Mudflats

The truth is there is something wrong about the way we value our children’s development. … We have a very narrow view of what children need. We don’t understand that play is important enough to allow children to get dirty. ~Roger A. Hart, Director of the Children’s Environments Research Group at The City University of New York

But it wasn't all about the mud...

Another gorgeous day to play...

and do laundry!

In Our Front Yard

Look at what my daughter found on our Salvia 'Hot Lips' bush today. Can you guess what on earth it is?



I knew right away, because I had searched for it for some time last year after seeing a pregnant Praying Mantis. It should hatch sometime next Spring - something to look forward to already!

Here's a picture of that Praying Mantis I took over a year ago. Maybe it's Grandma to the babies in this egg sac. It's amazing how that little black dot of any eye will follow you around as you observe it.





This was her very pregnant abdomen:




I found this exoskeleton the same day. I had no idea they molted.




Can you see her in this picture?
She sits right beneath the flower, in perfect position to attack her oblivious prey.




Success!




I spent some more time looking into our pond last night. Observing nature - even if it's in yucky pond water - somehow brings a dose of peace to my often keyed up state.

I flashed a light in to see what was going on in this other world resting on our table. Here's a video of what I saw. The voices in the background are my family talking about 'Baba' - grandma - flying in an airplane today.




I have no idea where to begin to identify these worms. Being bottom dwellers, I bet they are decomposing something in the mud. I'm happy they're in there and not out here!

Pond Creatures

I recently read a section in Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study on Insects of the Brook and Pond (p. 400). And there's a lesson in there (lesson 102) on how to make an aquarium. Not the kind with tropical fish and coral, the kind with aquatic insects that you catch yourself and sustain with aquatic plants and pond water.

So we headed down the road to the creek, which has standing water in places, and on the way we saw this gorgeous Gulf Fritillary. Its colors were irridescent and just beautiful to see.



Here is what is looks like from above. It was sunning itself right in the middle of the path. It's amazing how different their coloring can be inside and out. My 6 year old son was grumbling about how he just wants to go! while I was getting this shot :) He doesn't appreciate my blogging just yet.



We got to the section of the creek where we saw the dragonfly laying eggs and collected some water plants and pond water and used a small tea strainer we had handy (for lack of a better tool at this time) to catch something - anything. Don't worry, we won't use it for tea anymore :) We really had no idea what we'd get except maybe a dragonfly nymph or a waterboatmen since we'd seen those before.



I found this clear gooey stuff on a water plant I collected. I think it's some sort of an egg sack, it has a lot of little speckles in it. I wonder what they are.




And here's a video of some little insects that we collected. They look metallic and are hard when you pick them up as if they have a shell of some sort. They're very quick and fun to watch.



I looked back in the Handbook of Nature study when I got home. Can you guess which one these insects are?




I checked number 14 first, the whirligig beetle. Its name and description sounded right:

One may see companies of these bluish-black, flattened beetles whirling about over the surface of brooks or ponds. Their eyes are divided in such a manner as to appear as four eyes - two looking into the water and two looking into the air.

Then I Googled whirligig beetle and found this video that confirmed it. Mission accomplished! Can't wait to show my kids the video.

The Weight of Glory

Our pastor, in discussing Romans 8 this morning, read the following portion from C.S. Lewis' sermon, The Weight of Glory, which was originally preached in the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, on June 8, 1942.

It so well described what I have often felt within myself when I'm out in nature that I thought I would share it here.



And this brings me to the other sense of
glory—glory as brightness, splendour,
luminosity. We are to shine as the sun, we
are to be given the Morning Star. I think I
begin to see what it means. In one way, of
course, God has given us the Morning Star
already: you can go and enjoy the gift on
many fine mornings if you get up early
enough. What more, you may ask, do we
want? Ah, but we want so much more—
something the books on aesthetics take
little notice of. But the poets and the
mythologies know all about it. We do not
want merely to see beauty, though, God
knows, even that is bounty enough. We
want something else which can hardly be
put into words—to be united with the
beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it
into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become
part of it. That is why we have peopled air
and earth and water with gods and
goddesses and nymphs and elves—that,
though we cannot, yet these projections
can, enjoy in themselves that beauty grace,
and power of which Nature is the image.
That is why the poets tell us such lovely
falsehoods. They talk as if the west wind
could really sweep into a human soul; but
it can’t. They tell us that “beauty born of
murmuring sound” will pass into a human
face; but it won’t. Or not yet. For if we
take the imagery of Scripture seriously, if
we believe that God will one day give us
the Morning Star and cause us to put on
the splendour of the sun, then we may
surmise that both the ancient myths and
the modern poetry, so false as history, may
be very near the truth as prophecy. At
present we are on the outside of the world,
the wrong side of the door. We discern the
freshness and purity of morning, but they
do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot
mingle with the splendours we see. But all
the leaves of the New Testament are
rustling with the rumour that it will not
always be so. Some day, God willing, we
shall get in. When human souls have
become as perfect in voluntary obedience
as the inanimate creation is in its lifeless
obedience, then they will put on its glory,
or rather that greater glory of which
Nature is only the first sketch.

Arroyo Trabuco Trail

Have you ever heard of the Arroyo Trabuco Trail? My husband likes to run trails and fills me in on these great places. It was our first time back since early Summer. I wonder what's changed?



It's an incredibly diverse trail that runs through the narrow strip of O'Neill Regional Park that comes in through the residential communities tucked up in the hills of South Orange County, California. It's one of our very favorite hikes.

We spent the last two days exploring the trail between Crown Valley Parkway and Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway.

Look at all the plumes of the pampas grass. Aren't they so beautiful and elegant?



The kids like them for tickling :)



There are creeks to cross - my husband and kids like to call them 'Dangerous River Crossings'. The first few times we tried to take our shoes off and keep them dry, but there are so many crossings so we eventually gave up. Now we just hike with wet shoes and it's completely okay. And our sneakers get really clean in the process.

But why just cross the dangerous river when you can head up it and explore?



And it's shallow enough that your babies can play too. Watch out for the slippery green algae though, it grows in long strands and some kids won't like it.




Look at these giant California Sycamore Trees!
There's a whole grove of these along the trail.



Look at how beautifully twisted and mangled they grow.
It reminds me of a tree we are reading about in Tree in the Trail, although that one is a Cottonwood.



I bet you didn't know Shrek lives along the Arroyo Trabuco trail.
Look at the color of that swamp! You'll definitely get an "Ewwwww!" out of someone when you get there. It's fun to throw sticks into and there are plenty of trees overhanging the swamp for anyone willing to test their balance and luck.



More dangerous river crossings. Alright guys, that's far enough!



Oh look, cocklebur along the edge of the creek.



Ooooh, a tunnel!



Whoa, it's dark.



And more river crossings!



A bamboo forest! In Orange County?



It's actually giant reed - apparently a major problem in California. They're trying to eradicate it. We think it makes a really cool jungle type of atmosphere. Makes for a great walking stick if you can break a piece off.

Here's my son learning that it's much harder to break the green branches than the dry ones :) He's helping eradicate.



Oh look, the coyote bush is in bloom.



So is the mule fat. Did you know they call it 'mule fat' because when the mules eat it they bloat?



More river crossings. And look! A snowy egret. I wonder what it's catching in the dangerous river?





And who says California doesn't have fall colors?
Just look at that beautiful red poison oak.



California Buckwheat has turned a very dry and brittle rust. If it didn't fall apart so easily it could be the perfect ingredient for a fall wreath.



There's Toyon - lore says Hollywood was named after it.



And here's what the lemonadeberry looks like now.



I finally figured out what those stalks of yellow flowers that are popping up everywhere are - telegraph weed.



They make a nice background in this picture of my daughter don't they?



And look, they turn into little poofy seed balls! I bet those make many, many more weeds!



Well, the sun's setting...


Time to head home and wash these sopping wet socks!