The Loveliness of Leaves

The kids had some autumnal fun this weekend, with leaves...


Well, I guess they are technically not leaves, but needles, but I think it still counts. (image: Rebel builds M'Lady a "nest")


They did fall off the tree and the kids raked them up and built with them, reminding me of the times when I, as a child, loved to play with grass clippings. (image: M'Lady poses in her "nest".)

My husband told them about the forts he built with a weed called horseweed.
The kids were inspired! (image: Rebel rakes the needles).


It only added to the fun! (image: Rebel sits in the fort that he and M'Lady created after being inspired by their Daddy!)

Garden Friends

We worked on the house this weekend, Jacobite and I were cleaning the windows (ALL of them inside and out) and the kids were outside playing in the dirt.
I would have loved to get photos of them scraping holes in the dirt and throwing the clods into the air, but I had the pledge and windex going... and no room for the camera!

However, sharp eyed Rebel spotted a green snake, which Jacobite obligingly caught for him.
He was not precisely friendly... he bit Jacobite a few times, but luckily someone was wearing gloves.

We all thrilled to touch the little fellow, who's scaly skin was smooth and rather soft.
We left him to go back to the wilderness, eating bugs as he went.
The only garden excitement after that, was the harvesting of another bunch of limas.  Interestingly enough, the large lima beans appeared to love the lack of water this year.  Last year, our smaller bush limas did not do as well... something worth noting for the year to come!

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Furry Little Friend

Nature study often begins in our back garden, as is the case with this little friend... The Yellow Bear Caterpillar, the larval form of the Virginia Tiger Moth.

He was a feisty little thing, and he did not want to sit still for a the camera, so this was the best shot I got.

M'Lady was not exactly happy with having to let him go though!

But not all of nature study takes place in the garden. Some of it takes place on a daytrip... like our recent jaunt down to Yorktown, which took us along the Colonial Parkway, at sunset.

View of the sunset over a branch off of the main James River.

The pink sunset reflects in the James River.

Ground level view of the sandy river beach and cliffs of the James River.

More Pink Water.

Another sunset view.

OK So I am not certain whether it is the James or the York River, deduction suggests James River :) But anyway, we all stood beside the warm river, watching the sunset, some geese and picking up blue quartz :D