Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

... barn stories: you're late, you're late!

This elegant wild hare just sitting there, may not  be as wild as I thought.

I do not know if it's the same wild hare that greets me each morning as I approach the barn but there is a good chance that it is.

She brings a twinkle to my eye, as I think she just might be trying to say to me in her own wild hare way, where have you been?, or maybe, you are late, your are late for an very important date!...

A tip of the hat to the author of Alice in Wonderland... perhaps his awareness of the animals he knew as a child planted the seeds for elements of his classic tale told first to three little girls as they floated slowly down a cool river. There is nothing better than nature and a child together, planting seeds that may one day bring forth more stories to be told.

Get out there with your little ones and write your own grand tales...

*Last time in Barn Stories: Fuzzy Friends

...knowing green: flitting about

Meet Speyeria Aphrodite, well at least we hope so. This sweet little creature is a bit darker and brighter in color than the species identification denotes, but the markings are very similar.

We found this one flitting from wild clover to wild clover drinking up their sweet nectar and doing a very important job too...

Although not as well known as honey bees and the fuzzy bumblebee, butterflies are great pollinators too!

Each time this bright little fellow changed flowers he (or she!) carried pollen with him. Butterflies are classified as diurnal, meaning they pollinate a wide variety of flowers that are open during the day.

On this particular day the wild clover were in full bloom, showing off their beautiful purple blossoms. This is an important factor for butterflies, as color is the main attractant in deciding what flowers to visit. In fact butterflies have better color vision than bees, (or humans for that matter!). 

Taste of course is important too; and did you know butterflies taste with their feet, not their long curly tongues? Their taste sensors are located in their feet so that they can quickly tell whether a flower has good nectar or not.

Although they don't always get the credit, butterflies are an important part of the pollination process... in addition to being pretty great to look at too.

Want to see more of these colorful creatures? Plant a beautiful butterfly garden! And be sure to check out the Audubon Field Guide to Butterflies to learn more and identify butterflies in your area.

*Last time in Nature: Hummingbirds

... nature walk: queensland, australia

This week's lovely nature walk comes to us all the way from Queensland, Australia. There Gwynneth and her family spend most days exploring the wonderful wild that they call home, translating many of those experiences into a beautiful series of children's books on nature (check back here on Thursday for a interview with the author and a chance to win one of her books!).  Thank you so much Gwynneth for sharing this fun adventure!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Gwynneth for sharing!

*Last time in Nature Walks: Alberta, Canada 

... gone fishing

If there is one thing that says "summer", it's sitting next to a cool river under the dappled shade of a tree with a fishing pole...

... the only problem is we didn't have one, so we decided it was the opportunity to make one. Starting with a bamboo garden stake...

... and using some old wine corks for the handle, we quickly got to work. 

With the rod and the handle in place, it was time to find a reel and some rigging for the line. For the rigging we simply screwed in some tiny, evenly spaced eye-screws along one side of the rod (see first picture and make sure to pre-drill the holes if you can, it helps quite a bit to prevent any splitting in the bamboo).

Then using a bolt, a standard plastic spool from sewing thread, two metal end pieces from a pipe plug (we liked the curve of these but you could simply use large metal washers), a few plastic washers, a wing nut and a bent metal pipe strap (click image above to see larger) we managed to make a pretty functional reel that operates smoothly and reliably.  On the next version a better crank might be nice for faster wind up...

... but there is something great about the feel of this over-sized wing nut too ( just make sure to wind your string so that when you are winding it up you are also tightening the nut... otherwise if you wind the string the opposite way the nut will just come off when you try to use it).

First we tested the fishing pole with a game of "fish-for-the-metal-washers-without-getting-the-magnet-stuck-to-the side-of-the-bucket" (we painted some of the washers red with nail polish an gave them a higher point value).  It's sort of like the "Operation" meets magnetic fishing... very fun.

But this great pole has a lot of other uses in it's future too...

... like catch and release fishing in the river and crawdad collecting at the pond to name a few... 

Happy fishing!

*Last time in Crafts and Activities: Adventure Care Package

... tell me a story: three little birds

They may be very small...

... but the life of a humming bird...

... is filled...

... with beauty and adventure that keeps you at the edge of your seat.

In 2002, Photo-illustrators Noriko and Don Carroll moved from New York City to Las Vegas and found something very intriguing at their new front door... a sign that read "BE CAREFUL! HUMMINGBIRD"S NEST ABOVE!" and that's how it all began...

Their book  First Flight: A Mother Hummingbird's Story chronicles  the journey of "Honey" a female hummingbird, and her young chicks, "Ray" and Zen."  From dawn till dusk Honey is either feeding her little ones, looking for food, or keeping them warm. She even has a new nest going and eggs on the way before Ray and Zen are out of theirs (this bird definitely brings new perspective to the word "multitasking"!).

With such amazingly detailed photographs and thoughtful words, it's hard not to fall in love with the birds and this timeless tale.

*Last time in Book Reviews: Handy Dad