Snow On The Mountain

wasp

Snow On the Mountain

As we headed toward the white clumps in the pasture behind our house, I just knew we were going to have great success with this week's outdoor challenge: Queen Anne's Lace.  However, upon our arrival, I was briefly disappointed to discover that the clumps were not Queen Anne's Lace.  I quickly recovered my excitement observing the beauty of what we HAD found, and decided it would make a fine substitute.

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Butterfly

Bee?

At home, we discovered our plant to be Bishop's Weed, or as we prefer, Snow On The Mountain.  Apparently, it is a highly sought after ground cover for flower gardens.  Just think, people pay good money for this stuff and we have thousands growing wild as weeds in our pasture!  I noticed them in the spring.  The variegated leaves are much more impressive than the tiny white flowers.  Together, they are quite a sight.  Especially covering an otherwise barren hillside as this picture shows.

bee

We could detect no scent from the flowers.  We observed three different kinds of bees and a wasp frequenting the blossoms.  The stem feels smooth, but is covered with tiny fine hairs.  The thick leaves point upwards alternating as they climb towards the end of the stem.  The topmost leaves have the "snow." 

Our arrangement

We read that these make excellent cut flowers for arrangements, and will last a long time if the stems are dipped in boiling water.  So, we tried it.  We discovered that white milk bleeds out when the stem is cut or the leaves are removed.  It is a little sticky.

Claire's watercolor painting
of Bishop's Weed

Most of the plants we saw were about 2 feet tall.  They grew mostly along the edges of the field near the fence row.  As there were hundreds of them, we didn't feel the least bit guilty clipping all we could carry.

Pokeberry Paint

Indian War Paint?

While playing outside on this beautiful, unseasonably cool morning, the children discovered a Pokeberry bush.  I don't imagine that it took them long to discover the best use for this find.  I had warned them to never eat Pokeberries, (thankfully).

Green Eggs!

Green Eggs but no ham

Finally, blue-green eggs!  Our Americauna chicks finally begin laying today.  We found these two small eggs in the nesting box.  I photographed them beside the larger brown eggs which came from our 3 year old hens; a Barred-Rock and a Buff Orpington; to highlight the difference in size and color.  We should be getting 8-9 a day soon!

Another milestone

It may seem insignificant to others, but Claire independently placed her first phone call.  I simply told her the Grandma's phone number.  She wrote it down, dialed it properly, reached Grandma, stated her business, (is it alright if Licorice comes with us today?), and passed the information on to me.  What a big girl!

Off with the training wheels

Milestone: Cody rode his bike today without training wheels for the first time. He only rode for about 5 minutes, then he asked that the training wheels be replaced. He didn't much care for mom jogging behind him holding him up by his shirt tail. At this time, he perceives no training wheels as a loss of independence rather than a gain so I don't think he is going to be very excited about conquering this milestone.

A Secret

We have a secret, just we three,

The robin and I and the sweet cherry tree;

The bird told the tree, and the tree told me,

And nobody knows it but just us three.

But of course the robin knows it best,

Because she built the ---- I shan't tell the rest,

And laid the four little --- somethings in it---

I'm afraid I shall tell it every minute.

Cody's Catfish

Big Catch

While Claire and I were having girls' night out at scrapbooking club, the boys decided to go fishing.  They couldn't wait to show me these pictures of the enormous catfish caught by Cody.

Evening Blooming Plants: 4-O-Clocks and Angel's Trumpet

Claire in the 4-o-clocks

Our porch is surrounded by hundreds of bright pink 4-O-Clocks, and dozens of white Angel's 

Trumpets, or Moonflowers. 

Angel's Trumpet that
we pressed in 2008

 The 4-o-clocks are perennial.  They have an enormous tap root that looks similar to a giant sweet potato.  They poke out of the ground in April, and usually begin blooming around the first of June.  I have to say that 6-o-clocks would be a more fitting name.

Angel's Trumpet, known around here as Jimson Weed, and perhaps known elsewhere as Moonflower, is in the Nightshade family.  Unfortunately, it has been misused by young people around here for its hallucinogenic properties.  It is very toxic and can be fatal if ingested in large enough quantities.

A Dragonfly gets an early evening meal as the 4-o-clocks begin opening.

Tomato Horn Worm

Study Qs from HONS

In Spring and early summer, dozens of Tomato Horn Worms can be found munching the leaves of these two plants. We discover them by finding the droppings first, then looking under the half eaten leaves. Since we have so many plants, we have no need to eliminate the caterpillars. We have caught and raised a few. They continue to eat and eat and eat. Then, they must have soil, (a bowl full works). They burrow down and turn into a pupa which looks like a little brown water jug with a handle. The handle is actually where the very long tongue develops.  

Preserved Sphinx Moth

Sphinx Moth Attack!



When metamorphosis is complete, a large Hummingbird or Sphinx Moth emerges with an enormously long, coiled tongue which looks like a slinky. We usually begin to see these moths in late July in the evenings licking up the nectar. The ones that are drinking from the Angel's Trumpets are very easy to catch. My daughter just claps her hand over the cup of the trumpet when the moth is inside. The one in the picture was one which we found dead. It has preserved better than I anticipated in the ziplock bag.

The moths will find a mate and lay their eggs. Baby tomato horn worms will hatch, and eat, and eat, and eat, and dig underground, form into their little water pitchers, and wait until next summer to emerge. Since we see so many Tomato Horn Worms in the Spring, I must assume that some eggs lay dormant over the winter? 

Claire Holding Sphinx Moths

Chickens

One of my better ideas for nature study was deciding to raise chickens.  They have made wonderful pets.  Their care is so easy, even Cody can participate.

We Love Chickens!

My Little Pony

Charm

Studying mammals at our house is a breeze.  In fact, the hardest part is choosing from the wide array of volunteers.

Lesson 14 in Primary Language Lessons is titled, "The Care of Pets."  The pupil is to answer the following questions using complete statements.

Pretty Pony

If you had a pony, how would you take care of him?

What would you give him to eat?

What does a pony need besides food?

Tell some things that should not be done to a pony.

What could the pony do for you?

Claire giggled, not much imagination was required to thoroughly answer those questions.

Knock, knock!

A: I do have a pony.  These are all pictures of her.  I take care of her by petting her every day.  She eats grass in the summer.  I give her hay in the winter.  I used to give her feed, but the veterinarian told me to stop because she did not need it.  Besides food, a pony needs love and care.  She needs water.  She needs exercise every day.  She needs a spot in which to lay.  She needs her hoofs trimmed every month.  She needs shots once a year.  You should never spank a pony unless it is necessary.  You should never ride a pony when her feet are sore.  Do not go behind a horse because she might kick you.  If you train your horse with feed, she will come when you call.  A pony will let you ride on her back.  A pony can be trained to stand still while you trim her feet.

Cattle

Maggie and Callaway

Maggie and Callaway came to live with us on July 24.  They were strays in the highway in front of our house.  The police were summoned late that evening to take care of the potentially dangerous situation.  Unable to determine from where the cattle had strayed, the police, desperate for a quick solution, begged Clay to allow the animals sanctuary within our fenced yard.  We agreed, and it seemed as though Maggie and Callaway were also in agreement because as soon as the yard was opened, they both ran in with no reluctance.

Callaway

Surprisingly, no one showed up to claim the overgrown steers the next day, or the next, or the next, so  I called the police to see what they suggested we do with our new residents.  I was redirected to the County Sheriff's office, spoke with a dispatcher, and was redirected to a Deputy, who called me back to say that he had no suggestions.  Our county has no holding pen.  By this time, we had grown fond of the big babies, so I volunteered to continue to provide for their care.  If they go unclaimed for 90 days, we have the right to claim them as our own.

Maggie

I figured they would be reported as missing within a week or two at the most, but here they are nearly a month later, unclaimed and enjoying their new, temporary home.

Of course, we decided immediately that they must be spoiled and tamed.  With patience, kindness, and a lot of good food, we now literally have them both eating from our hands, a necessity since we have no corral or other means of loading them for transport.

Claire's hand on Maggie's head

However it turns out, we have grown to love these two "oxen," and I've no regrets of allowing them to spend the summer with us.  The knowledge the children have gleaned from providing the daily care is priceless.

Gymnastics

Fall term gymnastics began today.  I'm very pleased with both classes.

  Cody was bumped up a level so he is now in the big gym with the older boys.  Four year olds should still be in the Munchkin group in the little gym, but I'm not going to complain because I like this set-up better. 

 He has a young man for a coach and he did soooo much better behavior wise.  The man rough-houses with them and Cody loves it.  He is kept too busy to get into his usual trouble.

Claire only has two enrolled in her class so far.  She is with the other Claire and they get along beautifully.  Other Claire is so sweet, and since she is just a bit more advanced, it challenges our Claire to try harder than when she was head of the class. 

 Also, a 2:1 ratio instead of a 6:1 ratio makes me feel like I'm as though I am really getting my money's worth.

Piano/Voice Lessons

Claire began piano/voice lessons today.  She will receive weekly instruction from the same piano teacher I had when I was a child--Lynneil Murray.  I don't know who was more excited about going, she or I? 

She'll be using John Thompson's Teaching Little Fingers To Play.  It has a whole new look, different artwork, but most of the songs inside are the same as I remember, (it was my first piano book, too!).

 

 She also has a theory book and flash cards.  To celebrate, I bought her a beautiful new pink backpack in which to carry it all.

Piano Lessons



Claire's first keyboard



I took piano lessons for nearly 10 years when I was a child.  When it came time for Claire to begin learning music, it seemed only natural that I should be her instructor.  After all, I'm teaching her reading, math, history, art, science, geography, literature, etc.  Piano shouldn't be any different?

Well, it WAS different.  Yes, I could teach her how to play notes, but I began to realize that for some people, music is much more than just playing the correct notes.  That is all it has ever been, (and probably will ever be), for me.  I don't have a deep love for music.  I decided that I wanted her to learn more than just the notes.

I discovered that the musician who gave me lessons still teaches only 1 mile away and at a very affordable cost.  She is the exact type of teacher I wanted.  She has music in her heart.  When she plays or even just talks about music, it simply pours out.  My lessons were inevitably tedious, means to an end.  

I don't know that a person can be taught to love something like music?  I believe, to a certain extent, that it is a gift bestowed at birth.  However, I do think it is possible to squelch that gift.  I recognized early that I was dangerously capable of doing just that. 

 It is hard to tell whether music is more than just a grouping of notes for Claire.  If I had to guess, I would say that at this point, she sees learning to play piano as simply a handy thing to add to her "list of things I can do."  However, if there is some deeply buried musical gift, Mrs. Murray is certain to dig it up.

Little Girl On The Prairie

One of our assigned reading for Literature is The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  So far, we've read Little House In The Big Woods, Farmer Boy, and we just finished Little House On The Prairie.  As expected, Claire is enamored with Laura Ingalls.

 Grandma and Granddad found this bonnet at an Amish village store on their recent trip to the East coast.  What a perfect gift!

Making Hay

Claire and Cody ride on top as Clay adds another bale

I was thrilled when the children were invited to participate in putting away hay for the winter.  Our pony was fed mostly by Granddad's hay last year, and will again have him to thank for her meals this winter.  I feel it is important for the children to understand the work that is involved.  They aren't big enough to be helpers yet, but they enjoyed being observers.

Bringing home the next load

Clay worked hard to earn our share.  The hay crops around here seem to have done really well this year.

 I was unable to participate because I was working, but the pictures remind me of childhood summers: driving the open cabbed tractor, watching the baler "poop" out the bales, struggling to roll the big bales onto the elevator to send up to the top of the barn.  I'm so glad that my children were able to share the experience.

Harvest time

Bike Riding

Claire is really into riding bikes.  We biked to town yesterday, her first time to ride on the highway.  She did well, especially considering it was 4-o-clock in the afternoon and 105 degrees.  We went straight to the Shell station and bought pop and ice cream!

Today, we went to Highland Park in Guthrie and rode the trails there.  We were only able to ride for about 45 minutes, but we had fun.  The trails are curvy and pretty steep in some places.  She handles it all beautifully on her tiny one speed.  I have to switch gears like crazy just to keep up with her.

Cody is beginning to enjoy riding more also.  He still uses training wheels, but they don't slow him down much.  He rode the trails with Clay.  Clay would grab Cody's helmet like a bowling ball to help him up the hills.  I wish I could have taken a picture as it was hilarious.