Sunday Walk: The Mother Lode!, Tulips, Owl Trees, & Other Distractions

What I love best about our Sunday walks is the sense of adventure and discovery.

You just never know what you will find around the next bend, even in the same old familiar neighborhood.

I bring the camera to capture these moments of wonder, and also because somehow taking a picture legitimizes the experience.

With photo evidence, we feel like real explorers!

(Rather than just a few people out for a walk.)

We discuss what would be worth a photograph.

And some things, we just remember with a smile.

 

So, let's get started, shall we?

 

As it turns out, our last walk was really just a prelude to the dandelion hunting experience.

The kids were walking along, enjoying the sites and the warm day, casually picking a dandelion here and there.

Then we came up over a rise and suddenly, there it was:

 

The Mother Lode!

This is just a sprinkling of the amazing crop of dandelions being grown on this property.

My oldest said, "I wish we could live in this house. LOOK at all these dandelions!!"

I limited them to what they could reach from the sidewalk.

It was still much more than they could carry.

 

[Dandelions are some of the few flowers from our yard that they can pick without asking. It would have taken them days to make full use of this lawn. Flower-picking heaven, in other words.]

Full hands, full pockets.

Big smiles.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, I was gazing dreamily at all the gorgeous tulips blooming right now.

 

Like these.

And these.

 

[Always room for one or two more.] 

 

A little further up the street, we came across:

 

(The Famous) Owl Tree

On one of my early morning walks, I followed the sound of an owl hooting to this very spot. I told the kids about it several times, and we had driven by the tree, but never walked by it.

No owls were spotted or heard on our walk, but after all, it was mid-day.

 

 

 I have decided that tulips are my reward for living in a colder climate.

 

 Nice use of red and orange.

Thank you for not including clashy pink in the mix.

 

 Just lovely.

 

Moving on now to "interesting."

 

Fritillaria, 'Crown Imperials', or "Stink Lilies"

I recently learned that these unusual-looking flowers put off a skunk-like odor.

Of course, we had to test it out, up close.

Neither of them could smell it.

Just downwind, I caught a hint of it.

Good job putting them at the end of the driveway!

 

In addition to picking and holding bunches of dandelions, we visited an old cemetery (again), discovered a hidden pathway, and almost got blown away by the wind. 

 

Here is definitive proof that you can never have too many spring bulbs planted.

It's just not possible.

You need more spring bulbs.

Yes you.

Trust me on this.

Who needs lawn anyway, when you can have daffodils?

[The muscari are just a bonus.]

 

* * * * *

 

The dandelions filled up 1 medium-sized vase, 1 small vase, 1 small cup, plus 1 even smaller cup.

(Varying stem lengths, you see.)

In case you were wondering... 

dandelion vase life is approximately 10 minutes.

Particularly if they have been carried none-too-gently over hill and dale, or crammed into a coat pocket for the past hour.

 

Nevertheless, this walk was a success.

For all the right reasons.



Sunday walk: Dandelion Pockets

It has been cold this week!

We were spoiled with a week in the 60's, then brought back to reality with a jolt by this week of snow, hail, and temperatures in the 40's.

 

We bundled up good and planned to make it short.

 

 crab spider (I think) waiting for a meal

 

 

 What would we do without pockets to put dandelions in?

 

 

Oh, then we found the violets along the fence: some purple, some pure white.

Plan B: one pocket for dandelions, one for violets

 

 Donkey Tail Spurge.

I have some dry spots this would do well in.

Now here comes the real challenge:

a treasure trove of pine cones!

 Do they get their own pocket or share with the flowers?

 

I'm thinking maybe it's time to make some treasure bags for our walks.

 

I guess we got used to the cold.

We decided to take a spin around the cattail park as well.

 

A pair of mallards in the runoff pond.

We looked for a nest, but didn't see one.

 



Sunday Walk: Little One Step

It was beautiful and warm outside, so we took a long Sunday walk this week: all the way to one of our favorite parks.

 

We found hidden trails.

 We admired the two sets of twin lambs born just last week (there's a farm adjacent to the park, separated only by a chain-link fence.)

 

We found a big rock to climb.

 

Then it was time to head home. My little girl decided she was too tired to walk one more step. I knew that I couldn't carry her all the way home.

 

So I told her the story of "Little One Step," loosely based on my memory of the book by the same title, by Simon James. In it, a trio of little ducks find themselves far, far away from home. The littlest just doesn't want to go on. So, his older siblings encourage him to take "just one step." One step after one step, they finally make their way home.

 

Although I did carry for a couple of short distances, she made it most of the way under her own steam! Good job, my little One Stepper!

 

All around us we saw signs of spring. Hooray!

 

 

Sunday walk: Frozen fingers & tree snot

Our Sunday walk today was several degrees colder than last week's.

We were all pretty frozen by the time we got home, especially big brother J.'s fingers. He ended up borrowing my gloves for the most of the walk.

I know I didn't truly warm up until the next morning.

 

These bright little pom-poms bobbing along in front of me made my heart happy.

 

Probably because we were so cold, we didn't find as much to take pictures of.

We did find some unnaturally beautiful and bright rocks next to a neighbor's mailbox. It made me remember several art projects with rocks that I want to try with my kiddos.

Fun little burst of color.

 

Can we go in yet? 

 

Then we found this:

Whatever it was, it looked really gross!

So of course the kiddos wanted a picture!

"Tree snot" was our name for it.

Seriously, what is wrong with this tree?

Or could this be normal and we've just never noticed it before?

 

Always an adventure on the Sunday walk!

 



Sunday Walk: Finding Beauty in Everyday Places

I'm linking up with the No Winter Whining meme again this week.

The theme is "Nature in Winter."

If that means weeds, cattails, and dirt icebergs, we're covered!

 

Within the last week most of our snow has melted, so the 2 older kiddos and I got out for a walk.

It was a bright, sunny day, and we all looked for things we thought were beautiful or interesting to take pictures of.

 

 

 

I was quite taken by this mossy rock. 

 

These, too.

 

"Look, Mom! The moss looks like little flowers!"

 

And then there was the dirt iceberg fascination.

 

(This one was my 5 year old's request.)

Interesting? Perhaps.

Beautiful? Not so much.

 

When I asked my 3 year old why I should photograph this particular one she said,

"Because it looks like a frog....with a hat on!"

 

Imagination is a beautiful thing. 

 

Then we reached the cattail park.

Oh, the joy to be had here!

There were even some fairly close to the path.

Our shoes [mostly] escaped the mud.

 

 

  

Yep, we did our part in keeping the cattail population alive and healthy.

You're welcome, city parks department.

Anytime. 

 

Mystery weed.

About the only green thing growing at the moment.

 

I believe these [hard to see] wavy dead weeds may have been thistles in a past life. 

 

Oh yes. Let's not forget the mysterious black cat roaming the far side of the park.

Wild animal it was not, but the kids were thrilled.

They tried to call it over, to no avail.

 

Finally, one big fat robin to end the walk on.

Does that mean spring is on the way?

Here's hoping!