way for the new. Didn’t I just realize that a few weeks ago?

My tears were dry and I was now smiling at the antics of the birds in the feeders….the scrub jays being such bullies and the titmouse flying in and out like a crazy bird. The sky seemed a little bluer and the bird sounds were like a winter musical concert just for me.

The Winter Series of Outdoor Hour Challenges, starting on January 8th, are going to really get me focused again on regular focused nature study. I know that many of you are planning on following along so I will bring my very best winter nature study attitude with me when I come on Fridays. My boys have already asked about the cattail study and that will be our first challenge…to catch up with our cattails to see how their winter is going.

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Barb — 3 Comments

The Last of Our Snow: Oaks Falling Down

We decided we should take our Kona dog out for a proper walk. She has not been out for her long walk in days. She was happy and we were feeling good too. The interesting thing about this walk was how many trees were down all along our regular walking trail. Many were actually across the trail and some were down in the meadows alongside it.

Mostly oaks had fallen which makes me sad, but they are clearly not designed for such a great snow like we had this week. The live oaks especially fared badly in the snow because they don’t lose all their leaves in the fall.

The leaves were my favorite part of the walk. The snow was sprinkled with leaves of all colors and shapes and sizes.

When the oaks fall down, you get to glimpse at what is going on at the top without climbing. The various kinds of lichen were amazing. We really must learn some more about lichens this winter. I will add it to the list.

The rains are coming and that will be the end of the Really Big Snow for us. My youngest is the one who will miss it the most. He was sick most of the time we had our big piles of snow to play in and he really needs to get in some more snow time. Perhaps it will snow again in the months to come and then he will be able to build his big snow fort and have snowball fights with his dad and brothers. It seems that snow is the great equalizer…..all my men love to get out and play in the cold stuff no matter their age and dignity level.

Looking forward to our next snow….

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Barb — 5 Comments

I Am Going To Miss Summer

Woke up this morning feeling a little sad about the end of summer.

I am going to miss…..

Summer hikes in the National Parks……

My gigantic sunflowers and participating in the Great Sunflower Project, sitting quietly watching for bees.

Crazy games of volleyball in the park with friends…even in the rain.

Hikes with the boys looking for Big Foot in the redwoods.

Lunchtime walks at the river with our swimmer dog Kona.

I am even going to miss the hot summer afternoons and garden tending.

The Oregon Coast-camping, hiking, photographing, exploring, sitting peacefully in the sand, hiking in the trees, identifying mushrooms, observing banana slugs, and dodging rain….all of those things made such great memories this year.

Freshly cut grass and crepe myrtle blooms in the warm summer evenings….usually with accompanying bats flying overhead.

I will just need to find some things to fill me up during this autumn season. I will challenge myself to find the best parts of this season.

There will be some of this in a month or two….

and this too…..

That ought to lift my spirits!

Category: Family Outdoor Life