A sweet and chubby friend who flew in from Google Images. Artist unknown.
My family has a thing for local festivals and this is one we have been wanting to check out for a few years now, but we always miss it. But not this year.
Scott had to work and I should have been painting. But I said, "no, I'm going to the apple smash." Yep. That's what I said. 
I took Miss. Livi with me. The other kids had prior engagements. There were many tons of new crisp apples. 
First, all the apples were washed and then distributed to the apple smashers.
Some were smashed the old fashioned way with one of these twisty press types. 
Others were put through a homemade, electrical device. I want an apple smasher. 
Lots and lots of apple bits left over. I didn't ask what they planned to do with it all, but I remember reading that the pioneers used the left-overs to make apple cider vinegar.
Empty jugs waiting to be filled.
Filled jugs waiting to be purchased. I bought two.
Lots of interesting old timers hanging around. I love old timers hanging around.
Old time music was being played inside the hall. I wanted to dance a jig, but I didn't know how. 
There were ladies and their spinning wheels, spinning the wool from their own animals. (Sheep and alpacas)
There were corn husk dolls to be made. When we got home she made three more dolls just for kicks.
Livi also made a zipper pull made from leather with a little help from a leather crafter guy.
This man works with leather too, but he uses a leather burner to make his designs instead of hammers and chisels like the first fella. He was working on a portrait of Robert E. Lee, the commanding general of the Confederate Army. We got to talking polotics. We were of the same mind. That was nice.
Livi then had some caramel apple slices. She shard with me and they were good. Real good. And sticky.
Like a beautiful wedding bouquet is
Clematis
and Lilac.
Two distinct flowers with their own lovely qualities, but impossible to separate, so completely have they become intertwined.
The fragrance of one and the beauty of the other complement each other. As a true marriage should.
In the woods surrounding my house lives this fellow; the Melospiza melodia, or the song sparrow. This territorial little fella sings his song, not merely to entertain me, but to define his 1/2 to 1 1/2 acre territory. And what a pretty song it is too.
See his central dot on his streaked breast? That is what identifies him from other sparrows. A song sparrow always has a central dot with a streaked breast. He sits on the branch of the wild cherry tree and let's me take his picture as he sings. Show off!
When the female arrives he won't sing as much as he will be concentrating on courting some lucky little gal. Or maybe not so lucky. Courtship involves the male diving at the female. Obnoxious males!
Science and nature study in our home school hasn't always been interest led. Whenever I tried to to teach using a preplanned or prepackaged science curriculum, it would inevitably fall to the wayside. Wasted money. Tons of guilt. But I quickly learned that when my children took an interest in something, whether it be space travel and the planets, or the marvelous, abundant things around them (frogs, birds, snails, chickens, decomposing deer, etc..) true learning takes place and it is no longer a burden.
When they ask questions like, "Hey mom, what kind of bird is that?" I take that as my cue and run with it. Exhausting every bit of information I can get my hands on, keeping it as fun as I can, while answering their questions as thoroughly as I can, and yet being mindful not to make them sorry they asked.
Using "living books" as opposed to a dry and dull tome is a must. A living book is simply a book written by someone, about something, they are passionate about. Their love of the subject shows and is infectious to the young scholar.
Encouraging my children to start collections or keep a sketch book of drawings helps them to remember what they have learned. And it provides a way to go back and review if desired. I hope that it sparks a life long desire to keep learning and creating.
And it's always nice when they bring you a bouquet of wild flowers while out enjoying their surroundings. Miss. M brought me these ajuga.
When children are allowed and given opportunities to explore and ask questions, then will the home school science lab become truly sweet.
Here's a great book to introduce the night sky to your youngsters, and it's by the same author of Curious George. I used this book last fall with my two youngest students. You may click here to have a peek inside.
Tonight the sky was clear and we were able to do a bit of star gazing.....chilly, but beautiful on this late January night. Miss. Livi was able to identify the Big Dipper and Owen quickly pointed out Orion's Belt. I'm always thrilled when they remember something! Livi decided she'd like a telescope.....:o)
Here is the Western Grey Squirrel. Munch, munch, munch, goes the corn as quickly as he can find it.
Scurry, scurry, scurry. Nibble, nibble, nibble. How quickly goes the the corn that we feed him.
It reminds me of me. Eating the sugar cookies that I can't stop baking. Quickly nibbled today with no thought for tomorrow.
