The Great Backyard Bird Count

Nature-loving friends, have you been waking up to more and more birdsong lately? Even though it's still cold here in the Mid-Atlantic, the birds are starting to sing their lovely songs again, which means more opportunities to observe them and see what species are making an appearance again. Don't forget about the Great Backyard Bird Count! It runs from February 13-16, 2015, which means it starts today! Don't worry, it only requires 15 minutes of your time on one or more of those days. You choose how much time you want to devote to counting and observing the fine-feathered friends that come to visit your yard. 

How does it work? Count birds for fifteen minutes on one or more days of the GBBC. Count birds in one or more locations (your backyard, the park, your great aunt's backyard, or wherever you choose) and report your findings. Submit a separate checklist for each new day, for each new location, or for the same location if you count at a different time of day. Estimate the number of individuals of each species you see during your counting period. There are helpful tools on the GBBC website for assistance in identifying birds. There is also a bird list for your specific postal code. It's also fascinating to view the world map on the site to see where people from all over the globe are reporting on the birds they have observed. 

We participated in this when we lived in Canada but have not done so since we moved back to the States. Since my little girls and I went through the Birds Of A Feather unit study earlier in the school year, this is going to be a fun "extra" for them. You can see my review of Birds of a Feather HERE.

Are you going to sign up and count the birds in your garden this year? I'd love to know if you do and what kind of birds you have the opportunity to observe. Go here to sign up and print out your observation sheets. There's also a free app, if you would prefer to enter your data via your phone!

Happy bird watching!

Blessings and love. xo

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links. This means that if you purchase through my links, there is no additional cost to you, and I make a small commission. Many thanks!

Staying home + nature and art

We had one day this week when no one had to leave the house (excluding Bob, of course!). Woohoo! No errands, no jobs, no social engagements, no babysitting, no classes. 

Just home. All day. {Happy sigh}

So I decided it would be nice to do something out of the ordinary. It is something we used to do more of, but during this season of our lives, it's been more rare.

We went out to enjoy nature, sunshine, autumn colours and fresh air, blustery though it was. Several of us had mitts on, and a couple even donned their touques, to keep warm.

And after we had gathered rocks, leaves of various colours, twigs, pinecones and branches, we drew, sketched and created. 

Then we enjoyed the first hot chocolate of this season!

Love and blessings! xo

A Little Time Away

Our family had a little break earlier this week. It was fabulous to get away. I had had an interesting conversation with a dear friend at the park on Friday and found out that she does not relish holiday get-aways. She told me that it simply causes too much stress for her and that she really likes home and her routine. I can relate to that to a point, but I realised after talking with her that I just need a get-away now and again. 

It's not that I don't love home and the haven that I try to create for my family. I absolutely love home. I do normally need some sort of routine. But there are just times, once in awhile, when I need to get out of Dodge. I think it helps me be a better me. It refreshes me. And the need to explore and have adventures is embedded deep down inside. I'm not sure where that comes from or even really when I realised it to be true about me. I know Bob has this need, too, and apparently we've passed it on to our kids, who are all quite the adventurers.

We weren't able to take any holidays in the summer, so when a friend recently gave us a three day/two night holiday to the resort where he owns a timeshare, we were thrilled and thankful!

We had never driven on the infamous Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, so we made that part of this trip. We are so glad we did! The views were spectacular. 

I had in my mind that the resort was all one building or several buildings located in close proximity. That was not how this one is laid out at all. It is very spread out. There are several thousand acres, with the main buildings and accommodations located quite a distance from each other. The main building is one place. The water park is down the road. The stables are up the road. The hotel is in another location. The condos are spread out in several places. 

Once we arrived at the resort and checked in, we decided to enjoy some of the many, many activities they have to offer. 

Maya's face cracks me up in this one. She is loving this go-cart ride!

Ben was a flying, flipping, bungee jumping machine!

Team 1 . . .

Team 2 . . . 

The water park was pretty impressive . . . 

Hiking is one of our very favourite things to do . . .

Riding time . . .

My horse-loving girl was very happy . . .

Austin had the best looking horse (Cappy) . . . 

Ben was excited to go on his first trail ride . . .

As part of our stay, Bob and I had to sit in on a tour and presentation of the timeshare aspect of the resort. We agreed to do so and were under the impression that it would be a two hour presentation. Unfortunately, the tour lasted three hours and fifteen minutes. Absolutely ridiculous. Our children were waiting for us to take them to the water park and, we were not interested in buying a timeshare at this point in our lives (and with our budget). It was the only negative aspect to our time away. Even though it was very frustrating, we would go back to this resort again (as long as we didn't have to endure the tour  another time). Everything else was enjoyable.

The rest of the time we enjoyed being together, eating in restaurants (which is such a treat for us), meeting delightful people and gazing at the beautiful scenery. The autumn colours were starting to pop and the views were breathtaking. You can see the ski slopes in the background . . .

Autumn in Virginia is a joy to experience. And we are so thankful {to the Father and to our generous friend) for a little refreshing holiday away. 

xo

Life and flexibility

We've been out of town (I hope to share photos tomorrow), thus no regular posts from me this week. But today was back to regular life . . . back to work, back to school, back to laundry, and back to reality, which included having to leave the house at suppertime, due to a showing of said house. 

What is one to do?

How about packing a simple picnic and heading to the park? Brilliant. 

Flexibility is such a key to life, isn't it? 

And fresh air on a beautiful autumn evening never hurt anyone either!

And we drove home just in time to see this glory in the sky! Perfect! {Thank  You, Father!!!}

I hope your week is going well and that you are enjoying this adventure called life! xo