It was a mad rush at the end of April and the beginning of May to get our house packed up and ready to move 450 miles north to our new Oregon river house. I made time to purposefully enjoy our California yard those last few days. It was important to me to write some last thoughts about the amazing front yard habitat we had built to encourage wildlife even in our small little space.
This is the two page spread I completed to put those memories in my nature journal.
We had four days of being homeless and we spent those days at La Pine State Park camping. It was a fun family time that made the page special as I recorded some of the highlights of those few days together at the Deschutes River.
At last we were in the new house! The house feature that stops everyone in their tracks is the rather large window looking from the family room out to the river… the view! It was a perfect first Oregon river house page.
There are many birds to observe and learn about in our new place. The first bird to make it in my nature journal is the tree swallow. It has quickly become a new favorite bird as it swoops and glides right by my windows in search of flying insects to eat. I have been caught just standing and watching the swallows when I should have been doing something else but I can’t help it. They are so beautiful and graceful.
I love keeping my memories in my nature journal.
Don’t forget that I am sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here:Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge.And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal
Note: I found this entry in my drafts! I have been so busy over the past six weeks as we sold our house in California, purchased a house in Oregon, moved all our belongings, and tried to keep from getting to stressed out. It isn’t surprising then that a few things slipped through the cracks.
Here is my April nature journal entry for your enjoyment.
Weekly Nature Journal Project
April 2017
This month my nature journal is full of flowers. My world has been filled with flowers so it only makes sense that this is what made its way into my heart and then onto my journal pages. The first part of the month we were in Oregon, then back to California, then back to Oregon again. This pattern will be happening for the next few months while we transition our life to our new home.
Central Oregon is just starting to move from winter into spring, so it was fun to create a second spring page noting my observations in contrast to my previous California spring page. I featured the crocus we saw and used a bright springy background of yellow for my journaling.
The first wildflower we studied from the new Wildflower Set #1 is the subject of the next page in my journal. We saw mustard all up and down the state of California.
This is the second page in my year-long study of the dogwood tree. I think this is my favorite page of the month! I so enjoyed making careful and up close observations of this pretty flower…or rather flowers and bracts. The creamy color and delicate pink tinge may just make this my favorite flowering tree.
I think this is my first two page spread of the year. I wanted to sketch this flower and include a photo so it made sense to make it two pages facing each other. I included a list of the other flowers we found on this particular hike. It’s always nice to have a record to compare from year to year.
As we get ready to make our move to Oregon, I’m getting very sentimental about my home and garden here in California. Each day I try to make more mental notes of the sights and sounds. It’s comforting to know that many of those memories are tucked safely away in my journals. I packed my older nature journals into a box yesterday and was grateful for the time I have spent digging deeper into learning about my neighborhood’s flora and fauna. I also packed my children’s nature journals alongside mine in the box. I inherited those journals from them as they left home. You can be sure they will be treasured keepsakes of the 30 years we have lived here on Hilltop Drive.
From a hilltop to a riverbank….maybe next month you will see my new habitat make an appearance in my nature journal!
Don’t forget that I am sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here:Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge.And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal
I’m closing in on the end of the first quarter of 2017 which is a great time to take stock of how well I am meeting my nature goals for 2017.
My very ambitious goal of completing a nature journal page a week is going splendidly, partly because I have done some interesting things to journal about and partly because I am motivated to keep it going. There is great joy in looking back and viewing the completed pages.
I think I am onto something here.
The first two pages featured topics from my Hawaiian vacation with my family.
This page was done while sitting at the beach. I created a record of some of our more noteworthy things observed in the ocean…sea turtles and humpback whales!
We had such a wonderful experience at Greenwell Coffee Farm that I made that the subject of another Hawaiian inspired page. I love Kona coffee and getting to see the process from blossom to ‘cuppa joe’ was perfect.
Our family loves to see the spring green of the California buckeye leaves at this time of the year. It really does mean spring has arrived when the buckeyes start leafing out along our roads and trails. I want to keep up my observations of this common shrub for a complete year. Look for more pages to come!
Sigh…the first day of spring! No time for a long hike so I squeezed in a little walk to note the changes happening in my own yard and neighborhood. I tried to include my sense of smell, hearing, and sight to have a full first day of spring experience.
Don’t forget that I am sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here:Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge.And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal
Here is your nature journal tip for the month which is taken from an entry I wrote a long time ago entitled, “Drawing and Your Nature Journal”.
If you want your drawing skills to improve, you must practice.
Gulp. That is a tough one for most of us. I did not come from an artistic background so giving myself permission to try to learn to draw or paint or do anything artistic took a big shove from my husband. He encouraged me take a drawing class at the college. This was so far out of my comfort zone but I really wanted to learn how to draw past stick figures. It took time and effort. My suggestion for people who are striving to do a better job in sketching is to go to your library and go to the children’s section first and check out “how to draw” books and use them alongside your children. I checked one out on how to draw insects and one on how to draw birds and then found some nature sketching books to try. These experiences with the book open in front of you and your sketching from the step by step instructions will eventually spill over into your nature journal.
There is no magic formula but your success is equal to the effort you are willing to put into it.
Weekly Nature Journal Project 2017 Month of February
I know that I set the bar rather high when I decided to create a nature journal page every week as part of my nature goals for 2017. I have never attempted anything like this before except for my monthly nature journal project and that was a stretch. Imagine how surprised I am that carving out the time and energy to make a weekly entry has so far, not been too much!
I find that I am thinking about what kind of page I want to create as I go about my outdoor time…looking for meaningful ideas that bring joy not only to the process but in the finished product. I am still journaling inside and not in the fresh air because of the weather, but I am hoping soon to be able to pack up my supplies and hit the trail for some en plein air journaling.
I hope that my pages inspire and encourage you this month.
February is always a month of counting birds not only for Project Feederwatch but for the Great Backyard Bird Count. I always love a good list so it is no surprise that one of my pages is a list of February birds. I also included a comparison of the crow and raven for my own self education. I many times see one or the other flying in my neighborhood and this research will help cement the field marks to look for in identifying one or the other.
My backyard has a violet patch of every increasing size. They seem to pop up in the funniest places, even in the back lawn. When the air is warm, their scent is heavy and sweet. I was reading online about violets and came across an interesting tidbit that explains something fascinating about the violet’s fragrance. I thought it was worthy of a journal page.
I created another backyard inspired page that features our sequoia tree. It really started with finding a sequoia cone on my back deck that prompted me to do a little research about the cones and seeds. Taking time to carefully observe something like the cone, led me to learn so much more about something that I see every day and can become commonplace. A sequoia should be anything but commonplace with its amazing size and resilience.
I have a fondness for monthly recap sorts of pages in my journal where I can note little items of interest that come up during the month. It gives me a place to practice my doodling as well.
Don’t forget that I am sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal
Need some help getting started with your own journal?
I shared awhile back some tips for moms who wanted to get started with their own nature journals, but felt they didn’t have the necessary skills. Listed below are three points I wanted to share again in the hope that they will encourage you to get started this month with your nature journal.
1. Keep it simple and don’t be afraid to get started.
A blank page can intimidate even the most seasoned journal-keeper. Work through your fear of failure by starting small and keeping it simple. Be a good role model. If you have children and you are encouraging them to keep a nature journal, you can empathize with their feelings of inadequacy. Be brave and your children will look to your example and be more confident about their own journals.
2. Use a variety of ideas…find something that works for you.
You are not required to sketch. Try something else. Keep a list, include a photo, copy a poem or some facts…just get started. Don’t wait. You may someday feel like sketching or water coloring in your journal but it’s not a requirement. There are no rules for nature journals. Use color and a few well-placed decorations to make your journal more personalized if you feel inclined.
3. A journal can be a private place of joy.
Remind yourself that your journal is a personal keepsake and a record of your thoughts and experiences. You do not need to share it with anyone…in real life or on the internet. If it makes you happy, that is all that counts.
December is such a busy time for most families as we wind down before a winter break. Why not take a few minutes to enjoy this month’s natural beauty as a refreshing change and reminder that this is a beautiful time of year?
Try to use as many of your senses as you can during your outdoor time.
Here is my 5 senses nature journal page from last summer. Your page doesn’t need to be fancy in order to be meaningful and interesting. I urge you to give it a try after your senses hike.
The winter series of challenges will start on January 13, 2017.
This Outdoor Mom had a fantastic end of the summer! This post features our second Oregon trip of the year and lots of kayaking adventures. Technically, the Oregon trip was at the very end of August but after my August Outdoor Mom’s post so I want to include it here because it was a fantastic trip. I will be dedicating a complete post in October to the many Oregon State Parks we visited on this latest trip. It was a perfect trip!
We spent four days in the Bend/La Pine, Oregon area. It was a heat wave for them and most of the lakes and rivers were super busy with so many people swimming, using stand up paddleboards, rafts, and kayaks. I was really glad we had our kayak and we made the most of the time out on the water. We are in the middle of training our Labrador to ride along with us and she is quickly getting the hang of jumping in and enjoying the ride. The image above was taken in the Old Mill District of Bend, Oregon along the Deschutes River. It was a perfect night for a walk along the banks of the river and for sitting at an outdoor patio for dinner. We read in a brochure that Bend, Oregon is the most dog friendly town in the U.S. We believe it!
I think this is first photo I have shared where you can see our awesome tandem kayak (Old Town Loon 160T). We LOVE it! Both my husband and I are tall and there is enough room for our legs and the 70 pound Labrador. The image above shows us launching at Sparks Lake on the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway. It is a large shallow lake within view of many of the area’s signature mountains: Mt. Bachelor, South Sister, Broken Top.
This collage of images is from our stay in Newport, Oregon. We found an amazing spot to kayak just south of town at Beaver Creek (Brian Booth State Park). First we paddled up the creek and saw some interesting birds: Belted kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Turkey vulture, and several different ducks. Then we paddled back down the creek and all the way to the ocean! What a day!
This is the South Falls at Silver Falls State Park near Salem, Oregon. We had three days of hiking in this amazing place! There are actually TEN waterfalls that you can hike in a loop. This one was our favorite because you could actually hike behind the waterfall…look at the image carefully and you can see the trail. You can be sure I will be sharing more about this destination in my October Oregon State Parks entry.
I did fit in some nature journaling on this trip. I learned some interesting things about the heron and I actually heard the loudsound it made as we paddled too close to one and it flew off. Loud! It surprised me. I will be sharing a bit more about my nature journals in an up-coming post.
A little closer to home, my sunflowers bloomed! I looked out the window one morning and discovered this beauty. I love the sunflower time of the year and look forward to it each summer. This is one of the sunflowers from Renees Garden Seeds. So perfectly perfect.
We did some hiking closer to home when my two New Yorkers were home for a visit. We camped at Fallen Leaf Lake near Lake Tahoe in California. It was perfect weather and the hiking was filled with wonderful autumn air and sunshine. This is Fallen Leaf Lake on a crisp September morning. We all took turns taking the kayak out for a spin on the water to take in the high Sierra views.
The last place on our travel list this month was to Yosemite National Park. We hiked to the top of Sentinel Dome with our children and they posed at the top for this amazing photo. It captures so much of what our family is about as we adventure in the big outdoors together. It was a day of laughter, refreshing vistas, and friendship. I tried to soak in the family time since it is hard to gather us all in one place anymore. We end up outside when we do get a chance to spend time together….habit? necessity? mutual love for God’s creation? I think it is a little of all of those things.
I hope you enjoyed my entry this month and if you want to play along, there are instructions at the bottom of this post.
If you missed my August and September nature study entries, here are the links:
Snail Observations at the Tidepools:We had a fantastic time hunting, observing, and learning about marine snails in response to the August newsletter topic. This is one of my favorite blog entries of the year!
Insect Nature Study -Potpourri: We had several opportunities to observe insect homes up close. We even identified something new to us!
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.
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…
You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printablse which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.
This month as I wrote the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter, I really didn’t think I would find any snails to observe up close. Some topics are like that and I don’t anticipate having the opportunity to see the month’s focus topic in person. But, many times I am proven wrong and all of my preparation for the study is rewarded with an awesome experience.
Here is a short YouTube video that we uploaded showing the animal that lives inside the shell:Black Turban
This is the star of our nature study…the black turban which in real life looks quite blue or purple. We discovered the reason for this doing some research once we were able to get on the internet. Take a close look at who is living on the outer shell of this black turban! Amazing since the size of the snail shell is probably a little over an inch….it just looks bigger in my close up images. (click on the photo to really see it)
They get pounded by the surf and it actually wears away the outer shell to expose the colorful layers underneath. This image shows just how plentiful they are on this part of the coast. This is only exposed at low tide so the black turban actually can capture some water inside its shell and then “plug” it up with the operculum to keep itself moist until the tide rises again and they are under water. Amazing creation!
If you look closely at the images, you may spy some limpets and barnacles on the rocks surrounding the snails and also on the snails outer shell! This was not apparent to use until we looked at the images and is quite common.
Want to learn more about the Oregon Tidepools? Here is a wonderful and helpful link: Oregon Tidepools.
Just a sidenote: I found a wonderful page on the Monterey Bay Aquarium that features many invertebrates that you might like to share with your children. So many of these don’t look like they should be invertebrates so it may spark some interest in the topic for your family. Plus, it is a beautiful page! Invertebrates – Animal Guide
Here is my very sloppy journal page for our discovery…it is more about the learning than the journal at this point in my life. I hope it inspires you to create something after your snail study!
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This month I read and pondered over the Botany in a Day book, thinking about the suggestions given in this book for learning more deeply about the plants in my own habitat. Since it has been on my shelf for a few years, I am reviewing the fifth edition of the book. With the sixth edition, he added full color illustrations! (ISBN 978-1892784353)
It has turned my world upside down by showing me that there is more wisdom to using the patterns in the different plant families to identify a plant rather than by using the color and shape of the flowers. Most field guides organize their flowers by color and then by flower type. The Botany in a Day method uses the distinct attributes of a plant family to get you close in identifying a flower.
The author explains that by learning the most common and unique patterns found in plant families you will learn more about the plant…more than just a name.
There are a few pages at the beginning of the book that deal with plant names and classifications that I found rather interesting. There is a rather long section on the evolution of plants that I skimmed through quickly since it doesn’t interest me much.
Then the meat of the book helps you learn how to key out a plant using specific observations for every plant/flower. I think this is where the “botany in a day” title comes from…the method is easily understood in a day, not the learning of everything there is to know about plants. I can see how focusing first on the most common plant families first will help you get started with applying the method of identification, building your confidence to learn more families after that. The most common families are highlighted in the index and the author suggests you start with those.
I love that you are to learn about a plant family and then go out and look for plants that fit the pattern right in your own yard and neighborhood. The author also suggests paging through field guides to train your eye to see the patterns.
You will be seeing me work through this book in the months to come. I hope to learn one family at a time (starting with the mustard family) and then apply what I learn in my day to day observations of plants both in my yard and along the trails of California.
This is such a gorgeous colorful time of year in the garden. I thought I would do a little update on my Garden Planning nature journal page and share how my April 2016 recap page is coming along.
At least this is the plan as of today…I know when the actual planting time comes I will probably adjust a bit but this gives my husband an idea of what irrigation I will need for him to set in up in each box. The one box is labeled as the “herb box” which it used to be in the past but now it is just a regular box…it will probably always be known as the herb box.
I’ve left some blank space for recording experiences as we finish up the month. I find that keeping the page going during the month is the best way to assure that it will actually get done. I used some watercolor pencils, gel pens, and a ruler to create my page.
We received our seed order from Renee’s Garden and it inspired us to get out into the garden and start our spring clean up. The end of March and the beginning of April is the time we can get out and start weeding the boxes and dreaming of the summertime garden goodness that will be coming fast!
Here’s the garden before the clean up.
With all of our children living away from home, the garden chores all fall on my husband and I. I have a hard time bending over for very long so I decided to work a half hour every afternoon and with three days of doing that and one rather long afternoon with my husband, we finished the initial clean up.
Here is the after image.
Now we can make a list of things we still need to do to get the boxes ready including a good composting. The drip system needs a bit of revamping as well but we have a month or so before we will need to have the irrigation ready.
In the meantime, I will be planting several veggies in containers up on our deck where I can nurture them through the early spring. I will also be planting veggies in the garden boxes but I have enjoyed watching and eating the veggies on our back deck in the past few years and don’t want to miss that experience this year.
As part of the Garden Seeds Challenge, I started on a Garden Planning page in my nature journal. I sketched a few of the seeds we will be planting this year and included some of my garden growing thoughts too!
We looked up our hardiness zone to remind ourselves of when we can plant each of the vegetables we have on our list: Plant Zone Hardiness Calendar.
We can usually count on having a good garden if we get our seeds in the ground by May 1st. I don’t ever plant anything fancy so here is our list for 2016.
Vegetables
Lettuce: Baby Leaf Lettuce,
Green Beans – French Mascotte (container bush beans), Classic Slenderette (bush beans), Blue Lake pole beans.
