Country Drive

Common Buckeye on a Black-Eyed Susan

Queen Anne's Lace

What is this ugly thing? Anyone know?

Outdoor Hour Challenge #2

'Make the lesson an investigation and make the pupils feel that they are investigators.' (page 23, HNS)

Today we are going to investigate nature. We will practice describing what we see, hear, and feel as accurately as we can.

Here are the rules:
1. In one word, describe what you hear.
2. In two words, describe what you see.
3. In three words, describe what you feel.

_________________________________


Hannah:
1. singing
2. groundhog eating
3. a warm breeze



Ben:
1. crackling
2. a bee
3. really warm wind


Elijah:
1. rustling
2. green trees
3. warm, damp air

Outdoor Hour Challenge #1

I read pages 1 - 8 in my HNS...again. It is interesting to me the different things that stuck out at me this time.

'...the object of the nature-study teacher should be to cultivate in the children powers of accurate observation and to build up within them understanding.' page 1

Most of page one is underlined/highlighted, but here is a line in particular that stood out to me: 'Perhaps half the falsehood in the world is due to lack of power to detect truth and express it.' It is exciting to me that nature study will, in fact, help my children learn to detect and express truth. After all, nature is an expression of God...what better teacher of truth is there....Him in His creation.

I am very good at delegating and sending my children off to do what needs to be done. We do have our play times and together times, and we have all learned to recognize our backyard birds by sight and song together, but I fear that I send them off far too often. Thus, the following line, taken from page four, struck me: 'The best teacher is always one who is the good comrade of her pupils.' Oh, that I would be a good comrade.

Other tidbits I underlined:

'As soon as nature-study becomes a task, it should be dropped.' page 6

'The nature-study lesson should be short and sharp...' page 6

Today, the fun of outside, centers around our new friend, little Fowler's Toad. This toad is common of gravel and sand bars along Missouri's Ozark streams and rivers. Ben and Hannah spotted him while walking along the railroad tracks.

The Lily

The modest rose puts forth a thorn,
The humble sheep a threat'ning horn:
While the Lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.

~William Blake


Our neighbors, down the street, have a beatiful home accented by an amazing yard. They have flowers everywhere, a pond, bird feeders, and it is well manicured. One specific flower they grow, is an ornamental lily. This flower is beautiful and smells amazing! Mrs. Down-the-street-neighbor cut her first bloom...and brought it to ME! Can you believe that??

My lily is in an old bottle in my kitchen. The whole room smells good and I smile at my neighbor multiple times a day. What amazing kindness.

Kids Fishing Clinic and Derby at Neosho Fish Hatchery

A bunch of kids. A bunch of fishing rods. Hundreds of hot dogs. The perfect weather. A lot of fun.



The oldest operating federal fish hatchery in the U.S. The hatchery raises rainbow trout, spoonbill, sturgeon, brown trout and is the home for the endangered blind ozark cavefish.

Mr. House Wren

I am so excited! I have a bird house that my Great Grampa Frye made. I hung it above my front deck as decoration and Mr. House Wren has moved in. He has been out there all morning singing and arranging twigs in his new home. I am honored to be his neighbor. Here he is on the cable line, realizing that I am watching.

Clouds

The sky was crazy angry a few days ago. We didn't even get a storm...just a couple of short showers.