Backyard Nature

Sometimes you only need to travel so far as your own yard to enjoy nature. Shayna and I have been enjoying this simple pleasure.

Shayna fills the bird feeder that hangs in the backyard and then we watch for all the different birds that come to eat. Then Shayna looks them up in her little bird guide book and tries to find out what kind of birds they are.

We get some life by the pool where we have wild honeysuckle growing. One year there was a birds nest with eggs and when they hatched as you swam in the pool you could hear the babies chirping, and spot the mom nearby with a worm in her beak. Last year we were all in the pool trimming the honeysuckle when we found a pretty green caterpillar, and then Shayna delighted in watching him crawl along the pool deck.

In the fall Shayna would come home from school with her pockets full of acorns collected during recess. One day she decided to leave a trail of acorns along the cobblestone walkway leading up to our front porch. Then she peeked out the door and watched with delight as a cute little squirrel came out and got all the acorns!