Morning Scenes at the Farm

This morning there was once again a large heron getting his breakfast at our pond.  Michelle ran out with the camera and took these pictures.

 
As she got closer it flew away.

It went out over the fields.  Probably to somewhere where there were less curious photographers.

Michelle called this her 'zebra water' picture.  The pond is so enthralling as it reflects the seasons and whatever is going on around it.   We took Dallas the dog out to visit the farm.  One of the first things  he did was to run out to the pond and try to go swimming. Paul called him back before he got all the way in.  It was really cold out. Only a little above freezing.  He is a lab alright!  He didn't seem to be bothered by the cold or the wet.

  Dallas was outside this morning when he went nuts at a little wood pile.  He tore it apart trying to get the little critter hiding in there.  The mouse ran up the corner where the siding came together.  We really need to teach our dog how to re-stack the wood piles!!

As I was looking to see what had Dallas so worked up  I glanced up at the window and saw Elizabeth also watching.  I thought it was so pretty to see the reflection of the leaves and her face superimposed.  It is such a beautiful time of the year!

There are still some bugs out and about despite the fact that we had a freeze.  I'm sure that won't be true for long!

I decided that you all would rather see the pictures from nature, rather than pictures of piles of boxes and me unpacking them.  Things are coming together well.  I am filling up the bookshelves and setting up our bedroom.  Everyone else is working on theirs.  As soon as the flooring is in, I can finish unloading the boxes for my office.  I will take pictures at the house as we get things set up.

Thank-you for following our journey!  I would love for someone to id the type of heron at our pond, or the bug in the picture.  I might even come up with a prize for the first person to do so!

Autumn is Late

One thing about having a farm, you notice the world outside the house a lot more.  Nature is not just something to be observed from a car or a window, or to be merely checked on at the computer.   You go outside and live in it!  One thing that is interesting this year is that autumn is late.

 Most years the trees are changing color in the beginning or middle of September.  This year they are only really starting to show color now, in October.  We had a mild summer, (not too hot with good rain) and even now the weather is warm (upper 70's or around 25 celsius).  This is perfect for us as we try and get our farm set up for next spring.  If it was our usual cold fall, it would be much more challenging.

Last week we saw this big garter snake. This snake was several feet long (almost a meter). Although I don't 'love' snakes, I don't mind them and can appreciate their beauty. They are useful to have around.  They eat bugs, earthworms and frogs.

We must have a pair as we have lots and lots of little snakes around.  Did you know that garter snakes give birth to live young?  They are not poisonous.  But whenever you handle a reptile, you should make sure to wash your hands well afterwards.

We have a lawn machine!  We will now be able to cut our own grass.  Paul found it on Craigslist.  A commercial mower that was only used  residentially.  It has a 61" (155 cm) deck so hopefully it won't take too long to cut our very big yard! Saturday we are going to cut our own grass  for the first time.

Spring and Summer Nature Picture Books

There are a number of fun picture books for spring and summer. I thought I would share some that I like that teach children and their parents more about nature in a 'twaddle-free' way.

Jim Arnosky is a great author and illustrator. He does all nature books. His pictures are detailed and accurate. He is also the author of the 'Crinklefoot' books. 'Raccoons and Ripe Corn' is written very simply and a very young child, 12-24 months, would enjoy listening to it. It is very short. Most of his books are available in paperback, although if you see a hardback library edition, snag it. The Crinklefoot books are written for elementary students.

Robert McCloskey wrote a number of classic children's picture books. Probably his best known one is 'Make Way for Ducklings'. He likes to write about children living on the Maine coast. These are great stories for 3-4 year olds.

'Linnea in Monet's Garden' is a combination of nature and art books. The story is by Christina Bjork and Lena Anderson and tells of a girl who visits Monet's Garden and learns about the garden and Monet as well.

These same artists wrote a practical book on window sill gardening. It is well illustrated and gives very simple yet practical advice of things to try in gardening indoors.

If you want some simple nature things to do with your children during the cold weather or you just want some good advice on taking care of houseplants you will appreciate this book.

~Mom