A Summer's Day by the Sea

Not at the shore, exactly, but rather, above it - in the woods that run alongside it. Today we spent some time exploring the rugged beauty of our coastline and learning about quarries and the New England granite industry. I'd like to share some pictures from our day, if I may - we had such a nice time and the weather was so beautiful.

Crackerjack was signed up for a geology class run by the state DCR (department of conservation and recreation), which is the oldest regional park system in the country. They always offer amazing programs and their rangers are just wonderful. This class, organized by my friend Kristen, was a follow-up to a geology class we took last month with our homeschool group, at yet another state park in the area. The earlier class was set deep in the woods (unraveling the history of the rocks found in our area) while this one took place alongside the sea and above the remains of an old quarry.

So while CJ and I took the class, Bill (who took the day off from work) and Earlybird explored the park, while Bookworm visited with friends.

More pics ...

In that last picture, our ranger, Megan, was demonstrating how to split granite. The kids were just enthralled ... you could hear a pin drop as she worked, because everyone was listening for the "crackle" that granite makes when it's stressed. But wouldn't you know it, just before she cracked that block open, my camera battery exhausted itself. (Quite literally - the message on the screen said, "battery exhausted." So unfortunately I didn't get a final picture of the split block!

(But I promise she did spit the block, and the block did crackle just before it gave way ... very exciting stuff, I must say!)

***

It was a real treat to have Bill with us today - he drove us in the RV, so we really arrived in style. ;) It made the longish drive (made even longer by that darn summer traffic) a little more comfortable ... and having Dad with us made today's experience all the more fun and memorable - because all five us got to enjoy the beautiful weather and breathtaking views.

So I hope you all had a nice day, too. Thanks so much for stopping by and allowing me to share our Monday with you ... have a good night, and take care ... I will see you again sometime soon!

❤

Midsummer Beauty

Yesterday was Midsummer's Day - also known as St. John's Day (the Birth of St. John). The weather was lovely and we spent a good bit of time outside ... I roamed the yard taking pictures of this and that. Above we have a tea rose blooming at sunset ... my pink and orange coneflower plants  ... an abandoned bird's nest ... the tiny bunny who calls our yard home ... and the Midsummer Eve moon - a milky crescent perched high in the western sky.

Today brings a gray and mild morning ... it feels nice, actually - the soft breeze coming through my window as I type up this post. Heavy rain will be arriving in a few hours - thunder and all - so we'll plan our day accordingly. How I enjoy having the freedom to do that. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, my friends - I hope you have a wonderful day! Take care of yourselves and your loved ones ... I will see you again sometime soon!

❤

Let's Discuss: The Household on Hot Days

"It was hot and she did her housework early, then closed the windows and drew the shades as she had seen her mother do. When Joe came in from work, he remarked with satisfaction that their apartment was the coolest spot in town."

~ Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy's Wedding

Well it's going to be scorching here in New England today - again! I'm going out very early to do the food shopping and then we'll stay in, and try to stay cool. Thankfully, this heatwave will be brief, and we do have AC, so I really can't complain ... but I often think of my grandmother on days like these. She had such a knack for keeping her house cool, even on the hottest of days. My grandparents' house never had air conditioning ... they just relied on good air circulation, drawn shades and several well-placed fans. My brother and I often stayed overnight at my grandparents', especially during the summer, and I can't remember an unpleasant night's sleep. Gram's bedsheets were the coolest things you could imagine, smooth and so comforting ... with a light bedspread and a fan blowing, sleep was surprisingly easy to find.

So with respect to the upcoming season - which brings heat and humidity to much of the country (and world) - how do you "beat the heat" in your household? How do you keep your home and family comfortable on the hottest days of the year? Do you have air conditioning in your home or do you manage using other measures?

What are some of your "keep cool" methods?

Summer's upon us and I'm thinking about how we prepare and adjust ... for both the pleasures and challenges of the season. So if you have time, please leave me your thoughts!

And as always, I thank you ... and wish you a wonderful day!

Simple, Summery Fun

To celebrate the arrival of Summer, Earlybird and I worked on two simple, seasonal crafts today. The first thing we did was to make a pitcher of "Sun" Tea ...

We set this on the deck as the heat began to build (it's a doozy of a day here - high's near 100!). We just filled a clear pitcher with plain water and added five tea bags ...

Then we let The Sun do its work!

And about four hours later ...

We had fresh, naturally-brewed Sun Tea!

EB had no interest in trying the tea himself, though he did like smelling it, and he did enjoy helping me "doctor" it with ice, sugar and lemon.

 I thought it was absolutely delicious!

Now, the other craft we worked on was a festive, fruity kitchen garland ...

We (meaning me, weilding a serrated knife) sliced lemons and clementines into 1/4-inch thin rounds, and then threaded them with twine ...

Then we strung them up above the kitchen sink to dry!

Don't they look pretty in the soft window light? I plan to hang some small bunches of herbs here (from our garden) as the summer goes along. I told EB that this fruit - so juicy and jewel-like right now - would dry out (preserve) as time went on. Of course, the fruit flies think they've died and gone to fruit fly heaven ... so we'll see what breaks first - my patience or their perseverence!

Earlybird and I also looked at the calendar and talked about the cycle of the year ... how we're just about mid-way through, and that at the opposite end of the year we'll arrive at the first day of winter. I suggested we save the (eventually) dried citrus rounds to use in a homemade holiday potpourri. We even marked it down on the calendar - a craft for the winter solstice - so he can see how time passes ...

And so we'll turn Summer's bounty into Winter's gifts. :)

*☼*

So a very Happy Summer to you all! I hope this new season brings your family much joy and contentment. Summer is notorious for flying by so enjoy it while you can!

Thanks so much for stopping by ... see you again very soon!

Talk About Tuesday: Summer Plans?

I'm wondering what your plans are for your children this summer ... Travel? Camp? Classes?

Whether you homeschool or not, do you make any formal plans for your kids' education/entertainment at this time of year? Or do you just take a breather and let learning (and living) happen as it happens?

I think we do a little of both ...

I truly savor the slower pace of summer ... I love seeing all that free space on my calendar! I appreciate the freedom to spend more time at home ... if we wish ... and I also enjoy the flexibility for family outings and road trips. But I also like to keep my kids' "wheels turning," if you know what I mean, especially when it comes to math and reading.

So this summer we will continue (mostly) daily math lessons, and I'll have a summer reading "project" set up for the younger boys. (I don't worry about Bookworm anymore - he's never not reading, lol.) I don't have a set book list in place yet - but I'm working on it - and I'll share it here just as soon as I can. :)

Senior-to-be Bookworm will also work through a formal science curriculum this summer, but for the younger two, "summer science" will be all about nature study ... gardening, too.

I've also made up a small list of "life skills" I'd like to work on this summer *as well as* a BIG list of summer pleasures I don't want us to miss ...

... tidepooling ... ice cream nights ... fireflies ... bike rides ... picnics ...

Etc.!

So what's up for your brood this summer? Will this summer be different from last?

Please leave me a comment if you have time!

And I'll see you again very soon ...

❤

Summer Office Hours :)

Sitting outside while the kids play ... I've got my laptop, a library book, some wildflowers, a light snack and a glass of my favorite summer cooler ... peach iced tea. Virgin of course (this was taken midday!), but I must tell you it's also fantastic with a splash of spiced rum ... after the sun goes down. ;)

And I'm surrounded by my (very modest) herb garden, our hummingbird feeder, and - in the distance - the canopy under which I'm envisioning lots of summer crafts, reading and nature study ...

It's going to be a great summer!

❤

Happy Summer!

"That beautiful season the Summer! 
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; 
and the landscape 
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood." 
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Summer Solstice arrives at 1:16 p.m. today, the longest day of the year. But from here on out, every day gets just a little bit shorter, so let's enjoy the light while we can!

Have a great Tuesday, my friends!

:)

Nature Study Club ~ September 2010

Our Nature Study Club met for the first time this (academic) year, yesterday here at our home. We started the meeting in our backyard, but then walked the kids down to a trail behind our home. Our September mission ~ to say goodbye to Summer and look for signs of Fall ...

As usual, we had a wide range of ages attend Nature Club - a few teens, several middle schoolers and plenty of little ones. Twenty-eight children in all, which was a fantastic turn-out! I made up a trail checklist* for the kids to work off of, listing things they might be able to observe on our walk. I also prepared a bunch of clean baby food containers (small plastic tubs with fitted lids) to serve as miniature collection boxes. 

Here's one of the tables I had set up in the yard:

 

In the left corner are the collection boxes and checklists.

And in the right corner is an assortment of autumn books and nature magazines.

*Here's the list of items I had on my handout:

 Ferns and/or moss?

Wildflowers ~ how many different kinds/colors?

A nest or sign of nesting activity?

Scat?

Fungii ~ where is it growing? What kind?

Trees ~ how many kinds can you identify?

Any sign of fall foliage?

Insects ~ see, hear, or other evidence?

Seeds ~ in travel, on the ground, on a plant?

Spider webs ~ what kind? Is the spider visible?

A fruiting plant and/or a vine?

An animal ~ see, hear or other evidence?

Migration in action? (Look up!)

Sounds ~ birds, squirrels, human, elemental?

Can you find the temperature by cricket song?

(Count the number of chirps in 15 seconds + 38 = temperature)

Is there a breeze? In what direction is it blowing ?

Any nice or nasty smells?

 Other observations?

Above is the "moms resource" table. I put out a variety of nature-related books, field guides, audubon guides etc. 

And here are some photos from our walk, as you can see it was an absolutely beautiful day:

Goldenrod, a plant that grows all over New England in September.

Milkweed - the pods have not opened yet, but soon ...

I believe this is pokeweed.

And wild asters (or Michaelmas daisies), another September favorite.

One of the very observant children spotted this incredible caterpillar, munching on some goldenrod (and completely unaware of the tiny spider stalking nearby!).

No idea what kind of butterfly he'll be, but he sure is colorful!

We went off-trail for a bit, meandering into a field to listen and look for insects. There were many, many dragonflies darting overhead, grasshoppers and locusts hopping about and just look what the children found here:

A praying mantis! 

I haven't seen one since I was a child! I remembered them as being green so I was surprised this one was pale brown. We wondered if he was camouflaged to blend in with the faded grass?

I couldn't get a close picture of this shy bird, but I think it is a flycatcher of some sort. Only rarely do we see them in our backyard.

The following picture shows the most startling discovery of all ...

Bill had spotted this animal jawbone earlier in the day. I told the kids to look out for it and sure enough, on the walk back home, they were able to find it. Out came the cameras and sketchbooks! 

We wondered what it might be - and what might have happened - trying to determine if the teeth were sharp or dull. Guesses included coyote, fox, dog and deer. Bill looked online last night and actually this most closely resembles a deer jaw. 

Do any of my readers have any thoughts? (Other than, ew, lol!)

Last photo - this a collection box that got left behind ... just look at all the little treasures that fit in here!

We made lots of neat discoveries, but the nicest part of the day was the friendship and good fun. When we returned home, the children played, the mums chatted and we all enjoyed some cold cider and cornbread. I'm just so thrilled to see another year of Nature Club off and running!

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope wherever you live, you're enjoying the blessings of this lovely time of year. :)

A Hello and a Few August Pictures :)

Dear friends, thank you so much for your concern, for checking in here to say hello and see if I'm about ... suffice it to say, a whole host of issues kept me offline these past few weeks, but I'm here at last and eager to share some August pictures with you ... I hope you all have been well. :) 

First of all, we just got finished celebrating Crackerjack's 11th Birthday this past weekend ...

 

This was taken at his "friends" birthday party on Saturday. (The family celebration was held on Sunday.) It was another Lego theme party - our favors were smiley "minifig" face bags filled with a jumble of treats:

 

I found these football candles at Shaw's Marketplace (my grocery store of choice). I couldn't resist them - we get very excited about football season around here. Not that any of the boys play, but we are, as many of you know, super-huge Pats fans and what's more - football season means fall - and both are right around the corner. :)

 

We've been happily watching our little red squirrels - five in all at last count!

 

Since it's been so hot here this summer, the squirrels have taken to "lounging" in the seed trays. The above is actually an action shot - this fella was feeding himself in this very position! It was too funny to watch.

The squirrels have also taken to sampling the spruce needles ...

The raccoons have also made their presence known ... they're comical and so very clever.

 

Another critter to look for at this time of year is the grasshopper. We find them on our house - walking across clapboards or as in this case, a storm door.

 

I just took out a library book for Earlybird on grasshoppers because he's slightly freaked out when he sees them, lol. We also have a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail that graces our yard on occasion, as well as a pair of hummingbirds, ginormous dragonflies, lots of chipmunks, and we THINK a screech owl in the woods. (We've heard him but not seen him.) The boys also found this odd looking insect on the deck recently ...

 

We're pretty sure this is a Carolina Locust. Bookworm (who took this picture) said he had wings like a butterfly when he flew off. He also asked me if I thought we should alert the proper authorities considering the infamously destructive nature of these creatures. Lol.

I told him since we lived in a residential (rather than agricultural) area we were probably ok. But I asked him to let me know if he sees any more. :)
 
   

Above you see my most successful gardening venture this summer - my glorious morning glory vine!

The basil and nasturtiums have also done well.

The tomatoes, not so much.

I dare say we've used our deck more this summer than ever before. I bought some pretty sun lights for the railing ...

 

 They'll look even better when they're peeping out between morning glory blossoms. :)

 

That's all for now, folks! I hope to be back again before the start of the new year (academic, that is). I have lots of planning to do and a school room to set up. Hope to get it all done before Labor Day!

Be safe and well ~ and see you all again soon!

Morning on the Web

 

So pretty, that early morning light ...

I hope you all had a nice weekend - I spent it combing through last year's file folders, inbox piles and work baskets. Working on the end-of-year reports, due later this week - I didn't quite get it all done, but made a good start. Preparing the ed. plans for next year shouldn't take nearly as much time - we're going with Oak Meadow for all three boys so the curriculum details will be pretty straightforward. (I'm also writing a nature-based lesson plan for Earlybird, but that doesn't need to be sent in to the school dept.)

Summer sure is flying by -  it's so hard to believe we're knocking on August's door! It's been a hot and steamy one here in New England - my patio garden is thriving (herbs, tomatoes and morning glories) but our perennials out front are near dead! Today however, so far, is just beautiful - breezy, cool(ish) and bright. Oh, and don't forget: tonight is the Full Thunder Moon - be sure to look for it rising around 8:30 p.m. :)

Have a great day, my friends!

Stormy Summer Skies

 

Thunderheads, Late Afternoon, July 21st, 2010

What's that buzzing in the woods?

A cicada! Or, as we call them, heat bugs!

 

Nothing quite says summer like the lazy drone of the cicada on a really hot day ... We don't see them that often, but we do find their exoskeletons on occasion. This one was perched on the side of our tent. He's quite a prehistoric looking creature!

Rabbit, Rabbit ...

... and, Happy July!

 

 

That beautiful season the Summer! 
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; 
and the landscape 
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood. 
-   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Happy Summer!

 

(And a happy hummer!) 

The Solstice arrived at 7:28 this morning ... though it's felt like summer for weeks now, it is now officially a brand new season!

I'm sorry to have been missing these past two weeks - we've been quite busy trying to catch back up after all that "time off." Our academic year has not quite come to a close ... but we're getting there. ;)

I'll post again soon - hope your week is off to a good start!

Happy 1st of July!

In vain the cruel skies their hot rays shed; 
The lily does not feel their brazen glare. 
In vain the pallid clouds refuse to share 
Their dews, the lily feels no thirst, no dread. 
Unharmed she lifts her queenly face and head; 
She drinks of living waters and keeps fair. 

(from A Calendar of Sonnets by Helen Hunt Jackson)

I always know July is upon us when the roadsides are bursting with bright orange daylilies. I've come to think of them as the 4th of July Flower, and honestly, when you look at them they do look like colorful fireworks, exploding against the summer blue sky ...

And so, July 1st is upon us and that means the season is steamrolling along. It might be nice some fine summer evening to sit down with your family and compile a list of things you want to make sure to do before September arrives. Use the comments in my Summer Fun post as a jumping off point, but I'm sure your family will have personal favorites to share. Keep the post handy - maybe hang it on the fridge - and don't forget to correlate the ideas with your calendar. Ideas are great, but plans make memories. :)

My kids made sure to say "Rabbit, Rabbit" this morning - well, truth be told, I woke them at 7 to remind them, lol - and before the holiday weekend I'll freshen things up in the learning room once again, changing things over for a new month ahead. I'll do some housekeeping here at my blog too - new booklists and sidebar items, maybe even a new template to change things up for the season. We'll see. 

As for the file crate follow-up post - well, I'm still banging away at it! Oddly enough, writing time has been hard to come by of late. It will be up soon though, I promise! In fact, I'm taking it with me to Bookworm's orthodontist appointment this morning - every spare minute helps, lol. :)

Have a Wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

****************

The Sweetness of Summer: A Second Winner!

Well very early this morning I filled Crackerjack's bright yellow bucket hat with tiny slips of paper - each one baring the name of one of the Summer Fun commenters - there was probably an easier way to do this but at this early hour and on limited caffeine, it was all I came up with lol - we mixed them all up and then the boys chose a name, our second summer winner is ...

... Melissa R.!

Congratulations, Melissa! Please zip me a note at drhanigan AT comcast DOT net when you have a chance and we'll discuss the mailing details. :)

Now, what summer pastime does Melissa NOT want to miss this year?

Blueberry Picking!

Mmmm, blueberry picking is a must-not-miss in New England, especially if you can make it up to Maine ~ Maine blueberries are so sweet and tender! When I was a little girl I remember wild blueberries grew on the hill behind my grandparents' house. I remember sitting there on hot August days, nestled in and amongst the scrubby wild bushes, filling my tiny dixie cup with those teeny dusky blue berries - always hoping to pick enough for a pie, but never leaving many in the cup. (Most of them made their way into my mouth!)

My grandma made the BEST blueberry pies in the world. To this day I've never had better, and I now resolve to try making one this summer. Actually, a cup of coffee and a blueberry hand pie, eaten outside on a hot summer morning would be the epitome of summer sweetness ...

... or maybe a couple of these blueberry bonanza bars:

Making blueberry jam with the kids would be another wonderful August activity! If you can't pick them yourselves, a local farmer's market would be sure to have some for sale. 

Another blueberry activity - one I have saved in my August journal from last year - is to make blueberry fabric stamps.

How cute are they?!

If you are working on Christmas gifts this summer, these homemade stamps could be used to make a set of pretty notecards or recipe cards. Buy blank cards at the craftstore, along with the cork and blue and green ink pads. Purchase a length of pretty blue or yellow gingham ribbon as well - what a lovely gift and an easy hot day summer project!

A jar of that blueberry jam mentioned above would make a perfect summer hostess gift. Decorate at plain gift bag (another craft store purchase - I always keep several sizes on hand) with your blueberry stamps, pop the jam inside and tie the bag up with some ribbon.

If you have little ones, here are two favorite blueberry books I can't help but mention: 

Blueberries for Sal

and 

Peter in Blueberry Land

Thank you, Melissa, for reminding me of the summer goodness of blueberries! I've made a note in my August calendar to try some of these projects and to request those books from the library. :)

Now, my very next post will be a compilation of all the wonderful summer thoughts you all shared. (I had planned to do it here but I got a little carried away with the blueberry theme, lol ...)

And yes, I am working on that File Crate post - still! I have it about halfway done, and will hopefully get it up early this week. 

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone! Thanks as always for stopping by! :)

And my 11,111th commenter was ...

... fellow New Englander and frequent commenter, Penny in VT!

Penny's favorite things not to miss in summer are: 

"Smores made outside over an open fire!"

(This particular smore was made in NH, not VT, but close enough!)

Congratulations, dear Penny!

 Please shoot me an email at drhanigan AT comcast DOT net and we will work out all the mailing details. :)

In the meantime, I want to THANK EVERYONE who participated in my contest! I enjoyed reading through all your "summery" thoughts - 83 as of first thing this morning! I plan to do two things with all your comments ... 

First, I will cut and paste everyone's comments into a big post about the Sweetness of SUMMER ... 

And second ... I am going to draw ANOTHER WINNER tomorrow! I will add everyone's names to a basket and let the boys choose a name. I will announce the second winner on Sunday afternoon.

(Yes, that used to read Saturday evening, but I'm having some technical difficulties here!)

So feel free to keep commenting until tomorrow ...

Have a wonderful Saturday, everyone!

A Little Summer Something Fun ...

I happened to notice my blog is coming up on an interesting number of comments so I thought I'd do something fun. I'm not going to tell you how many I have to go to reach this number but whoever is the 11,111th commenter will get a little summer treat mailed to them from me! (I did something similar back in September when I gave away a copy of The Wind Children.) If you would like to enter this "contest" (for lack of a better term lol) please leave me a comment below answering this question ...

Summer comes and goes so fast, and every year I think of little things we forgot to do ... like, chase fireflies or have a backyard campout or pick raspberries or collect seaglass at the beach. What is something summery you love to do that you don't want to miss out on this year?

 

Please leave your answer below and Saturday morning I will announce the winner ...

Good Luck! :)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Summer Sights

The August Nature Shelf ~

August is just such a lovely time of year ...

The earth literally explodes in goodness, and there's just the tiniest hint of fall in the air - or rather, I should say the landscape. Our burning bush is tinged with pink, the dry lawn crunches underfoot, and the pumpkins are ripe in the garden. I truly believe it does our hearts good to feel the pull of the seasons changing, and that is why I love keeping a nature table. It's a great spot for displaying the kids' nature finds, but it's also the perfect canvas for expressing my feelings for the season at hand.

And - as I'm sure you all know - there's way more to nature than just four seasons! ;) Even living here in New England - a region famous for our four distinct seasons - we can see that there is so much more to our earth than that. We are doubly blessed - with an ever-changing natural world, and the senses with which to appreciate those subtle changes ...

So, with all that in mind, I decided it was time to retire the early summer theme of the nature table, and warm things up a bit. Here's a quick tour.

At the far left in the corner is a small shelf which holds our storm candle and nature angel (not shown) as well as our favorite book of nature prayers - it's open here to the August page.

Next comes this crusty old crab, and a bit of seashore debris just behind. The boys found all these things at the beach last month - and they were pretty sure the debris - or tools, as they saw them - gave strong evidence toward onshore mermaid activity. :) (They get a lot of intriguing ideas from this book.)

Next, we have our first two pumpkins of the year! (Remember them just a few weeks ago? How time flew!) These are called New England Pie pumpkins, and that's just what we plan to do with them.

That bird's nest will always be a part of our nature shelf, though it does seem to be slowly unraveling. We place all kinds of little things inside it - feathers, acorn caps, squirrel fur (that's the tip of a red tail in there!), dried mushrooms etc. About the two books in the picture - one is an old favorite and the other is a new and fabulous find. The other books on display here are Little Farm by the Sea, Sommer (a wordless picture book) and The Corgiville Fair, our favorite August book, by far.

And finally we have a bouquet of August's flowers, all of them found in our yard. We have butter-and-eggs, clover, blue hydrangea, orange lilies and one big red Shakespeare rose. Oooh, this all smells so good!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this little tour of our Nature corner, and I hope, too, that you are enjoying your August - whatever August is like where you live. Don't forget to look around and take note - things will change before you know it. :)

Have a great day, everyone - thank you so much for stopping by!