Filoli Gardens

Come walk with me around Filoli Gardens in Woodside, CA. Its an estate that only had two owners from 1917 until 1975 when its second owner Mrs. Roth donated the property to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Its a place of timeless beauty.

Now enjoy a stroll in the gardens with me.

A Good Day 

With Heart

Creek Walk With Heart

This blue morning sky full of white cloud whiskers
Eating sweet blackberries straight from the bushes
The whump, whump, whump of the vulture's wings overhead
Little black headed phoebe catching insects
Hearing the cool wind whispering in the trees

The Learning Rock-More Field Journaling

The organizer for this workshop is California Institute for Biodiversity, and the teacher is naturalist, author, and artist John Muir (Jack) Laws. It is a well-organized quality educational experience.

As you enjoy these views, you may think it looks like too much fun, but this is indeed the Learning Rock. See the teacher there stressing the importance of children learning by observing nature.

On the boulder across the stream participants share how their students benefit from scientific investigation outdoors.

Notice the huge Indian Rhubarb leaves growing beside the boulder.

One leaf illustrates the importance of making the most of a teachable moment.

From my seat on the Learning Rock I took this picture upstream for you to see.

Capturing the moment for you, I missed the moment overhead! 

As I clicked the camera, I realized that a raptor had called and the teacher and other students were all worked up. Then we were instructed to sketch our experience in our field journals.

I'll take this for the blog.~~~Look! Upstream! Raptor!~~~What happened?

Should I leave my camera in my pocket?

A Teachable Moment

With Heart

Sierra Nevada Field Journaling Workshop

Come with me as I show you sights and lessons I learned about observing, sketching and writing about nature at the workshop.

I notice...

I wonder...

This reminds me...

I notice the pathway winding through this grove of tall trees.
I wonder how they found room to grow between the creek and the mountains.
This reminds me of Girl Scout Camp at Piney Woods in north Louisiana.

Art is a tool for learning.

Observation is the goal.

Water drips from the fungus on the underside of fallen tree.

You try it.

I notice...

I wonder...

This reminds me...

Do you remember the joy and skill of skipping rocks?

When was the last time you walked on a fallen tree across a creek?

I hung my hat on the roots of this bridge I balanced well on. 

Observing

With Heart

The Lunch Spot

Let this picture hold you until I can unpack from my Field Journaling Workshop this weekend in the Sierras and send you a post of good memories.
~Listening for a Gurgling Stream
With Heart

Lembert Dome, Eastern Sierra

Tuolumne Meadows in Eastern Yosemite is about an hour and a half from our 

1950's motel on 395.We spent our last day there, a good last memory of our trip.

We hiked up to Lembert Dome, Lembert Half-Dome for me since I didn't make it all the way to the summit you see over my right shoulder. As you can see, the view is magnificent.

Hiking along the John Muir Trail was awesome since I am a big fan of his. He wrote about the 'warm heart of nature.' The trail is part of the Pacific Crest Trail. 

The sign is leaning, not me. 

I was thrilled to find this fritillary butterfly on the ground by the trail. I knew I was supposed to leave it for the insects to recycle, but I just couldn't. By the time we finished lunch, a huge black ants was already eating the dead butterfly. Part of its wing was moving away, carried by another  ant. 

That's nature! 

As you know, I can't pass a body of water without getting my feet wet. 

The Tuolumne River is cold.

You can see the other side of Lembert Dome over the head of that hiker who was kind enough to let me take his picture so you could have some perspective of the height of the dome.

Until the Next Adventure

With Heart