Hiking through Nature

Not like I needed an excuse to go hiking, but my Ode to Nature class is definitely making me be more aware of my daily choices so that I soak in as much nature as possible.

Hiking in the woods I discovered these beauties.  Simple and pure.  Always amazed at natures creations.  The curl of the flower, the shape of a pod, the delicate flower blooming beneath the massive trees.

Slow and Steady

oh my goodness.  The ideas are flooding my brain.  I want to do them ALL.... right now.  But slow and steady...or at least steady is the course I need to go.

Working on my collections for the Ode to Nature Class.  Boy, Alisa sure makes it look easy to take those gorgeous photos!  This was my attempt this morning after my morning walk.  I grabbed some scissors and snagged these after I did my 50 minutes of walking.  But the lighting just didn't quite cut it.  I was trying to use natural lighting and with a storm fast approaching I had limited resources.

These wild grapes are growing on the edge of our property!  

My collecting also included a tick!  Thankfully I took care of it before it got serious with me.

I am continuing to work on my birds for the big swap next week.

I can't even tell you how much fun these little birds are.

I am also working on some swag for my friends.

I am so darn excited for their visit!

Beach Finds

I am taking Alisa Burke's ode-to-nature-online-class and she has asked us to consider some questions.  One of them being, what is your favorite way to be in nature.  For me, without a doubt, is to be near water.  It has always been a place where I feel very comfortable and a place I seek out.  As a child we would spend many days during the summer at my Grandparent's cabin on Lake Huron.  It was perfect.  Hot, summer days cooling off in the crystal clear lake.  Cool, windy days surfing in the big waves (still a favorite).  Long walks on the beach with my entire family.  There was no nudging to go for a walk.  We all enjoyed it.  It makes me sad to think about the generation that is plugged into electronics.  To this day I seek out the water.  Sitting at the waters edge with a book or journal.  Walking along the shore in any temperature or weather condition.  The noise from the water helps drown out the thoughts, clears my mind in a meditative way and then, before I know it....an idea, a solution, a calm, a restorative feeling settles in.

Yesterday my husband and I went to the beach.  To walk.  To soak in the sights and the sounds.  To collect beach treasures.  This is what we found.

a seagull skull

a really nice fish skeleton

Saturday Morning Beach Walk

This is perfection!
Morning walk on Lake Michigan.
Not our usual spot. Very quiet and lots of bigger rocks/boulders.
The waves crashing in.
Found a nicely preserved fish skeleton, sea gull skull, feathers, rocks for inspiration and drift wood.

Flowers

In the spirit of the new online class that I am taking, Ode to Nature, I am looking at nature with new eyes.  I realize now that I have had an affinity for flowers for awhile now.  I have quite the collection of flower photos.  I plan to go to the library to do some research on flowers in Zimbabwe.

Ode to Nature

I just started Alisa Burke's newest class Ode to Nature.  Love her!

So this week it is all about "seeing" nature.

And who doesn't love a trip to the dunes to take another look.

We went later than usual, so we got to enjoy the evening waves, the setting sun and warm breezes while I went around snapping photos.

One thing I realized yesterday is how much I LOVE the dunes and how peaceful they are to me, but ironically enough, I never work in those neutral color tones.  Makes me think.