This week we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and played, painted, and even ate snack outside. We also made some interesting nature observations. Even in the middle of the city, we are surrounded by nature. Every day we watch the squirrels chase each other up and down the pine trees, across power lines, and along the top of the fence. We hear the thud of pinecones falling onto the shed, the songs of blue jays, cardinals, and robins, and the tap-tap-tap of a nearby woodpecker. Some children love to move stones and look for earthworms to pick up and show to the other kids. Today we even saw a hawk take flight from a neighbor's tree! Below are some observations
Drew saw something from across the yard and ran over and squatted down to investigate. "What's this about? I like it. It smells good."
"Watch this!" Drew picked the mushroom out of the ground. "Pretty."
Some other children became interested and ran over to see what Drew had found.
One afternoon last week, the woodpecker that we often hear made an appearance, very low on one of the pine trees.
Miles ran over to get a closer look but scared it away. His attention shifted to a squirrel eating a pinecone in the tree.
Parker and Virginia came over to see why Miles was looking up in the tree. They watched the squirrel nibble on the pinecone and throw some pieces onto the ground.
Virginia found a pinecone on the ground that a squirrel hadn't chewed up yet and wondered if one would come down from the tree to have it for a snack later.