Today's Nature Study~Alum Rock

With Yosemite fresh in our blood, we decided to head to our local county park, Alum Rock. I've been going here since I was a girl and luckily we still live very close by. Although there is a fire raging in the Santa Cruz mountains with smoke thick in the air, we went ahead and spent the afternoon hiking and studying the nature around us.

We were very fortunate to see three deer(two does and a young buck~pic of him at the very end). We also saw several varieties of birds..Stellar Jays(pic included), Robins, Woodpeckers, a beautiful white Heron and several smaller ones that I can't name. There were many speckled ground squirrels(I have a shot here of a baby..too cute!) and little red beetles. We also got to observe a brown damsel fly.

So, come along on our little study:



There were an amazing number of Stellar Jays out today. They seemed to be following us, but were not at all easy to capture on camera! This one graciously sat still and let me get this shot.

I wonder, can you see the damsel fly in the leaf debris above? This was a rather chance siting...but I'm sure glad we found it:-)

And here is the baby squirrel. We saw several of them as we walked along the path. So adorable!

And our young buck...so beautiful! He was grazing along the path, near the old mineral baths and grottos. His antlers are still velveted and he was only a little startled by us. Not so much that he rushed right off. The girls really enjoyed seeing him and Liam even noticed him.

What a wonderful afternoon we had!

Have a great weekend!
Sommer

A View From The Mountain And A Few Extras

I know you all are probably tired of my rambling on about our trip, but I just wanted to share a couple more pictures.

The first two are from the top of Vernal Falls. So, yes...I really did get to the top:-) I really like the view you can see in the second picture. It is amazing to see how high we came and there are two lovely rainbows just faintly seen.



I of course had to include one with Liam. He was having so much fun picking up and dropping pine needles. Isn't his smile grand!?

I saw these dainty little pink flowers as we walked towards the top of Glacier Point. They looked like little bells and I just loved them:-) I think they were on a Manzanita. Not sure though.

And finally, a beautiful view of Half Dome. What an amazing natural structure! This is one of the few things I knew the name of when I first got here. I've seen many shots of it before.

Thanks for putting up with my rambling...I really hope you didn't mind:-) There are few places in the world that stir me up like this, but this is definitely one. When you live in the city, surrounded by urban sprawl and smog...well, this just makes up for it. I thank the Lord that we still have little pockets of awesomeness sprinkled through out our world.

Blessings,

Sommer

On The Mist Trail

As I promised, I am going to share about an experience in Yosemite that stretched me far beyond what I thought it would.

Some of you may have been to Vernal Falls before and will be familiar with this hike. However, when my FIL asked if I'd like to go on it, I had no idea that it would be quite like this. Let me just say, I am no mountain goat and definitely not confident when it comes to hiking steep trails. Not only was this steep, but also once you started up the Mist Trail, it was very wet!

Anyhow, after we got Dan and the kids set up for the morning, Tom(my FIL) and I headed to the shuttle stop. We didn't have to wait long before one of them came and we were on our way! The shuttle was great. It stopped at various points of interest so that you could easily get to where you were going. Once we got to our destination, we began the hike.

The first half was paved and at first gradual on the incline. Tom reminded me to take it at my own pace and not to rush. Okay...I'm not that out of shape. Soon, I found out what he meant. The hike had long, steep stretches that just burned my muscles! Thank goodness it was in the morning and the scenery was lovely. We could see much to distract me from the burn and huffing of breath! If I was not with my FIL, I might have just called it quits then, but he was a great encourager and would remind me that we didn't have to rush:-)

After what seemed a very long time, we made it to the bridge. This is what I call the half way point and if you aren't too keen on going up further, this is where you might stop. We stopped briefly to enjoy the rushing river, take a picture or two and have some water before we began our accent up the Mist Trail. Here I am, catching my breath and being awestruck by the power of this river. Behind me, if you look closely, you can see Vernal Falls.


After I caught my breath and while I still had the will to continue, we headed up. At first, I wasn't really sure why they called this the Mist Trail, but as we continued up...I soon found out! Let me just say, that if you think the first part of this trail is steep...wait until you start up the stairs! The stairs are rock cut and look like they were placed there by ancient peoples. And if I hadn't been so concerned about falling off the edge, I would have appreciated them even more:-) On top of being steep, they were really wet(I was wearing running shoes with lousy tread...next time it will be hiking boots!). After a few minutes heading up towards the stairs, we donned rain gear. I felt rather silly, but I am glad that I had it on...I would have been even wetter than I was with it on! Here I am, just heading up. To the right are rocks(which I was often found clinging too) and to the left is...river.

In the picture above, you can see the mist a little, but this next one really shows why it is so wet and why I needed the rain gear! I had to finally remove my sunglasses, because they were becoming a hazard. There was so much water on them that I could not see! I was rather wet...dripping actually:-) To the left of me, you can see, just barely, Vernal Falls. It was magnificent!

I saw several rainbows as I climbed(always with the encouragement of Tom). This particular picture(below) has a double rainbow. The upper one is barely visible in the pic, but it was lovely! Slightly higher in the climb was one that was 360 degrees. I've never seen that kind.

I have to say that there were several times my fears got pretty intense, but my FIL would just say, "You're doing great! How about we just wait for these folks?" And I'd say, "Sounds wonderful!" Tom was not expecting me to do as well as I was...nor was I! In my head, I was thinking, "Tom, I can't do it anymore, lets go back." But then I thought..no, I'm going to finish it. I told him I was too stubborn to not continue on. And you know...it was totally worth it

I am somewhat afraid of heights and if there aren't railings and it's slippery...well, that is even worse. But you know, I would do it again. The chance I had to spend with my FIL and to see the beauty of this place was too precious! Breathtaking and glorious!

Here is Vernal Falls...isn't it beautiful!?

I did make it to the top and I have some pictures. I'll post them a little later. This is an experience I will never forget. I don't think there are many words that really can express how I felt doing this and how I felt as I looked upon all the beauty around me. Perhaps my enthusiasm for it can speak my feelings.

Later in the day, Tom took Dan and the girls here. No, the girls did not go up to the top(although they were hoping Fiona might try..and there were little kids going all the way up by the way), but they did make it to the bridge. Dan went ahead by himself and Tom took the girls back down to the shuttle spot. When Dan came back, he told me he realized that it had taken alot for me to do that since it was so out of my comfort zone. At the time, I hadn't really thought about it...but he was right. I like to feel safe and in control...there I didn't always feel so, but by the time I'd gotten back down...I felt really excited by doing it. And I am glad that I did it...next year? Maybe!

A Walk Through Yosemite

Finally, I have had a chance to sit down and tell of our little trip last week:-)

Last Thursday, we headed off with my FIL to spend a day in Yosemite. We packed up the kids and our car, leaving at about 1:30pm. From where we live it is about a 3-4 hour drive. The first bit was dull and full of the usual highway scenery, including an accident that sent a man flying from his car. As we drove by(not really having seen it, only the aftermath, and several folks had already run to his aide)I sent up a prayer for the man and his family. I hope he was not as badly hurt as we thought.

After about an hour and half or so, we started seeing the lovely countryside dotted with farms and trees. I always love that:-)

The kids were getting impatient and every once in a while, Fiona would ask," How long have we been driving for?" Ugh! Really, she was just so very excited and so was Brenna(and to tell the truth...so was I!), so I forgave the annoying questioning:-p Liam slept for the majority of the ride. Unfortunately, he woke up in time to experience a frightfully twisty road and threw up. After a brief stop to clean him up, we made it to our eating place and then on to our sleeping destination. Instead of camping we decided to spend a night at a lodge, about 30 minutes outside of the park.

Bright and early, we headed to the park and enjoyed a slow, but beautiful drive. Once inside the park, we had to drive for a bit more and then got stopped for 30 minutes by a....stop light! Yes, in the park there was a stop light...for construction work that was being done on the roads. So I looked out my window and saw this:

Aren't these lovely? I think they may be Lupine, but I'm not really sure. There was alot to admire as we sat there...the river rushing by, some lovely bees buzzing in the flowers, very tiny yellow birds that, hard as I tried, I could not get a shot of!

I'm not sure how I got this next picture, but I love it! There is just something so powerful about rivers and the sound they send forth..well, just awesome! This picture also gave me a taste of what was to come...

As we drove through to the valley, I kept seeing these beautiful trees with white blossoms amidst the pines and oaks. They looked strangely out of place...almost as if they should have been in the land of fairy. This one shot is not half so glorious as some that I saw, but this was the one I could actually get. If you look closely you will see a few white blossoms. My FIL told me this was Dogwood. Well, it is a new favorite:-)

Once we got to the Valley, we got ready for our day. My FIL wanted to take me up to Vernal Falls. He said if no one else got to go up, he wanted me too. Later he would go with Dan and the girls(only as far as they could/would go..which wasn't all the way). So, I set Dan up with the baby and the girls, donned a hat and sunscreen and Tom(my FIL) and I headed off. Dan wandered to and fro with the kids, checking out the Indian Village, Lower Yosemite Falls, the Museum and such. Tom and I headed up a steep climb and made our way towards Vernal Falls. I'll share more about that amazing trip tomorrow:-) With pics even! I'll just say, that it was awesome and forced me out of my comfort zone.

After we spent the majority of the day in the valley, we made our way up to Glacier Point...with a few stops along the way;-) This picture below was taken from a lovely vantage point. From here, you see no sign fo roads or buildings....just the beauty of Yosemite. Excuse the funny looks from the girls...the sun was directly in their eyes. The kids really had a great time. Fiona took several opportunities to draw in a little notebook what she saw..so lovely!

On our way up to Glacier Point, we enjoyed the site of snow...again and again. Brenna really loved this...she's never been in snow. She really wanted us to stop and let her play in it, but we couldn't. Once we got up to Glacier Point, Grandpa Tom got her a ball of snow...she was tickled and held it in her bare hand as long as she could:-) Sweet!

This picture below is some of what could be seen from Glacier Point. It was just breathtaking. You can see Vernal Falls(the lower one) and Nevada Falls(the upper one). From here too, we could see Half Dome. I felt dwarfed compared to the expanse of Yosemite. Just one small person in the amazing creation that God made! Truly awe inspiring.

Every where I turned I saw beauty. Even though we have built roads and buildings here, the awesomeness of Yosemite overpowers. How anyone can go here and not feel God's power and be taken back by the beauty is beyond me. I didn't get enough...I could have sat hours in one place and not have seen all it had to offer.

We hope to go back again next summer and make even more memories!

Tomorrow, I hope to post about my hike to Vernal Falls. So tune in again....

Blessings,

Sommer

My Daybook

Peggy, over at the Simple Woman is sharing her Daybook and has invited folks to join in. So, I decided I couldn’t pass up the fun:-) Won’t you join us? Just pop on over to Peggy’s blog for the details!

For May 19th


Outside My Window…
The sun is bright and the leaf blowers are loud.

I am thinking…
About our trip to Yosemite and wishing we were still there.

I am thankful for…
My father-in-law and his kindness.

From the kitchen…
Not really sure today.

I am creating…
Some rompers for my dear boy and a friend, hopefully some bloomers and dresses for the girls in the near future, and a skirt for me:-) I also am knitting a shawl and some squares for a blanket (ministry for our church). All of this is going much slower than I’d like!

I am going…
To the store to by paper products.

I am wearing…
Blue jeans, striped tee and addidas sandals. My hair is pulled back in a very short pony tail.

I am reading…
Using Your Money Wisely…still!

I am hoping…
That I can get a handle on my neglected housework this week.

I am hearing…
The leaf blowers outside and my daughters playing.

Around the house…
Decluttering, dishes and laundry.

One of my favorite things…
The awesome experience of climbing to the top of Vernal Falls at Yosemite!

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Continue decluttering the house, laundry, and hopefully some sewing.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

This is a picture of me coming down from the top of Vernal Falls. You can just see it through the trees. What an experience!

Sunday Rest

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." ~Genesis 1:1

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"And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

~Genesis 1:10-12

***

The picture above is one that I took this last Friday in Yosemite. This was my first time ever visiting in all the years I've lived here, and I am awestruck and praising God for His awesome creation! I took many pictures and even did something that was completely outside of my comfort zone. I will share more from our trip in the next couple of days. I leave you with a reminder of our creator and a glimpse into one of His most amazing creations.

Blessings,

Sommer

My Daybook

Peggy, over at The Simple Woman is sharing her Daybook and has invited folks to join in. So, I decided I couldn’t pass up the fun:-) Won’t you join us? Just pop on over to Peggy’s blog for the details!

For May 12th


Outside My Window…
It is a clear, sunny morning…with hints of a much warmer week.

I am thinking…
Will we ever do better than just barely getting by and always trying to catch up?

I am thankful for…
My Mother!

From the kitchen…
Sandwiches, I think.

I am creating…
Some rompers for my dear boy and a friend, hopefully some bloomers and dresses for the girls in the near future, and a skirt for me:-) I also am knitting a shawl and some squares for a blanket (ministry for our church).

I am going…
To Costco and maybe Foodmaxx.

I am wearing…
Blue jeans, pink t-shirt with ¾ length sleeves, socks and addidas sandals. My hair is pulled back in a very short pony tail.

I am reading…
Using Your Money Wisely...and feeling rather depressed.

I am hoping…
That we will actually get to move soon and that I can get stuff done before we head to Yosemite this week.

I am hearing…
My son playing on the kitchen floor and our Cockatiel answering the birds outside.

Around the house…
Decluttering, folding laundry and putting it away.

One of my favorite things…
Is being asked to read Jamberry again and again by Liam:-)

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Continue decluttering the house, grocery shopping, laundry, heading to Yosemite on Thursday! I just can’t wait!!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…
This is a beautiful painting of the Yosemite Valley(can't remember the artist at the moment). Although it probably won't look this way now, it will be beautiful and I am looking forward to our trip!

Sunday Rest

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

~~Psalm 5:11

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I wanted to stop in this fine Sunday morning to wish all of you a Happy Mother's Day! I pray the Lord blesses you richly today.

Blessings,

Sommer

How We Do Nature Study in the City

Nature Study can be challenging when you live in the middle of town or the city. I know...I live there:-) Sure there are state and county parks, small parks and such, but sometimes funds are limited and gas is too pricey and time is of the essence and, well...the countryside is often too far to go. So what do you do? Well, we explore our own "backyard". Okay...we don't have a backyard. We live in a small apartment with a courtyard/carport that is shared between two 4-plexes. But, it does have some flowers, trees, grass and birds..lots of birds. So on Wednesday, we decided to do a little Nature Study:-)


Here the girls have found some ants to observe. Thankfully the ants are outside...not in my apartment! A little while later Fiona decided to try the theory out if an ant can swim...it can!

This is a lovely burst of pretty in our rather concrete and drab grounds. She is a burst of color and fire in an otherwise bare spot. Look closely and you can see the fire within. Isn't she beautiful?

Aaaaah, Brenna...the snail whisperer. When most little girls would be getting creeped out by the sliminess of our snail friend here, Brenna is wooing it:-) She loves snails and looks for them every time she comes outside to play. She gladly showed her friend to me(I have some lovely pics of it, but blogger wouldn't let me upload as many as I would have liked...perhaps another day). I was informed by my hubby yesterday, that while I was out with my Mom for Mother' Day, Brenna placed a snail on her face...hmmm, a touch icky, but I'm glad she is not fearful.

Here is a picture of one of our many birds. We have two nests in this carport. They've been here every year since we began living here and I love watching them. This is Papa House Sparrow watching bravely over his little ones(the nest is in the upper right corner). I can hear them, but not see them...rats! He is a good Papa...he swoops if we get too close.

And lastly, Liam just couldn't be left out of the fun! He was walking back and forth between the patches of flowers and bird area. He would go see what his big sisters were checking out, then go back and look at some flowers, pointing and babbling. When he saw the Papa go flying out from his nest, well, he got quite excited:-) Aaaah, homeschooling...it can never start too young!

I hope you've enjoyed our little Nature Study tour. I certainly had fun sharing:-) Next week, we will be heading up to Yosemite for a very brief stay. It will be mine and the kids first time. I plan on making it a big Nature Study adventure. I will take lots of pics and share when we get back.

Have a blessed weekend!

Sommer

New Poem in the Poetry Corner

Every once in awhile I like to put a new poem over in the Poetry Corner on my sidebar. I love poetry...to write it as well as read it:-) Today's selection is from 1,000 Years of Irish Poetry: The Gaelic and Anglo-Irish Poets from Pagan Times to the Present. I found this to be a sweet, flitting poem and since I see so many blackbirds during this time of year, I thought it was fitting!

Hope you enjoy!

Thoughts from Morning and Evening

"Fellowship with Christ is so honourable that the sorest sorrow is a light price by which to procure it.

****

We are God's workmanship, in whom he will be glorified by our afflictions. It is for the honour of Jesus that we endure the trial of our faith with sacred joy. Let each man surrender his own longings to the glory of Jesus, and feel, "If my lying in the dust would elevate my Lord by so much as an inch, let me still lie among the pots of earth. If to live on earth for ever would make my Lord more glorious, it should be my heaven to be shut out of heaven." Our time is fixed and settled by eternal decree. Let us not be anxious about it, but wait with patience till the gates of pearl shall open."

~Charles Spurgeon from Morning and Evening

My Daybook

Peggy, over at The Simple Woman has begun sharing her Daybook and has invited folks to join in. So, I decided I couldn’t pass up the fun:-) Wont you join us? Just pop on over to Peggy’s blog for the details!

For May 5th


Outside My Window…
It is a clear, sunny morning…with little house sparrows chittering about and new life being heard in the nest.

I am thinking…
That I really need to figure out how to plan menus and grocery shopping better!

I am thankful for…
Sisters and brothers in Christ that I can fellowship with and come to in times of struggle.

From the kitchen…
Well, there is little in the larder (poor planning on my part), but I will try to bake a chicken with some poultry rub and either do rice or potatoes…we shall see!

I am creating…
Some rompers for my dear boy and a friend, hopefully some bloomers and dresses for the girls in the near future, and a skirt for me:-)

I am going…
To the grocery store today…maybe the park.

I am wearing…
A knit black tiered skirt and a blue teeshirt.

I am reading…
Two Histories of England
and
Using Your Money Wisely

I am hoping…
To just relax…not worry about God’s provision for us. I also am hoping to have an apartment open up with in our price range in the complex we desire..prayers welcome!

I am hearing…
My dearest playing piano…scales to be exact:-)

Around the house…
So much to do…

One of my favorite things…
Is listening to my sweet husband play Moonlight Sonata and Fur Elise. (Or maybe I just like listening to him play)

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Continue decluttering the house, grocery shopping, lessons and then Friday, I’ll be going out with my Mom for our Mother’s Day outing, Saturday I will be going to a knitting get together with ladies at the church.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…
Liam learning to iron..voluntarily!

Sunday Rest

"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similtude of a palace:

That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:

That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord."

~Psalm 144:12-15(emphasis mine)

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May you all be so blessed! Happy Lord's Day!

We're going on a bear hunt....

...or maybe a camel hunt:-) It was follow the leader time...and the name of the game was follow the camel! All the littles joined in:


And one little, she just had to smile for the camera:-) Doesn't she look sweet?



It has been a busy week here and I am sorry for my scarce presence. I know we all have busy moments, so I'm sure each of you understand:-) We've had lessons, a park day with some friends, dinner with my parents and a two day conference on the Biblical Philosophy of History put on by the Chalcedon Foundation at our church. Quite enjoyable!

I pray you each have a wonderful weekend. May your day be blessed:-)

Blessings,
Sommer