Water Voice

If you read my previous post,  you know about Aqua Words. Here is another collaborative poem made by 6 trout-raising students. It inspired me to take this photo of the heron fishing in our local creek just before he caught a tasty morsel for himself.

Water Voice

Water comes from cool, refreshing rivers.

When you drink it, it can give you shivers.

Look at water that's aquamarine,

Flowing rapids make such a scene!

Crashing down waterfalls

To you the water calls

In its trickling

Voice refreshing.

Take a minute. Come to the brook.

You can see some trout, so look!

The flowing of water very cold in a creek.

Rapids are strong and many trout peek.

Come on down and take a trip,

But remember, don't you sip.

Again I challenge you to comment to me by way of your own water words. What does water mean to you? How does it inspire you? Be sure to check out the comments to my last post. I 'drank' them when I read them.

Refreshed

With Heart

Aqua Words: Life"s Got Meaning

An activity from Project Wild Aquatic is to brainstorm 'water' words, so that's what the trout raising class did last week. It's a way to become aware of the importance of a healthy supply of water to each one of us.

Each child took ideas from our brainstorming session and came up with two rhyming lines about what water means to them. Then they put the lines together in their table groups of 6 or 7 students and made a rhythm to go with it, like a rap.


Check this one out!

Life's Got Meaning

H2O as you can see

What we need, you and me.

Rapids booming in the water

Trout are swimming with the otter.

Water gushing, really rushing.

Life is teeming. Life's got meaning.

Look at the rivers full of life.

What a wonderful sight.

Water, water. It makes us ring.

Hey, it's Poseidon's thing

When I'm dreaming in my room,

I can hear the rushing waves boom.

Water,water in the pool

I dip my toe and it is cool.

Try coming up with your own words about the importance of water. I encouraged the children to use their senses and their imaginations to help them  come up with a personal rhyme. Be quiet a few moments and let your imagination bubble up. You could even comment to me what you thought of.

Flowing 

With Heart 

Trout Eggs! Arrival Day!

This is my second year to raise trout eggs in the classroom with my environmentalist friend, Nancy. We go to training classes given by the Department of Fish and Game, become certified, get a permit, and take refresher workshops to have this wonderful experience with the students.

In the classroom we've sharpened our observation skills, learned about the importance of watersheds, become environmentalist, and discussed trout habitat. We've eagerly awaited the big day of the arrival of the eggs.

Our sponsor from a local Fly Fisherman organization brought about 40 trout eggs to the classroom today. Before he put them into the aquarium, each child got a close look at them.

He was on hand to answer many questions and to point out important features like eyes.

After checking to see that the chiller was working to keep the water at a cold stream temperature of 50 degrees, he carefully settled the tiny pearl sized eggs on top of the gravel. Some of the children brought in the large river rocks that will make good hiding places for the fry that hatch.

As you can see, the idea is to copy the conditions of a stream where the trout or salmon would be spawning, hatching, and developing.

It's interesting that the aquarium where the students are raising fish to learn about healthy habitat requirements is right over a sign that warns that what flows down our street drains ends up in our streams.

It was a good day

With Heart

The Gift of a Gray Day

Even though we've had lots of rain, these gray days have been a gift.

This burning bush outside my kitchen window,

bright even in the misty rain

2 and a half inches of rain this month! Thank you.
(Don't laugh if you live in moister climes.)

Cedar Waxwings looking like leaves blown back onto the bare tree

Chickadees searching the tree for some insects to eat when the rain stops

Trial and error learning of technology inside where it's warm and dry
so I can share nature thoughts with you

Thankful
With Heart

Lorraine at the Phillies Ball Field

Speaking of hearts and friends, I love to ask my friends what their early memories of the outdoors are. My dear friend Lorraine told me of growing up in a Philadelphia row house in the early 1920's. She played on the steps of her house and in the street with the neighborhood children. The city park was too far for them to walk there without a parent with them.

The caretaker of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team would inviter her and her four siblings and friends, ten of them, to go to the ball field to run and play when the team was out of town. She said there was so much grass, and there was nobody to stop her, so she ran and ran and ran. 

Here's Lorraine. When she comes into a room wearing her helmet and pushing her walker, Joy walks in too! She's definitely a keeper as she would be certain to tell you that you are.

Find one of your 93 year old family members or friends and ask them what they remember of the outdoors when they were children. You may be blessed with a smile lighting their face and a lively story.

In Keeping

With Heart

Trees and Stones

Heart stones find me, and I love it. My friend Marci keeps me supplied with her finds from the beach. Some she polishes, and some she leaves as they are. Sometimes I commemorate a hike with a stone I find along the way like the tan one in this picture.  

Once my brother Bryan and I were walking a gravel bed talking about our dad who had been in the gravel business many years ago. Our reminiscing made me want to find a heart stone to remember the day with. Bryan reached down into a shallow flow of water and pulled out a perfect pocket heart! See! These special treasures find me!

I love to give a pocket heart away to a friend who needs a reminder nearby that they're special. There's not a way for me to give you one in this post, so next time you're outdoors look down to see if a heart has 'found' you.

My heart friend Amy sent me the following quote a few days ago. It made me think of my heart stones and this book I found at Pt. Reyes Station, CA. 

Believe one who knows: you will find something greater in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters. 
                                                                                        ~St. Bernard de Clairvaux 
Wonder
With Heart

The Butterfly Award

My young nature friend Gianna has a keen eye for nature and for misspelled words. While she was reading My Big Backyard post, she found that I had spelled memories wrong. Before I corrected it this afternoon, I had spelled it memoies. 

Gianna, you get the first ever Butterfly Award for being an observant reader. Look in your email  for a Butterfly Thank You note from my friend Jacquie at http://www.jacquielawson.com/ .

This is also a great link to check out for beautiful pictures of Monarch Butterflies.
http://fohn.net/monarch-butterfly-pictures/index.html

Corrected
With Heart

Hudson's Nature Desk

My dear friend Amy who I have grown up with always has the best ideas, nature-related and otherwise. We've grown up together from being 14 year olds to now being grandmothers.

Amy has made a small 'found' desk into a nature desk for her grandson Hudson when he goes to Grandmother's house. It has little drawers where she put special items for him to discover. Hand lenses are in one drawer. In another rocks. In another insects--dead and dried I hope. There is a collection of Peterson First Guide identification books for kids on the desk.

She said when she was busy during his Christmas visit, he went to his 'nature desk' of his own accord. For a 2 year old, his stay of 5 or so minutes was enough.

I picture Hudson at his desk while both his grandparents who are one with the mayhaws and the oaks are near him.

Check out this website for great books by Hudson's grandfather and a wonderful blog, Bayou-Diversity:
http://bayou-diversity.com/

New Ideas
With Heart

Pink Cloud Brushstroke

Pale blue morning sky with white brushstroke of cloud

Friday afternoon golden warm walk with my best friend

Robins and cedar waxwings bathing in the creek

Snowy egret that u-turned when it saw us on the bridge

Lavender evening sky with pink brushstroke of cloud

Thankful

With Heart

Long John Beach

Another good nature memory is of being at Long John Beach on the Ouchita River in North Louisiana with my little brother Bryan and our parents.We took the houseboat up the river many times, this time to spend the night. I picture a yellow summer morning, early birds singing, soft light filtering through the trees, sparkling water. I'm walking on the golden sand and enjoying the feel of my robe gently fluttering in the breeze. This is very dramatic for a 16 year old girl.

As I pictured this yellow dream of a morning, this song started playing in my mind. It starts off, "What a dream I had." Then I found this picture that is so dream-like. It's the right location for this story and the right time for the song recorded by Simon and Garfunkle in 1966. 

Go to this link for an enjoyable song, For Emily Wherever I May Find Her:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymAO0bRMShk&feature=related

Daddy is sitting on the beach enjoying being alone with his thoughts. Mama's watching birds from the deck with peace and quiet.

I imagine that Bryan is exploring the woods. Where is that boy!

Happy Memories
With Heart

My Big Backyard

What's one of your early childhood outdoor memories?

I enjoy asking that question and the wonderful responses people have given me. I'll share a few of their delightful stories with you in the future, but tonight I'll model for you by giving you one of my early memories.

Our family had what I remember as a big backyard that seemed to stretch far away from the back steps of the house. I would sit on the steps with my mother and look for my big brother Charles to ride his bicycle home from school just to see me.  He'd ride down the driveway and around to the back where I was waiting. A big tree shaded the yard where my sister Eleanor often watched me play with Quacky the duck. Quacky and I entertained her. On weekends I'd get my dad to turn on the hose and wash rocks in a sieve with me, great fun. Tall leafy shrubs lined the yard and made a safe spot for me to enjoy my 5 year old self and our Siamese cat Tippy-Tin. 

What about you? Be thinking of your story. If you treasure your outdoor memories, help your young friends and loved ones to have opportunities to make their own nature memories.

Remembering

With Heart

Gianna's and Margaret's Fossil Finds

Remember the rock my nature friend Gianna brought to me? We wondered if it is a fossil and did some research.

I thought the shape of the imprint looked familiar. I searched my own box of sea treasures and found this fossil.  In 1985 Mark and I took our daughters Karen and Janie exploring an old railroad bed near Tulsa, Oklahoma and found this great 'shell' and plenty of crinoid stem pieces. A common name for crinoid is sea lily. You'll see the pieces in the last picture.

It fits! Do you see that right below that spot is another imprint that would be made by a larger shell of the same type. The amazing thing to me is that Gianna's fossil is from a beach in California, far away from where mine was found.

After visiting two websites I identified the shell as a Spiriferid Brachiopod. Mark who helps me simplify complicated information asked if it has a common name. I love the challenge of research and found that it's also called a butterfly shell.

Thinking of an interesting background for a picture of the fossil, I noticed this beautiful red geranium leaf. I couldn't resist one more photo.

Check out these sites:

http://www.manandmollusc.net/Mystery_shell_pages/Joel-mystery.html

Great pictures:

http://www.google.com/search?q=spiriferid+brachiopod&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=6L4HT7DeD8ORiQKwyN2jCQ&ved=0CEkQsAQ&biw=1302&bih=715 

Happily Exploring

With Heart

Gianna's Sea Treasures

My young nature friend, Gianna brought these sea treasures to me from her trip. I imagine hearing the waves and gulls. I feel the sand tickling me when I pick the treasures up. My nose wrinkles when I think of that special beach smell.

My gifts from the beach

Is this a fossil of a shell?

A bone and sea glass

Kelp holdfast

Gianna and I have some research to do. Do you have any ideas about the rock markings or the bone?


Looking deeply into Nature,
With Heart

Winter Hiking on Dry Trails

We really need rain, but until it does we're making the most of the dry trails and comfortable temperatures.

Here is today's list of my five favorite things.

1. Standing on Flag Hill at Sunol Regional Wilderness yesterday afternoon 

2. Making it down the steep descent from Flag Hill with my hiking buddy Mark

3. This foggy morning's moisture showing off the hard work of one of our garden spiders.

4. This afternoon's tall grass walk on Harvest Trail in the Sherburne Hills 

5. My other hiking buddy Karen capturing the moment for me

Ahh! Nature!

With Heart

Happy New Year 2012!

Mark and I went for an afternoon walk on this glorious day. This Bradford pear tree by the creek is holding onto its beautiful red leaves even as its new buds are showing. See the moon just beyond the branch.

Once we got to the park, we saw a flock of geese following a running child. It was actually a kite that reminded us of those geese. It was beautiful to watch. Click on the photo to see it better.

I love to think over each day and pick out 5 or 6 causes for thankfulness. Here is today's list:

1. Welcoming 2012 with Mark at 12:01
2. Seeing Orion shining overhead at 12:05 AM
3. FaceTime with Janie and Grandsons Charlie and Harrison, laughing
4. Making lemon yellow cake pops with Karen laughing
5. The picture of red leaves, white moon, and blue sky,
6. 'Flock of geese' following a running child

Wondering about your list for today,

With Heart