Persisting Stars 2

"The universe and the light of the stars come through me." - Rumi

Here's a cool rainy day project from my son inspired by the Perseid Meteor Shower and constellation tote that I made...

1.  Have a parent google your constellation, then print and punch out the stars with a hole puncher.

2.  Tape it down on a black or navy T-shirt.

3.  Use glow in the dark 3D fabric paint to fill in the holes that you punched.

 4.  When it dries, use a light blue fabric paint marker and a ruler to draw the constellation lines.


















 TA DAAAH!

One Hushed Moment: Mantids Emerge

I have only this breath
and this presence
for my wings
and they carry me
in my body
whatever I do
from one hushed moment
to another. - David Whyte


Today was the long awaited first day of his beloved nature camp.  





"It was a busy morning", he said recounting the activities in vivid detail, his best buddy interjecting in agreement from the back seat of our tiny car.   

"Sounds like a wonderful morning", I said, "and here's another wonderful thing...the mantids hatched...you can release them when we get home!"
 

Every summer we buy an ootheca and wait with much excitement for the hundreds to emerge.  It never gets old.  It's a tradition that we look forward to year after year.

Lavender Farm

At night, the scent of phlox curls
in the open window, while the sky turns red violet,
lavender, thistle, a box of spilled crayons.
The moon spills its milk on the black tabletop
for the thousandth time.   - Barbara Crooker

We drove out to the country to visit a lavender farm.  It was more like a lavender patch, but we enjoyed the scenic drive nonetheless.  We picked some flowers and ate lemon lavender cupcakes then headed back.  When we returned home, I hung our stems up to dry when our cat Mortimer started whining longingly.  Mort often accompanies me out to the deck garden where he buries his head in my lavender plant and nibbles the leaves.  We love lavender.  It's especially useful for stings and bug bites.  I carry a tiny bottle of lavender oil with me wherever I go.  True.

Halcyon Days

"Recall the way you are all possibilities
you can see and how you live best
as an appreciator of horizons
whether you reach them or not. - David Whyte 

We took a spontaneous trip to the Calvert Cliffs, a place we've never been.  We went in search of the infamous fossils, but found instead a beach picked over and a bay full of Jellyfish.  No matter to the boys who transformed themselves into jelly-hunters, building elaborate traps in the sand.

Happy Campers

I know all the dark places
Where the sun hasn't reached yet,
Where the last cricket
Has just hushed; anthills
Where it sounds like it's raining;
Slumbering spiders spinning wedding dresses...

The good tree with its voice
Of a mountain stream
Knows my steps.
It, too, hushes. 

I stop and listen:
Somewhere close by
A stone cracks a knuckle,
Another rolls over in its sleep.

I hear a butterfly stirring
Inside a caterpillar,
I hear the dust talking
Of last night's storm...


And all of a sudden!
In the midst of that quiet,
It seems possible
To live simply on this earth. 

- Charles Simic (Summer Morning)



The tent is up and we're ready for the Great American Backyard Campout.

The pals took it for a test spin and deemed it "awesome".  I placed a large quilt on the floor of the tent upon which the campers set up their gear and watched fireflies from the tent window.

"It looks like lightning!", they squealed. 

We read, "Whoo's There", a short, but sweet bedtime shadow casting book about nocturnal animals and used a flash light cast the projections on the tent wall.  We awoke to the dawn chorus.

You can join our camping team or sponsor our team by clicking HERE.  Your support helps the National Wildlife Federation to connect more children with nature!


Are you looking for swell ideas to make your backyard camping even more fun?   Click HERE!