Teens Archives

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Barb — 3 Comments

Moon Gazing and A Few More Winter Sky Moments

We finally were able to view the moon and it was worth the wait! Mr. A and I spent quite a bit of time gazing, watching, and then photographing the moon.

It is very hard to get a good photo of the moon when it is super full and bright.

Here is our best attempt.

I took this photo of Mr. A up on the roof with the tripod where he was trying to capture a good shot of the moon. He decided all of his photos looked like UFOs. Too funny.

Now two last winter sky photos from the last week or so.

This one was about 4:45 in the afternoon when I was out in the garden. The sun was darkened by the clouds passing in front and it was very dramatic.

This was a different day at sunset…about 5:15 PM. Pink…pink sky.

I find myself watching the sky more and my boys are too. It is wonderful to have them notice a cloud formation or the moon before I do. I love sharing “moments” with them.

Posted on December 26, 2009 by Barb — 2 Comments

Winter Day Hike: Animal Tracks

It was a day of hiking in the aspens and pines….there is something so refreshing about hiking in the snow on a sunny day. The light must be different or perhaps it is the air. Whatever it is about winter hikes, I feel more alive. The indoor life does not suit me very well and getting the chance to spend a few hours hiking with my family makes me smile even now just thinking about our time outdoors.

Although there were no other hikers on the trail this time, we knew there were other living creatures near-by. The snow recorded their activity for us. We always have a great time imagining who the tracks belong to and then discussing what they may have been doing out here in the woods.

Many times as we hike along we spread out and have some alone time. I love to walk and pay attention to the crunching of the snow under my boots. There were a few birds that showed their faces while we walked and a few that just let us know they were there by knocking on the tree or whistling a little tune.

These ducks don’t seem to mind the cold, cold water.

Our Bird List for the Day:
Mallard ducks
Ravens
Steller’s jays
Red-breasted nuthatches

The creek was flowing along with crystal clear water, much deeper this time of year than in the summer and fall. We observed lots of tracks on the other side of the bank….big tracks where it looks like someone came to get a drink perhaps.

I told the boys to be on the lookout for interesting tracks in the snow and if they found some to call me over. These are the “dinosaur” tracks they found….very funny.

Seriously though, this photo shows the most interesting and most abundant track we noticed through the trees. It looks like footprints with something that made a line to the side….a tail perhaps? I would love to know what made this track in the snow.

Maybe this is why I love winter hikes so much….there is an air of mystery and awe to them that I love and crave. We are looking forward to more snowy hikes in the near future.

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Barb — 5 Comments

Visiting the Big Trees

It seemed that everyone was behind a camera on this particular trip. It is a lot of fun to share hobbies with your children and photography seems to be a interest for all my kids.

We picnicked, we hiked, and we craned our necks to see the tops of the sequoias.

Here are the bottoms of some sequoias.

Here are some tops.

It is our tradition to take a family photo in this particular part of the forest. Using a tripod, we set up the camera with the timer. We did get some great family shots with the six of us, but I think this one is my favorite shot of all the kids.

Here she is. The grown up girl having a little time with her brother’s camera.

At this time of year, the forest is a delightful place to take a hike and spend family time. As my family grows up, I am appreciating more and more the time we all spend together exploring and making memories.

Thanks for the fun day everyone.

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Barb — 7 Comments

Taking Time to Notice

“There’s a poem that says that the person who can best appreciate God is the one who is familiar with the natural world He made.”

Charlotte Mason volume 1, page 61

Besides reading scripture, the natural world gives us many opportunities to see God’s qualities in what he has made for us. There is much to learn when we spend time, large amounts of time, with our eyes wide open to the world around us. Not just this earthly realm but the heavens themselves are there as a testament to His organization and His faithfulness.

My youngest son has grown up living the “nature study” sort of life and at thirteen he is capable of amazing even me with his awareness of the creation around us. I hope that by sharing our experiences with nature that it helps other families to begin to see the benefits and the joy of learning about the world outdoors.

Mr. B spotted many things that I would have missed when we were camping on the Oregon Coast last June. He found snails, hermit crabs, mussels, water snails, and banana slugs. He pointed out the biggest slug I have ever seen and we enjoyed watching him slowing making his way across the trail in front of us. I would have either missed it or avoided it if he hadn’t been along with me on the hike.

I gave him the assignment to find three different kinds of mushrooms or fungus on this trip to identify and draw. He easily found a dozen different kinds and we were able to identify the ones he found most interesting. This meant careful observation at ground level many times….taking packs off and kneeling over to look at the undersides of the mushrooms.

I spend much of my time looking at the colorful beauty in nature, finding a refreshing sense of just what kind of Creator would make such a feast for the eyes. My son has taught me that he finds God’s hand in the sometimes ugly and not so attractive aspects of nature…making them a beauty in my eyes by looking at them from his point of view. The useful and wise ways of God are seen in how he provides an organized web of life around us if we are only observant enough to take the time to truly see it.

Posted on July 27, 2009 by Barb — 9 Comments

Yosemite Amazes Me

We had a great camping/hiking trip to Yosemite National Park…it was a little bit hot in the valley so we tried to stay cool by hiking up in the high country, swimming in the river, and generally keeping to early morning hikes and activities.

Here are a bunch of photos in random sort of order just because I don’t feel like moving them around now that I uploaded them to Blogger. (Some might call that lazy…)

The meadows were filled with wildflowers and it was a feast for the eyes as you hiked along. This lovely bunch of flowers was at McGurk Meadow. This place is along Glacier Point Road and is about a three mile round trip hike from the road. The insects are thick but if you keep moving they pretty much leave you alone. The Indian Paintbrush was the predominant flower on this day.

The California Coneflowers were in full bloom at Crane Flat and this one was as big as my hand. It almost looks like a flat sunflower it was so big.

One of the many nature journal entries that we worked on back at camp. The Locoweed was thick at Crane Flat and it was fun to sketch and paint.

How about this wildflower? Elephant’s Head was blooming alongside Lukens Lake.

Here is Lukens Lake on a summer morning. The hike from Tioga Pass Road to the lake is about 1.5 miles and it is worth the effort. It has a beautiful meadow that you could hike across until last year when they closed it for restoration. You now walk alongside the lake the whole way and can only see the meadow from a distance.

Nothing like a swimming hole in the high country on a hot summer day. We were hiking along the John Muir Trail when we stopped to listen to the water falling down the rocks into the pool. Some fellow hikers tried to convince us to jump in but I knew the water was ice cold. We did end up taking our boots and socks off and sitting with our feet dangling in. It is amazing how fast your feet go numb in the icy waters. This is the Tuolumne River just outside Tuolumne Meadows hiking towards Rafferty Creek.

Here is another high country lake with crystal blue waters. We ate lunch one hot afternoon here and there really were quite a number of other folks around…some kayaking, some swimming, some wading in and cooling off, and some like us just enjoying the view.

This is actually just behind our campsite at Crane Flat. The meadow is in full bloom right now and it is tempting to walk out there and take photos. I did obey the sign and we stayed off the meadow. We did see a bear coming out of the meadow a short way from here but it was busy trotting off somewhere and didn’t even notice us.

Now this flower I knew! Mariposa Lily and there were quite a few growing in a bunch alongside the trail at McGurk Meadow. It is just so perfect. Sigh.

Here is another photo of the meadow as we hiked along. The meadow was damp and it made it sort of steamy in the sun. Hiking in the shade wasn’t so bad but out in the bright sunshine we got a bit hot….okay, we got sweaty. It was a good thing we had packed lots of water and Gatorade to drink.

These blue butterflies were landing on the damp ground. I learned from Casey’s blog that they call this puddling. They were definitely landing in the moist earth of the meadow and staying there awhile. It made a great chance for me to snap a few photos.

The star wildflower on this trip was the Indian Paintbrush. We all agreed it was our favorite flower in the meadow.

This trip was a boys trip and my dear husband decided to teach the boys to whittle. He had purchased each of them their own knives and presented them to each one once we set up camp. It must be a guy thing. 🙂

Here is dad giving them a lesson on safety and how to use the knife to whittle. They whittled the afternoon away and I finished reading two good books.

It was a great July vacation and we already have plans to go back next year. The boys have plans to hike to the top of Half Dome. I told them that they could go and I would stay behind and have dinner ready when they got down. 🙂

I am not really all that great with heights and since they are both teens now, they are eager to test their strength on a long, strenuous hike. Their dad is undecided about whether he wants to try it or not….we have some time to think about it.

Hope you enjoyed some scenes from our trip….grab the chance to go to Yosemite if you ever come this way.
I recently added a Squidoo Lens on Yosemite books: Yosemite for Families

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Barb — 2 Comments

Out on the Bike Trail Again

It was a hot summer day at our house and we were trying to think of ways to escape the heat. We decided to head up the mountain where it was about twenty degrees cooler and take a bike ride and have a picnic. (Another very crooked horizon in this photo….I had my little camera and the viewing screen is nothing but glare sometimes in the bright sun so I have no idea if what I am shooting is crooked or not.)

The trail was fairly crowded with others that shared our idea to cool off. We pedaled about eight miles round trip but since the temperatures were so much cooler, it was very enjoyable.

We mostly stayed in the forest but at one point we veered over to the lake and sat in the shade and had a drink.

Along the trail there were patches of Indian Paintbrush blooming like orange pokers tucked in and around the green grasses.

This pretty pink flower was blooming as well.

This was the first time I noticed this particular sign on a tree near where we stopped to picnic. I thought the graphic was rather clever.

It just so happened that this guy was trying to find a meal as well. He checked out under our table but then decided to dig little holes to see what he could munch on.

I actually was able to get rather close to take this photo since he was occupied with something tasty. He is a Golden-mantled ground squirrel….which looks like a chipmunk but with no stripes on his head.

We had a very refreshing day on the bike trail and there were plenty of interesting things to keep us entertained.

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Barb — 3 Comments

Cascade Falls: Getting Away From the Crowds

This weekend we took an afternoon trip to hike up to a waterfall. If you read my post about nature study in ripples, we were rippling out about an hour’s drive from our house and then hiking up one mile into the Desolation Wilderness.

The challenge on this afternoon was to find a place to park. We actually had planned on hiking to a different waterfall a few miles down the road but there were no parking places. Not only were there no spaces left, but all available space alongside the narrow highway was filled. We were disappointed but determined. I love the age of cell phones. We found a place where we had cell coverage and phoned Amanda. She had opted to stay home on this particular afternoon and she was happy to look up an alternate hike for us in the area. She picked a good one and we were able to find a space at the trailhead of this hike after waiting a few minutes for someone to leave.

Here we are hiking down the trail. We were so surprised after seeing all the cars at the parking area that we did not see but a handful of people on the trail with us. Sigh, fresh air and space.

This was our goal, a series of cascading waterfalls. This part of the trail is along a steep ridge with very uneven rocks to hike up. You do not want to lose your concentration on this part of the trail.

The thing about hiking in the high country over big slabs of granite is that sometimes you have to be very observant in order to know which way to go. Someone was very helpful and left this line of rocks that pointed the way to the next section of the trail. We could hear the waterfall by this point so we knew the general direction but it was nice to have confirmation.

Success! Here we are at the top of the waterfall. Springtime is such a great time for waterfalls. My hubby and I sat on a log and just soaked in the sounds and the sights while all three of our sons scrambled and hopped and climbed up over the boulders and up the waterfall.

This photo was accompanied by me hollering a stream of warnings.

“Don’t fall in the water.”
“You don’t have extra shoes.”
“Rocks are slippery when they are wet.”
My personal favorite, “If you fall in, I’m not coming in after you.”

Someone always has to go higher than someone else. No names mentioned.

Something that happens in the high country at this time of year are afternoon thundershowers. We had checked the weather before leaving for the hike and it had warned of possible thunderstorms moving in late in the afternoon. We kept our eye on the horizon as we hiked and the clouds did build up a little at one point but no storm on this afternoon.

The lichen on the rocks was so beautiful. The color really stands out on the granite.

This is a really bad photo (taken into the sun) of my boys climbing up a dead tree. This area looks as if it received quite few lightning strikes in the past because of all the single burned trees. It is very exposed and on the east side of the mountain and I really would not want to be up here during a storm. The boys enjoyed the view from up their tree and wanted me to take a photo of them.

At this elevation and at this time of year, there are not too many wildflowers. We did see this one growing in the cracks of the granite in a few places. The splash of green with the white and yellow flowers amidst all the grayness was a delight.

Here is one of the trail markers. For some reason we didn’t find this one very helpful, although we knew we had not strayed too far off the trail.

We had a great afternoon and were home in time to grill some burgers. I will confess that I was not in the mood to hike on this afternoon and wanted to stay home but the boys wanted to “do something”. I know they are just wanting to get out when they suggest a hike because they know that I rarely turn down an opportunity to hit the trail.

Thanks boys for encouraging me to get outside and experiencing this amazing spot so close to home.

Posted on April 11, 2009 by Barb — 1 Comment

Transcendent Moments

“Nature is imperfectly perfect, filled with loose parts and possibilities, with mud and dust, nettles and sky, transcendent hands-on moments and skinned knees.”
Last Child in the Woods, page 96

Once again I had a moment while reading this book. I know exactly what he is talking about when he says “transcendent hands-on moments”. I have had those moments. My kids have had those moments. They are still possible in this modern, technological world.

Whether it is standing on top of a giant granite dome or swimming under the crystal clear waters of the Hawaiian Islands, it is the same. It is a spark, a racing of the heart, a moment that lasts forever but not really.

Those moments are times that stick with you long after the physical experience.

Posted on March 13, 2009 by Barb — 3 Comments

Keeping Our Sanity with Daily Nature Study

” Out in this, God’s beautiful world, there is everything waiting to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care….She (teacher/mother) finds, first of all, companionship with her children; and second, she finds that without planning or going on a far voyage, she has found health and strength.”

Handbook of Nature Study, page 3

This week has had its ups and downs but by far the ups have outweighed the downs….thanks for the encouraging words and comments and your understanding.

This seemed like a perfect week to take a break from the Outdoor Hour Challenge writing and just get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine with my family.

We have made time to walk everyday and with each new day we observed something to let us know that spring is coming quickly.

We had a visitor in our backyard yesterday. This mourning dove stayed around long enough for us to really observe all his field marks. We saw the black stripe on the head, the spots on the wings, the black and white on the long tail, and if you click this photo and look at his feet….you will see how pink/purple they were.

In the spirit of trying to catalog the wildflowers on our daily hikes, I found this plant that is one of my particular favorites. It is actually one of a handful of wildflowers that I learned about as a child. Mule Ears look like sunflowers when they bloom.

Edit: I now think that this is not Mule Ears but is Arrowleaf Balsamroot.

Here is the beginnings of the bloom.

We have been watching this particular wildflower along the trail for a week or so now and it is popping out in blooms more everyday.

It is called Western Hound’s Tongue. I think it is funny that in this post I have Mule’s Ears and Hound’s Tongue…..aren’t those great names?

Here is a close-up of the blossom.

Here is another plant with a great name….

California Maidenhair Fern.
It is so pretty and if you look very closely, the stems are black.

Amanda had time to join us yesterday on our hike and it was great to spend an hour or so out exploring in the woods together.

As a busy young adult it is not always easy to make time to get outdoors but she said afterward that it was refreshing and encouraging to see all the signs of spring along the trail.

Here is a photo from the other day that I have to show you. The last big rainstorms washed a section of the trail away and exposed a lot of rock. Since we live in gold country, I sort of jokingly said that maybe there was some gold washed down along with the rocks.

My teen decided he was going to climb down and take a look. We didn’t find any gold but we did find quite a bit of really pretty quartz.

This week has truly been saved by two things: prayer and our outdoor time. Our outdoor time is even better when we spend time together…..relationships made stronger by shared experiences.

Hope you have a great week and I will hopefully have the computer situation under control and the next Outdoor Hour Challenge next Friday.

Posted on March 8, 2009 by Barb — 5 Comments

Desert Nature Study-Joshua Tree National Park and More

I wanted to share some more of the photos from our trip to the desert that we took a few weeks ago. The photo above is from Joshua Tree National Park. The scene is typical of what you will find as you hike along the trails of the park. It has taken me three trips to the desert to begin to develop a love for the animals and plants that live here. In this strange and wonderful landscape, you can find the most beautiful of things if you look carefully enough.

There really are blooming plants here and if you get the chance to get up close, you realize that there are bees and other insects as well as birds that are attracted to the color and fragrance.

I will admit that there are sections of the park that are more rock than anything else. My two boys couldn’t resist a good climb when they saw it.

When you get up close you see all the intricate patterns and designs of the desert plants. I believe this is some kind of cholla cactus.

Now here was something that surprised me and I examined it carefully for some time. Can you see all the different colors of lichen on this rock? There is a moss green, a grey-green, an orange and a soft yellow-green all living right here on the side of this rock. Beautiful.

Many times as we hike along we name the rock formations we see. The boys named this one “Whale Head”.

Not to be confused with “Whale’s Mouth”.

They keep me smiling…..and thinking.

We came across a wash on our hike and the wildflowers were already blooming. There are three different flowers blooming in this photo…two white and the desert sand verbena.

How about a video? (Why does it take so looooong for the videos to load onto Blogger anyway?)
This squirrel was entertaining us with his acrobatics…trying to get that certain pod to eat.

Here is what the squirrel was gathering to eat. This is a palo verde tree.

I took a lot of photos at the Living Desert Museum and I shared a lot of the butterfly and hummingbird photos already but here are a few more of the larger animals we saw that the boys spent a lot of time observing.

The giraffes…there were four of them.

The cheetahs..there were two of them. I love this photo….look at that face!

For some reason I threw our nature journals in my backpack and we took the opportunity in the afternoon to slow down and do some sketching at the museum. It was a great way to remember our time there.

What a great memory.

It was great way to end our stay at the museum. The desert holds so many interesting and surprising creations for us to learn about….a life time of learning just one plant and one bird and one animal at a time.

So whether you venture out in the national park or you stay in town and visit the Living Desert Museum….there is so much to enjoy as a family. Pick your adventure.

Tag: Teens