Leaves

Mole

Bump caught this mole at the cabin! Check out his awesome digging hands!

Owl Pellets

At CC this week, we dissected owl pellets. It was AMAZING! Best of all, they got to bring their treasures home so we could look at it all again!

It's more exciting than opening easter eggs if you ask me!

Technically, they were raptor pellets (pellets collected from various birds of prey.) The boys found a couple skulls, ribs, vertebrate pieces, even hollow bird bones. Some of the kids at school found rocks and even plastic in theirs!  It's amazing that these birds basically have trash compactors in their bodies (gizzards).

I sent this picture to my dad and told him we were playing "homeschool bingo." Giggle.

Below:

This is definitely part of a rodent jaw! Wow!

Osage Orange

This is an osage orange. (AKA Monkey Brains)

The boys found a pile of 20 or so by the creek and had to throw in every. single. one. They make an impressive splash like a cannonball!

Eldon saved one.  Today when they were being crazy and I was trying to get ready for dinner, I said "Boys, why don't you go outside and see if you can crack that thing open somehow. 

They did!

It smells very citrus-y!

barred owl

Peter and I saw a barred owl at Big Rock!  It flew in front of us as we were walking by the creek. We were able to spot it sitting in a high tree. We noticed how enormous it was, and we watched him turn his head back and forth- it was amazing!

(This is not my picture)
photo credit

Leaf shapes

We started our day with a nature walk at Big Rock.  God only makes so many of these warm, gorgeous, October days and we weren't about to let it pass us by.

It was breathtakingly gorgeous. They are on a cliff right here, and I anxiety was shooting out of my fingertips. "Your 'Nana's coming out, mom!" they giggled. "Well," I snapped, "You guys could actually die if you fall off this cliff, so instead of making fun of me, would you please just be careful?"  They were, and nobody died. By that measure, it was a successful day.

This week's science memory: 

What are some basic leaf shapes? 

Some basic leaf shapes are: linear, oval, lobed, cleft, scalelike, needlelike