Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

... barn stories: native garden

The native garden woke up finally. Cold temperatures and no rain told it to sleep in this year, but now it is here. Because of the weather there was no transplanting from the fields, by the looks of it, that was a good thing, there is not much room left.

What I absolutely love about this garden is that the wild life loves it to. It feeds the birds and the wild hare (brush rabbits) find cover in it yet do not distribute a single plant. Snakes and chipmunks call it home as do the Western Boreal Toads. It took years to create, transplanting from the field could only be done just after a rain with several cool days to follow so that the plants could adjust. One plant, the wild rose, was the hardest and took years to take hold. I would hide its tender beginnings under just enough cover to help it out.

This year it bloomed for the first time with many more to come. The years of waiting were a gift, teaching me patience and making me remember why this native garden it here. I wanted to live life in harmony with the land this time. I have had several gardens that took years to plant and mature in the city, this garden in the country was the hardest to start and now the easiest to take care of.

Waiting for this lone first rose will mark this year in my memory forever, so many years slip away, it is this kind of moment that helps me to remember, the year, the place I find myself in, the moment... I won't forget my first wild rose.

{Oh, I forgot to mention the bees love the garden too, who knew a garden would bring so many new friends to my front door?}

To gardens wild and tame and the friends they invite onto our land...

~ Deb

P.S. Click Here to see the winner of our current book giveaway: Children of the Forest!!

*Last time in Barn Stories: New Friends

... nature walk: empuriabrava, spain

This week's lovely nature walk comes to us from Empuriabrava in Castelló d'Empúries, Spain.  There Colleen explored the beautiful ruins and enjoyed the gardens and flowers she came across while wandering through the remnants of a time gone by.  Thank so much Colleen for sharing this wonderful trip!

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 Colleen for sharing!

P.S. Don't forget to enter our current book giveaway: Children of the Forest!!

*Last time in Nature Walks: Cottage Grove, Oregon

... cowboy roll

Before nylon sleeping bags...

 ... outdoor rest took on a simpler look.

With a strong piece of canvas, sewed into a quick bag...

... lined with spare fabric and marked by the signs of the wild...

... we're enjoying those wonderful moments under the stars...

... equipped with this wonderful cowboy roll sleeping sack.  Perfect for the Great American Camp Out this weekend!

 

Cowboy Roll

Materials:

• Canvas (could be organic cotton duck, regular canvas, or even a painter's cloth)
• Thread
• Ribbon (two pieces about 48" long)
• Paint
• Track Stencil (Coyote, Black Bear and Deer tracks). Click on this photo to enlarge, then drag it to your desktop and print it out.
• Remnant fabric for lining (optional)
• Black fabric paint (optional)
• paintbrush (optional)

Hem the edge of a 50" x 55" piece of duck canvas. If you would like lining, you can place this on top of the canvas before you finish the edges. Once all the edges are finished, fold it in half the long way with the lining on the inside.  On the bottom edge, place two pieces of ribbon (folded in half so that they can function as 4 ribbons) inside the bottom seam equidistant from the edges (these will be your ties when you roll it up for storage.  Sew along the bottom edge (over the ribbons) and up the side until there is about 18-20" of open seam along the top section of the side near the opening. This is where you will fold down your cowboy roll if you'd like. 

Decorate the bag with animal tracks by using the template above and a little black fabric paint (optional).  Then grab a soft pillow, put your favorite cozy blanket inside and enjoy a night under the stars!

Happy Trails!

~ Deb

P.S. Don't forget to enter our current book giveaway: Children of the Forest!!

*Last time in Crafts and Activities: Food for Fathers

...tell me a story: children of the forest

Something about the little red and white mushroom hats that captured my attention as a little one and never let go. I would spend hours pouring through the images before I could read, and hours with the words once I could.

There is also just something about the idea of growing up in the woods, climbing trees with the animals as my friends that made me feel at home...

 ... something about adventures in search of berries that kept me on the edge of my seat...

 ... and something about learning the ways of the world from a wise old owl, that just made perfect sense.

What a wonderful way to grow up among the wonders of the forest, thanks Elsa Beskow for letting me tag along...

For a chance to win a copy of Children of the Forest  simply leave a comment on this post by Wednesday June 29th. The winner will be chosen by random number and announced Thursday June 30th.

Good Luck!

And the winner is  Eva who said:

"I bet my children would love this! I had my own particular magic books of gnomes... one with drawings and "The Gnomovil", to read. Those little gnomes still go with me, specially in the forest to show me its secrets..."

Thank you for participating everyone!

~ Jordan

*Last time in Books and Stories: Story Train

... barn stories: new friends

The Buckeye Chickens have grown up enough to take their first step out into the world. The coop sits on the grass and they are learning that they can find food on the ground. It is moveable and each day they find themselves in a new place.  Hopefully this is getting them ready to transition into free range chickens when they are fully grown. Each night they return to safety indoors. There are foxes and coyotes outside, oh my...

The new sounds surrounding them from the birds outside to the start of the tractor and the train passing by have been an adventure for them. Smelling the air, ground and discovering what they can find there has keep them busy all day. Not many bugs have made it out of the coop.

But the biggest adventure has been the new friends that have come to visit them. Flo was the first, coming up to enjoy the backyard grass she discovered the farm's new addition and was not alarmed. She just kept grazing as the chickens keep pecking at the earth. Barney the Bull snake made a visit, we are not sure if he is a friend so we added additional wire to keep him just looking in.

The next new friend was a Bush Rabbit who also loves the grass in the backyard, we might not have to mow this year. I now often find the chickens and the rabbits enjoying the grass together with the rabbits resting against the coop as the chicken rest also.

To new friends where ever we find them...

~ Deb

*Last time in Barn Stories: Robins