as cozy as spring

Beaded Spider Webs

 

Last week, on a particularly foggy morning, we went spider web hunting in the garden.  I love how the webs appear bejeweled as the dew clings to them.  

Related: I promised my daughter a few weeks ago that we could have craft day on Saturdays.  This was in an effort to stamp out channel her creativity through the rest of the week, as she often overwhelms me with her project ideas that never really take into account planning or materials (or the fact that I really just want to be lying down at any given moment).  So yesterday I surprised the children with wire snowflake forms, plates of clear glass beads, wire and Vince Guaraldi on ITunes. My plan was to create beaded spider webs.  

 

My children really had no interest in making clear beaded spider webs.  They wanted color and lots of it.  So I decided to let them express themselves instead of making it a Martha Stewart sweat shop sort of afternoon.  They actually came up with some really cool patterns and even the baby my 5 year old was able to handle the tiny beads and wires without a problem.  He occasionally handled the wires awfully close to my eyeballs so goggles wouldn't be a bad thing to add to the materials list.
 

I call this a huge success despite the results being far different from my expectations because it kept the children occupied and happy for hours.

We didn't really follow instructions, but there are some available here.  If you do this I strongly suggest making a rule that no one is allowed to become frustrated when all their beads fall off their wire because this happened to us a lot.  No one lost their temper because I told them they couldn't (even me!)

Mycology

We've started on our nature studies again and the first card my daughter chose to identify was this:

I've looked at thousands of photos on flickr and on other mushroom sites and can't figure it out.  Any ideas?  It was found in the mountains of northern New Mexico.  The color is true on my screen - kind of a bronzey purple.

Birthday

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our interest in butterflies was sparked with the gorgeous book Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way (Smithsonian's Backyard) which I picked up when my daughter was 2 or 3.  Then we found Journey North and it became a yearly fascination.  We've had two butterflies "born" in the last week and it's been thrilling to watch.  It's particularly gratifying as they would have been killed on the milkweed had we not rescued them.  And also because I had a conversation last summer in which a mother told me, patronizingly, that we shouldn't homeschool because my children wouldn't have access to cool experiments like watching caterpillars grow.  I suppose if we didn't ever let them outside or I had absolutely no imagination this would be true, but in fact it's days such as these when I'm glad we do homeschool.  I happen to have a friend who pulled her children out of school one day so they could watch their monarch emerge.  It has nothing to do with what choices you make about education.  Just open up your eyes.

Butterfly

Our swallowtail emerged while we were sleeping.  It (I'm guessing it's male) was still on the oregano when we checked this morning.  We spent hours watching and waiting as it stretched its wings.  And we cheered as it took off for its very first flight.  It was amazing.

That little speck is the last we saw of him. 

It made me smile this morning to see that Lissa and Karen wrote beautifully about the wonder of little things.  I'll show you photos and let their thoughts fill in the blanks here. 

Almost time.

The swallowtail chrysalis is becoming more and more transparent.  Can you see the wing pattern?  Another day or so...

Day 2

Day One

Updated:  Out in the garden today we heard the unmistakable sound of cedar waxwings.  They have returned.  

The first

No need to click over or comment - I've just found myself using this blog as a way to keep records of what's going on in the backyard.  First butterfly of spring 2009 arrived today March 3rd and headed straight for our parsley.  We are hoping for babies soon.  Sorry for the photo quality - this one took me by surprise as it froze only two days ago.

Peak Migration?

Monarchs sighted on our weekly nature walk:

Week One: 1 

Week Two: 3

Week Three: 12 (plus five more on the drive)

Week Four: 46 (plus four more on the drive)

Wow!  Big increase this week.  The only trouble I had taking photos today was having to elbow people out of the way (I didn't really do this.  I meekly waited my turn at the zinnias.)  It has been an amazingly successful exercise in data collection - not scientific, as I cannot be certain I'm not counting one twice, but I do try to count conservatively.  But the difference between this week and last week at what I consider prime butterfly real estate was sizable.

Weekend plans: Seeing a long awaited art exhibit (Haystacks, people, I get to see Haystacks in person!!).  I'm so very excited about this.  And my dad has indicated that he might be available for a walk through the local flea market.  And a plant sale in the garden - all within one square mile.

My husband made meatballs and so I shouldn't have to cook for a few days, but I did promise to make an apple pie tomorrow.  And I have two quilts, one close to halfway done and one close to me deciding on fabric.  If my hands hold up, I will finally finish the socks.  In my head they were "November" socks, anyway.  I have only 2 inches left to knit, or approximately 30-35 rounds.  That's nothing!  It should only take another ten minutes (or another month). :)

This fall has been so lovely.  Last year... last year was a bad fall for me.   I was anxious and depressed, as bad as when I first had Lucy.  So this fall is sweeter still for just feeling normal and open to all the beauty that presents itself everyday.  

Stop the car

I have to take some pictures...

We drove from Taos through Angel Fire.  I'd never been to Angel Fire, we always take the northern route.  It was lovely.  The clouds were thick that morning and the roadsides were covered, covered, with sunflowers and asters which remained bright and cheerful despite the spooky forests surrounding them.

In our own backyard this morning, we have hummingbirds.  We've had many this summer, visiting our hibiscus.  I finally broke down and put out a feeder, an offensive bright red plastic nightmare, but oh, the beauties it brings to my dining room window.  They were so plentiful in the mountains.  We also saw, I think, a hummingbird moth, which I'd only learned about on the internet a couple of weeks ago thanks to someone's blog post (can't remember the blogger).  Tell me if I'm wrong, friendly readers.  I'm always scared to ID something because I imagine you all in your living rooms, rolling your eyes, "That's not a ****.  It's clearly a ****.  Everybody knows that!"  

Lupinus texensis

The Texas Department of Transportation sows 30,000 pounds of wildflower seeds every year.

And every year I fight the urge to join the thousands of other parents who temporarily take leave of their senses and place their young children on the side of the highways amidst fire ants and broken beer bottles to get that quintessential Texas wildflower shot.

And every year I do it anyway.

Sadly, I'm always a bit too nervous about the cars zooming by at 70 mph and my children's tendency to dart places to ever get a great shot. But I've checked this bit of lunacy off my Spring To Do List and can move on with the year.

(No we don't pick the flowers - we are extraordinarily conscientious)