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Monet in the garden |
by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
National Haiku Poetry Day was on Sunday. I love wrangling words to create a 17 syllable story poem.
Cat in the garden
Ladybug is mine, Mine. MINE.
I can’t have it? Fine. I’m gone.
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Fine. You won’t let me have it, I’m outta here. |
Cat, photos, and Haiku are mine. Happy Haiku Holiday.
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The inaugrual clothesline run. Success! |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
It was a successful inaugural run…for my brand new recycled clothesline.
Until now, several factors have discouraged this celebratory occasion.
We have a tiny backyard.
The project resisted efforts towards completion.
Time kept on slipping, slipping, slipping.
Do you know how hard it is to find poles for clotheslines?
Today, may I introduce you to my tiny yard, brand new, recycled clothesline?
Pleased to meet you.
Our son had an old clothesline pole hanging out on their property. This treasure came complete with a cross bar (which my husband dropped on his head; his next gift is going to be a safety helmet – and I am not kidding) and rings for the lines.
We had to anchor the opposite side of the clothesline to the garage which required us to angle the entire clothesline. Do you now how hard it was to make it NOT square and straight? Using the garage as the second pole was due to lack of a second clothesline pole and a lack of space.
Our one available section of yard is only about 6 feet wide. It hides behind the garden shed and is almost beneath, gasp, the powerlines. Where the birds sit.
In spite of the challenges and possible necessity of rewashing bird-soiled items, I am so pleased and excited to use the clothesline.
Hurray for fresh air, crunchy clothes, and a lower gas bill.
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Our angled clothesline connected between a pole and the garage. |
Do you have a clothesline? What are your tricks for getting the cleanest and softest clothes?
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Beautiful, nonfiction book about birds we see each day. |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Every Day Birds
By Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Cut Paper Illustrations by Dylan Metrano
(Orchard Books, 2016)
Birds you see each day are the stars of this book, Every Day Birds.
Simple text, colorful fonts, beautiful cut paper illustrations, and one characteristic or behavior of each featured bird make this book a keeper. Twenty common North American birds are pictured in Every Day Birds. A picture identification and additional information section is included at the end of the book.
Young readers and budding bird lovers will treasure reading Every Day Birds. Reading will be followed up by time outdoors searching for the birds who live among the book pages.
Check out this brand new book. Every Day Birds.
KID KANDY:
Bird Watching
Materials: Every Day Birds, binoculars, hat
1. Read and study the birds found in Every Day Birds.
2. Put on your hat and head outside to look for birds.
3. Use the binoculars to see details of different birds without having to get too close.
4. Compare the birds you found to the ones in the book. How many did you find? Which was your favorite?
5. Some bird enthusiasts keep a lifetime list of the birds they see. You could make your own list by using a notebook for a bird journal. Draw or list the birds you observe.
Are you having fun yet? I’d love to hear which birds you saw on your bird hunt.
Tweet, tweet!
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You have no idea how happy I am to see this many blooms on the blueberry bush! The weight of winter snow broke off at least half of the plant. |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Next week is National Garden Week –
the 2nd week of April.
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Fading beauty. I’m so sad to see my tulip season conclude. |
I am so onboard for this celebration. It’s time to plant my garden!
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The strawberries are looking future-tasty. |
Actually, I cheated. I’ve already started to plant seeds, since we are expecting highs in the mid to upper 80’s today, it may be past time for new sprouts. But I think that is a freak of too-hot-too-early weather and it should drop back to the 60-70’s.
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Half planted beds. Waiting for seeds. |
Here are some National Garden Week photos from my yard.
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Garlic, parsley, and sage – all repeat visitors from last year. Plus a cat tail of one who wanted to be featured. |
Oh, each new bud, flower, and sprout is so exciting.
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We even planted a tree trunk for the cats to scratch and climb. It won’t grow…but it is part of our garden. |
I’m already dreaming about tasty blueberries, sweet-tart strawberries, exquisite raspberries, and savory herbs and vegetables.
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Dabbling to pretty-up a very hot corner of the yard. |
Join me. Let’s celebrate our gardens.
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The dogwood is just beginning to burst into bloom. |
I would love to see photos of your garden.
Hi yes, I’m still here, doing fine. Thanks for asking. Just been out of town quite a bit, can’t seem to keep the fridge stocked with two ingredients that make sense together, and where did I put that camera battery charger? So sorry for the long silence, two plus weeks is very unlike me to at […]
Source: Haricot Verts with Goat Cheese and Almonds
I want this for dinner!
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Happy tulips hanging out in an old beat up red wagon. |
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Normally, this floral objet d’art would not occur in my yard. Once the bulbs are nestled in, that’s where they stay.
But due to the removal of giant, old, space and light-hogging arborvitae, the tulips had to be moved to save their pretty little lives.
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Zoomin’ in on brilliant color. |
Aha! (Insert light bulb hanging over my head.) I will put them in a wagon, just until after they bloom. And then we shall find a new bed for them.
Success! Even with my careful removal, accidents happened. But those sturdy beauties just hung in there and are now blooming like crazy!
I love spring. Tulip season is my favorite season in the yard.
I think I will plant kale next in the wagon. Do you think the aphids will find it there? At least the slugs/snails will have to work harder.
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No bumping up and down in my little red wagon for these pretty spring tulips. |
What kind of container gardens do you have in your yard?
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Photo by Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell |
Pink puffs perfectly poised to produce
pretty pearls of poetry.
warmed by sun’s long days
life-giving nectar drawn up
to the sky; beauty
By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell
Pink’s all the rage. What’s on stage in your area? Let’s have a picture show celebration!
We often support schools and communities with promoting summer reading. We want students to continue their “readerly lives” over the summer. A few years ago, we were researching ideas to get book…
Source: Top 10 Reasons to Create Little Free Libraries in Your Community by Tammy Mulligan and Clare
I want to do this at my house! There are 3 little libraries in our neighborhood. Love them!
Sunflower House
By Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt
(Voyager Books, 1996)
I have been reading tons of picture books lately. At least my back considers the weight of them to be tons as I haul them back and forth to the library.
Sunflower House is a colorful story about a child who plants a sunflower house with his parents. I suppose that is where the name for the book comes from, right?
Father and child first removed grass to make a large circle, leaving the middle of the circle grassy. Seeds were then planted in the soil and the waiting began.
Once the sunflowers began to grow tall, the child invited friends to play in the sunflower house. Eventually, the sunflowers grew so large and wide that the parents no longer fit inside and the flower house became a kids-only place to enjoy nature.
I love the idea of creating a fun space for children by planting sunflowers. I am considering it for this summer…if I can find a place that my husband won’t mind too much if the grass is removed and seeds upon seeds will eventually fall and resprout next spring!
KID KANDY:
Plant a Sunflower House
Materials: sunflower seeds, large area to plant, yard tools
1. Read Sunflower House. Once you see the pictures you will know how to plant one.
2. Choose a sunny location for your sunflower house. They love the sun. Remove grass to form a ring of dirt around a circle of grass. Make your ring at least 4 feet in diameter. Sunflowers get HUGE!
3. Plant seeds in the dirt. Water them and wait.
4. Once the seeds have sprouted, watch them grow. You can pull weeds but only after you make sure you are not pulling up sunflowers.
5. After the sunflowers are as tall as you, the house is ready for play. Of course, it will keep growing, especially if you have planted JUMBO sunflowers.
6. What to do inside a sunflower house?
– rest on your back and look at the sky
– watch birds that flock to eat the seeds
– listen to the bees buzzing as they pollinate the flowers
– have a picnic in the sunflower house
– invite friends over to play
– campout overnight in the sunflower house
– look for insects that live in and around the flowers
– draw your sunflowers or the sunflower house
– use a magnifying glass to look really close at the plants and animals
– take photos of your house
Isn’t that a fun project? What will you grow next summer?
Thanks for reading!
The Curious Nature Guide, Explore the Natural Wonders All Around You
Written and illustrated by Clare Walker Leslie
(Storey Publishing, 2015)
I first noticed the cover of this book while on vacation with some girlfriends in Coupeville, Washington. Hidden amidst a crowded display of books, toys, and souvenirs, the cover popped out and caught my attention. I wanted that book. But I resisted.
Fast forward to post-Christmas gift card shopping. As I perused my local Indie bookstore, Inklings, guess which book again popped out and grabbed my attention? Yes. The same book. And it was on a display of favs and book suggestions by staff.
I did not resist.
The Curious Nature Guide is a beautifully illustrated guide book written for children, teens, families, and others who love exploring the outdoors. I fell in love with this colorful edition.
I enjoyed this book so much, I used it as a reward. At the end of the day I would carefully read each page and inhale every photo, drawing, and illustration. Reading this book was almost as good as being outside.
While vocabulary will be difficult for young readers, they will love hearing it read aloud. The Curious Nature Guide contains nature information, suggestions of things to look for and do, maps, charts, plant labels, and more.
NO. It is not overwhelmingly encyclopedic.
The Curious Nature Guide is a nature journal filled with inspiration of both the exploring type and the creative sort. I want to go out and investigate the outdoors AND sit down with my art supplies and recreate what I find AND grab the camera to capture my nature.
Two thumbs up for The Curious Nature Guide, Explore the Nature Wonders All Around You.
Happy exploring!
I’d love to hear what nature exploring you like to do.
Love, Laughter, and Life 