Night shot

My blogger friend Kirsten at Thanks for the Lemonade, took the most amazing photo. I just had to try to take one too. I have no idea how to take photos manually, but I flipped on manual and away I went. Now, mine didn't take as well. Obviously I can't hold still for that long well enough, but I'm thrilled with my first attempt at a long exposure nightshot! Mine's alot darker then hers, but I am amazed at how much color I got. I'm ready to try my hand at a full moon. Not that it will be tonight with all the clouds...

By the way, that's a night shot of the bird feeder Matthew and I made out of an OJ container today.

Winter Wednesday #1 Colors

The Winter Wednesday challenge was to find colors in your backyard. Although it seems really drab and lifeless outside, if you take a moment to look closer, there is actually alot of color, even at this time of the year.

*photo by Matthew

The sky was very BLUE. The cedar tree was GREEN, as well as some blades of grass.

*photo by Matthew

The spiny vine in the fence was RED, as well as the holly berries in the front. There were many shades of BROWN in the grass, leaves, and tree bark.

*photo by Matthew

Some of the young tree's bark looked GRAY.

Lichen on the peach tree was YELLOW, ORANGE-ish, and WHITE.

And finally 2 different weeds in the grass had either PURPLE stems or streaks on their leaves.

I was amazed how many different colors we had hiding in our very own backyard! How many can you find in your yard this time of year?

What DOES scare the cattle

At breakfast time I noticed the cattle were right next to our fence. We were so excited we ran and put shoes and coats on.

As soon as Matthew got outside he let off a peal of laughter and that was all she wrote.

Tanks, humvees, big trucks and explosions don't scare 'em. But 3 1/2 year old boys do.

More backyard wonders

Monday, as I was reading Matthew's naptime stories, I suddenly though I heard noise in the pasture behind the house. I looked out his window and saw headlights in the mist.

I thought they were out on an exercise, until the mist slowly revealed tents and port-a-pottys.

And the vehicles kept coming.

At times there were huge lines of waiting vehicles.


Sometimes just one.


We couldn't believe how fast the sleepy pasture space transformed into a well oiled operation.

By mornings light, I marveled how big the tents were. It all makes me think of Phil. I've never been able to see what "the field" looked like before. I just had to imagine from what he said.

Now I can see a tiny piece of it for myself. I thought of questions I had never thought of before.

I love this shot because it's the only one where the tank commander is out of his hatch. This is how Phil looks as he rolls around.


All afternoon we'd watch small groups roll up straight behind our house (you may recognize our fence by now,) wait, and then roll off to some other location.

I'm still playing with the extra long lens we have. That is a tank back there.

I just happily snapped away, until I noticed one tank sweeping the area with it's gun tube. Then I felt like I was being watched. Phil assured me that they can "reach out and touch you" the focus is so good. Yikes! And as I looked at these photos blown up on the computer almost every one had 1 tank's gun tube pointed straight at me. Probably someone was watching me as much as I was watching them! Or I was really good about catching it pointing at me, while it was in the middle of a sweep. Or maybe it was really looking at the neighbors, where no one was outside.

Another nature shot.

Late in the afternoon I was surprised to see the cattle out grazing. But there they were, not caring about all the hustle and bustle around them. And they were out again today.

Hope you enjoyed the photos. Matthew and I sure are enjoying having new stuff to watch behind the house, even if they do rattle our house.

Matthew on display

Last summer, in the kinderGARDEN contest, we were encouraged to let our children take photos outside of things that interested them. So with that in the back of my mind, when Matthew wanted to take photos today, I graciously turned over my dear A590 to him. He took alot of photos, but here are the ones that spoke to me the most. I'll let them speak for themselves.

Outdoor Hour Challege #1 Cattails

Even though it was cold and misty this morning, we decided to go for a short walk to see where the cattails grow in the middle of this urban sprawl. (This open space we can only look at, but not enter.)

Matthew insisted that Missy needed to come too.

About 5 blocks from the house we'vew found a good stand of cattails. Notice how much trash is in this little stream? There's a folding chair, chalking gun, bricks, trash, cooler, soccer ball, and probably more.

Matthew helped me answer the following questions:
1. Is your cattail still growing in water or has it dried up? Dried up
2. What does the “cattail” parts of the plant look like now? Good and almost gone
3. What color and shape are the leaves? Brown and narrow
4. Do you see the cattails seeds or balloons? Yes and no
5. Can you pull some of the fuzz from the cattail and observe it more closely? No
6. How do you think the seeds spread, by wind or water? Water
7. How crowded are the cattails growing together? There's alot (crowded)

This is the first time we tried doing the Outdoor Hour Challenge. Since my goal is try and get us back to nature more, I thought we'd see if having a goal helped. Matthew certainly enjoyed looking at them. He thought it was rather boring listening to me read about them from a field book. We haven't tried writing in a nature journal yet, but that's the next step. It would be a good place to place all the little nuts he's collecting on our walks. :)

Highlights since Friday

It was Happy New Year at story time on Friday. All the kids had to dance for a New Years hat.
Miss D and Miss Regina run story time. They are in the white hats up front.

Matthew was very proud of his hat.

Friday night Matthew painted for an hour before bed.

One of the finished works.

Saturday morning right after breakfast Matthew wanted to paint with watercolors and ended up mixing them with tempera.

Sunday around 3 am it was raining and it rained steadily till we got up. We had lovely puddles that Matthew just had to stomp in before breakfast. Since it was cold we didn't stay out long.

After breakfast this morning we watched Despicable Me, again. Every time Gru dances, we have to get up and dance too.

My Mom gave me a folder games book. We have been playing with the seasons match up and this one where you make little people.

Before nap time and after we played with our barn and animals.

Isabelle was even interested (and in the way.)

We also took a nature walk to look at cattails and we noticed something exciting behind the house. If Phil ok's it we'll blog about it tomorrow.

Matthew on chili

"I love you, but I just don't like chili."

The boy has skills already.

For all of you that have been jealous of my weather, don't be. Tonight we have freezing rain forecasted and the next 4 nights are supposed to be below 32. (A shocking 24 one night!)

Poppa's Grandson

My son, MY son, requested to watch Lawrence Welk. He danced and bobbed along to the music. He saw what tap shoes are. (We read about them the other night.) And he announced...

"Look Momma. Those girls are pretty!" Poppa will be so proud of his grandson's taste in music. Dad, not so much. (Lawrence Welk was the bain of my 6-7pm life every Saturday growing up. Now I rather like it.)