the last of the summer camp outs

We spent a few days this past week camping near Duluth. The weather was kind of iffy, alternating between sun and rain, warm and cool. We got to see the Tall Ships come in and that giant duck everyone was talking about, from the air conditioned comfort and elevated vantage point of the Great Lakes Aquarium, one of our favorite stops.

We visited Jay Cooke State Park and went on the famous swinging bridge, caught crayfish in the shallows, and marveled at the view.

On one particularly cool and sprinkly day we went to Moose Lake in search of agates. After procuring a map of public picking areas, we headed out. Shoes wet with red clay, we climbed the walls of old quarries, and slid down hills of sand, picking at rocks of all kinds. Since agates are in abundance in our very own driveway, I found myself more entranced with the other rocks to be had in this landscape. Of course a few stones came home to be felted, but there are other stones that I chose for their inclusions, colors, weird shapes, and shine.

I think it would be amazing to take a rock-picking trip with someone who knew what all of these rocks are, and how they're formed. Most of that is a mystery to me, one I try to solve with books and Google afterwards.

This will be the last trip before the kids return to school and our weekday trips will come to an end. We've had a full and especially adventurous summer and I'm a little sad to see it go. Even if I'm not feeling the same about the mosquitoes and heat.

I'll tell you though, my favorite season is coming and I can already feel my energy lifting. Maybe you're feeling it too?

a collar of earth

A completed piece that had been in mind for a while, a collar of earth. Part of a larger project percolating in my brain. I'm feeling very proud of myself for finishing this and I'm  even more motivated to get the whole project rolling.

As modeled by my 11 year old.

More to come.

gathering memories and stitches

We're back from our road trip. Mostly.

We had the pleasure of a visitor at our house late this week so our travels are not quite over. We're exploring nearer our house, but still exploring. 

We spent some time in the southern part of MN exploring caves, gathering fossils, and watching a doozy of a thunderstorm.

I spent some time in the prairie breathing it in and soaking up the beautiful marks ma nature has made, and hope to turn that inspiration into stitches. Maybe you can see some when you look through these photos.

The kids did some nature study, and we all learned a lot.

These happy days are salve for my soul and I acknowledge that many among us are not in a place of happiness or peace. Photos of flowers don't solve the world's problems by any stretch of the imagination, but there is something to be said for invoking happiness, even in small amounts, even in one person.

Right now, I am happy.

For those that ordered stones, I will packing them up and sending them early next week. I want to get a photo of them all together before I mail them off. I hope they bring with them a little of that prairie happiness.

frosty mornings and adventure kitties

I took a walk around the yard this morning. Mother Nature had once again sugared the landscape and I marvel in the details of her chilly confections. Even something as simple as an oil lamp, forgotten near the patio, becomes somehow special.

The adventure kitties even joined me for a stroll. Pug, the one with the unfortunate tail and the tan eyes, still insists on climbing my leg when he wants my attention. His brother, Leopard, (the kids named them) with the extra toes and greenish eyes is far more reserved and only doles out affection occasionally. He will walk near me, purring and kneading the ground, but doesn't exactly want me to hold him. Silly things, cats. 

Happy Thursday, all. 

seeing stitches

I saw a lone dandelion stalk illuminated in the rising sun this morning. By the time I grabbed my camera to capture it, the sun had moved past it. I captured it anyway, and instead of an illuminated orb I see stitches.

I think that means I need to stitch some stones.

Hope you all have a loverly Sunday.

wordless wednesday

This Book Was A Tree

As someone who strives to live a life steeped in nature, I was curious when Marcie offered to give me a copy of her new book, This Book Was A Tree, to review.  "Ideas, adventures, and inspiration for rediscovering the natural world" sounded right up my alley, though I wondered if I might not know this stuff already.  I mean, I do pride myself on being in tune with nature, and a bit of a nature nerd, after all.

Well, I needn't have worried about that.  Not only does Marcie provide projects and challenges for getting us closer to nature, she provides a very important component, the "why".

After browsing the book, the kids and I decided to make a nesting material ball.  The book told us how to do it, but also "why".  It helped us understand the intricacies of nest-building and got us to think about what feathered friends live in our neighborhood.  She encouraged us listen to the birds and gave us tips on identifying them by their songs.  She also suggested how we might apply what birds already know about constructing a simple home, to our own lives.

I like that this book has something for people of all ages.  My young kids will enjoy the fun projects- the pinhole camera, the sundial, locating Fibonacci sequences, my teenager could appreciate the science behind these projects, and I appreciate that the book encourages a thoughtful application of these projects and ideas to one's own life.

We hung our nesting ball in the plum outside our kitchen window where we can watch our feathered friends who come to visit it, and where it will serve as a daily reminder for me as to what goes into my own nest.  I have the feeling this is a book I'll refer to often.

Want to read what other bloggers had to say about this book?  Check it out:

4/1    House Wren Studio

4/2    Mindful Momma

4/3    The Long Thread

4/4    Maya Made

4/7    Rebecca Sower

4/8    Sara Bakes Cakes

4/9    Donuts Dresses and Dirt

4/10 Tinkerlab

4/11 Resurrection Fern

4/14 Small Measure

4/15 Lil Fish Studios

And if you'd like to purchase a copy of your own, click HERE.