Green Hour Challenge #34

My girls and I love this tree! In fact, we have been patiently waiting for fall to come ( we wanted a longer summer though, thank you very much) so we could take these pictures. We noticed it last year, and agreed to begin photographing it this fall and take them each season. So here are 2 of our favorite shots we got the other morning.... frost on the ground and all.

Its truly a massive tree... I wish one of the kids could stand under it and see a comparison.....but its not our tree or property.... I stood in the driveway of these peoples home... *Ü* If it wasn't so early when we took these, I would have asked the folks if we could get closer... maybe next time.




bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)

Size: Grows to 100' tall and 4' in diameter.

Leaves: Simple, opposite, and deciduous. Very large. Palmately lobed (5 lobes) with the central lobe having a distinct "waist." Long leaf stalk with milky sap.

Fruit: Double samaras in long clusters; samaras joined at right angles; hairy seeds.

Twigs: Buds and branchlets are opposite.

Bark: Grayish or reddish-brown; interlacing ridges and furrows.

Distribution: Bigleaf maple grows on the west side of the Cascades and Sierras from British Columbia through most of California. It prefers moist, well-drained soils


Want to visit more blogs on this topic... join the rest who participated in this challenge at Hanbook of Nature study

Mario? Amanita muscaria??

Name: Amanita muscaria

Common name: Fly Agaric ("It is called the mushroom of flies, because crushed in milk it kills flies")

Habitat: Pine forest

Known for: Classical Fairy tale fungus. In some parts of the world this species is eaten because it can induce hallucinations and or also contains a number of toxins that can be fatal if present in sufficient quantity.










We live about 1 mile from any main road, and as we were driving out one day last month, we spotted these little guys! They look like they are right out of a Mario brothers Nintendo game don't they??

After we returned home, Christian and I drove back and took these photos. They were pretty cool looking. We also noticed a week later, just a little further down.... new ones were growing, but they were flat on top, not curved yet like these here. Sorry we didn't take a picture if that.


Here is some information I read about this strange mushroom.... strange indeed....

The ancient Shamanic use of Amanita muscaria in Siberia is well documented.

Despite Governmental Oppression (of its use) there are still many who refuse to accept the Authorized State Religion, and continue the Shamanic traditions in secret. Santa Claus arrives on the roof and enters through the chimney. The Siberian Shaman (commonly dressing in red and white) would enter through the opening in the roof of a home where a ritual was to be done. Santa Claus (on the Holy Day) brings presents in his bag. The Shamen gather the mushrooms in bags which they would bring with them when performing a ceremony. The Santa Claus we see today evolved from traditions developed in Germany. The Weihnachtsmann (St. Nick) was an amalgamation of older Germanic/Norse gods such as Thor, Donner, Odin and Wotan.

This knowledge is fairly common. What is missing here is that Santa flies the skies in his sleigh, Odin (as well as the rest) rode through the sky in his chariot which is depicted in the stars by "The Big Dipper". The Big Dipper is the chariot of Odin and Wotan, And Thor, and King Arthur, and even Osiris (Egypt). The chariot that circles the North Star in a 24 hour period is thus also known as the sleigh of Santa Claus, which circles the mythological home of Santa (the North Pole). These Nordic/Germanic Gods are tied to Mushrooms in their mythology. Thor throws his hammer (which is shaped as a mushroom) to the ground and with a mighty Thunderous lightning crack it appears. Odin rides the sky in his chariot pulled by horses which are exerting such an effort that their spit mingled with blood falls to the ground and the places where it hits mushrooms (Amanitas particularly) grow.

The Osiris mythology has even more to add to this. First off to the Egyptian's South was up (north). Osiris was the lord of the underworld (south) which is why he circles the sky in the furthest possible under (south) area. Not only did Osiris ride the sky in a chariot, but after his death Isis found that an evergreen (Cedar) had grown full sized from a dead stump overnight (this also relates to the Djed pillar) this was understood as a sign of Osiris' rebirth and immortality. The birth of Osiris is interestingly the 25th of December (traditional). The 25th of December was also celebrated annually by putting presents around the Cedar tree. This tradition is at lease five thousand years old. The birth of Horus to the goddess virgin mother Isis is perhaps the eldest representation of the goddess/son mythology, yet it is impossible to know the true date of this or how old the Astro-theological Virgo giving birth to the child/god/star mythology is. However it is the oldest source I have found. And very old it is.

The Mushrooms are typically dried (a necessary procedure) by stringing them up (like popcorn) and hanging them above the hearth of the fireplace. Shamen, and Lay people alike, would gather and dry them. They are a valuable commodity. Reindeer (native to Siberia) eat these mushrooms. The Mythology of Reindeer taking flight reflects the supposed effects they get after such a meal.


~~~~James Arthur

Inch worm! So cute!

They are so tiny and cute! This little one below actually came down out of a tree while Dan and I were sitting in our van. We were finishing a conversation before we got out and I saw this tiny little green thing slowly come down on the hood of my van... well.. I just had to take a picture. Dans finger is in the last photo.

This was at our camp site while in West Port Washington not to long ago.

Inchworms are the caterpillars of geometer moths.

Remember the inch worm toy you could ride on??


Boy did I just dated myself. *Ü*






I had to add this! 8-9-2008

Look what we saw!

We went on a spur of the moment camping/surfing trip a few weekends ago... well I think its been a few weekends now...*Ü*

On our first visit to the beach, Christian took these great pictures of the local pelicans! Now its hard to tell in the picture itself, but we think these few are brown pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis . The first one, or the one in front is an immature brown pelican and I do believe the 2 in the back are adults. The link I left was where I am guessing form *Ü* They are funny looking birds... and a dozen or so were flying around at the time the picture was taken. Enjoy the pictures.

New book for us to read

Im so excited! I bought a new book and it finally came on Thursday!! Its called Jacks Insects by Edmund Selous.


From the back of the book:

Follow Jack and Maggie into the fascinating world of insects. When Jack recieves a book for his birthday, he and his sister suddenly find themselves inside it, living the natural history.

Originally published in 1910, Jack’s Insects is a classic living science book that Charlotte Mason used in her schools. Records indicate that she recommended it for children in Form II (grades 4–6). This unique book has been out of print and almost impossible to find. Simply Charlotte Mason has brought this valuable resource back into circulation for another generation to enjoy.

I cant wait to read this with RyLee... honestly I am more excited than she is....

Love the birds

Birds have been a lot of fun to watch! I took these photos well over a month ago, but just now getting around to showing you....

We placed a bird feeder right outside our back sliding door and also by the kitchen window. (side note We have also been having a hummingbird come visit! Im not fast enought to grab the camera to capture it though!)

RyLee and I both think these are Dark eyed Junco (junco hymealis) What do you think?









They are a delight to watch! They love to hover over the feeder, but also love to hop around below picking up the "scraps"... so to speak. Its been a lot of fun. I'll post a few more pictures soon.

Butterflies!

Well, they came and now are almost gone! I forgot to have RyLee write down when they came and turned to a chrysalis. But I think we have had them a few weeks now.... Here are a few pictures.

Look close at the pictures and tell me if you see something/someone else?? *Ü*










We always have fun with these kits! Its been a little cold, so we are going to order some new larva next month! We will study them a little more too. So far she has read discover magazine moths and butterflies and a few little blurbs online. Ry is enjoying them though. Thats the best part!

A short walk

We live down a long road. In fact we are 1 mile back from the main road and our mailbox is 1/2 mile from our home. Walking to get the mail, RyLee picked this flower for me. This is from my nature journal.



This is called a Wake Robin. its real name is Trillium Ovatum. It is considered a wildfolower. Tri is Latin for 3 and this flower has 3 leaves, 3 petals, 3 sepals and 3 stigmas. It has 2 other names it is known for, Western Trillium and Pacific Trillium.

Its a simple yet pretty flower. It was white when RyLee picked it, but since has changed its color and added some purple to it. Sorry I didnt take a picture.

RyLee also wrote and drew this in her journal, but the pictures came out very blury. I will retake and add hers later.

Update on Skunk Cabbage! Yuck!

New fact we learned about the Skunk Cabbage last week! Yuck.... I read that bears eat the roots, because it acts like a laxative for them in the spring. They dig it up and eat it after a long winter.


Isn’t that amazing... and yet disgusting!? *Ü*

How ingenuous is that? God and animals never cease to amaze me.We also read that Skunk Cabbage generates enough heat to melt snow that is around it! ??? Again, very interesting stinky little plant!

They came!!

The lady bugs finally came from insect lore! RyLee was pretty happy, but only 4 larve survived the 2 day trip. :( This is something she is working on right now outside of our focus area.



The focus area feels a bit stalled for her. Weather is not permitting us to go get dirty yet!

Ducks!

We had a couple ducks in out wet land area on our property a week or 2 ago. 1 male Mallard and one mallard female.

I was a little sad when they left. Although, I am known for not liking ducks.... they are messy and I don’t like the breeding rituals they sometimes have... sad.. but an honest answer....

Dan mentioned the other day that the ducks were back... I didn’t get to see them, but today RyLee and I did get to see them again. Unfortunately, when I went out to take a picture, they flew over our heads.

I hope they come back. Next time I will sneak out the back and creep up. I was quiet and walked slow, but I got to close.

Here are a few pictures I took when they first came.




The site I linked is great for a general overview. You can even hear how they sound!

Bone Sigh Not Bon Zigh!

April 8th we went to a garden called Elandan Gardens. If you click the link in the name Elandan Gardens I linked the history of the garden for you.

It was a lot of fun touring the grounds. By the end of our little walk the owner Dan came and spoke to us all about Bonsai. I linked in the word Bonsai the bonsai basics link from the site. Its short but a good overview.



Some of the trees he has in his garden are over 1500 years old, so he claims. On all most all of the trees he has the name of the tree, the history, how he got it and the date of origin. Here are a few of my favorite pictures that I took.




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Dan shared how he has been gardening for about 30 +years?? If my memory is serving me right. He shared his experiences and he began to collecting Bonsai. He shared how weather conditions and elevation are what can create these tiny stunted trees, when they should be very large!

He has traveled all over in search for and collecting his Bonsai trees. He really has a passion and it showed. The garden was much larger than I imagined. Its been around for years and this was our first time in.


A part of the trip I wont forget, was when I first walked in the shop to pay to go out in the garden, this little guy came and sat on my foot. *Ü*



I do believe he knew by doing so a friendly pat on the head would soon follow. He was right! How could I resist. His name? Sushi. *Ü* The owner Dan told us that he was actually born a Great Dane, but used some Bonsai techniques on him and it stunted his growth. *Ü* Isn’t he cute!

He had 2 other buddies in the shop. This one is Asia.



and Sunny



I want to go back and take another tour. It was an interesting place and had lots to see. I didnt spend a lot of time reading all the tags by the trees, so I would like to take my time on the next visit.

Nature Walk

This Nature Walk was on March 31st. I think. *Ü* We went with Tina and another friend. Back to walk the last leg of Clear Creek trail. This wasn’t as exciting as the first 2 portions. It was a large board walk then went across marsh and field. We enjoyed the company though! *Ü*

We cam across a few familiar things.

yellow skunk cabbage:



and the

pussy willow:




One of the kids found a hornets or wasp nest. It was not occupied. *Ü*



Something we have not seen before on our nature walks were the red-dead-nettle. Scientific name is Lamium purpureum. At least this is what my conclusion is after looking over different sites and picyures online. Im not sure what the little white flowers are though.



The Red Dead-nettle is actually a weed. It has pretty little pinkish/purplish flowers on it. Come to find out, parts are even edible! Uh yuck... but then I have not tried it*Ü* and doubt that I will. I will let the ground keep this one. *Ü*

It also hailed on us as we were heading back. It cut the walk short, but as the grey clouds loomed, I really didn’t want to be out.... we almost made it back before it began! The kids got a kick out of it.

It is Spring... right?

Green hour number 5

What a week +. This poor blog has been so neglected! :( It’s terrible... I just did not dedicate time over here like I wanted to and should have.

Although we did not go on a nature walk this week, no not one sadly... we were outside a lot. RyLee and I both cleared out one of the garden beds next to the house last weekend. We replanted my Hydrangea I got for our anniversary last year and planted some pansies we bought at Home Depot.

RyLee planted her/our starts for our vegetable and flower garden and some have already sprouted! That’s exciting! Its been over a week... so it was fun to see something!

Here are a few pictures of RyLee planting:






We bought 2 trays that have enough for 72 starts. It’s more than we need, but thought it would be fun to share too. *Ü*

We woke up to snow yesterday!! argh! Not a lot, but a good dusting, and it snowed again this after noon... its all gone now, but it made us so sad, and yet thankful we started the starts inside and not out!


I love the square foot gardening book! Its been a bible of sorts this week... its been my night time read! lol I’m getting comfortable with this idea and RyLee and I both cant wait to get outside more and play in the dirt!

Now for the challenge... we were to make a list of flowers or our focus area that we might recognize in our yard. Well, at this time, that would be none! lol or at least when we first got the challenge. We now have pansies and also a few marigolds we took home after sunrise service for Easter. *Ü* Also my Hydrangea and the starts... I planted my strawberry bulbs too.

I found a little tree frog in my pot with my old strawberries in it. He was taking shelter I guess. I didn’t get a picture, but did catch him to show RyLee and my husband Dan! *Ü*

Although we have done some fun things outside, we have not "studied this last, last week. *Ü* We are keeping on, but also doing what we can. We are learning and enjoying our time together, so that’s something!

Thanks for stopping by!

Green Hour number 4 update....

We are focusing on gardening for the next 8 weeks +, it will actually be all spring and summer and fall and... *Ü* But what we will do is focus on our yard. We have little, ok no landscaping to speak of. Just a front, back and side lawn. Not bad, but I want to attract animals... specifically birds... I have had a humming bird feeder up all year (last Spring) and a few other feeders and I have yet to see a bird other than a crow or a robin! They are so common... I want black capped chickadees or even a pesky Stellar Jay!*Ü*

Now... to begin this plan of ours to garden, RyLee and I went to a local nursery called Clear Creak Nursery on Wednesday. Just to have a look and get some ideas... plus I wanted to see what RyLees fancy was. *Ü* I’m so sneaky...

The first thing we saw were tulips! They are beautiful and colorful! It was so nice to see color other than grey and green... not bad colors, but its all we have seen for about.....5 months.....




We forgot what these were! I guess I have an attention span of a goldfish... lol I should have written it down. We will look it up later and update when we find out.( or go back and look *Ü*)





Now this was a treat! My grandmother had these outside the door of her house. In the spring every time I would walk thorugh the door, I would smell these beauties just before I entered. They are so sweet smelling... I told Ry these were a must... I have to have them. So we will make sure to get these... They are Hyacinths.



At some point, not this year, we would love an area near a garden to place Koi. We could not get over the size of some of these fish! It was like a salmon run!



RyLee and I both decided... we have to have this! Not just yet... but we want to add this to our yard. Firts we need to learn more about what it needs to grow properly... but we fell in love with the Kumquat!




I also signed up for a few classes over the next 5 months.They are only $10.00 each! RyLee only signed up for 1 and thats ok... I want her to only do what she is interested in.... hopefully my excitment for theother things will rub off, and I can "show" her what I learned...

My first class is called Trees for the home orchard. Its a 2 hour class. We will learn what trees grow best in our county, we will cover polination requirments, pruning and how to avoid insects and disease problems....

Gardening with Ed Hume-vegetable gardening. All the basic how toos....

Creating backyard wildlife. Im looking forward to this one as well.

This was our outing Wedesday.... I plan to take Ry to a couple of "real" gardens in a few weeks... I will make sure we post all about it.