My daughter came running through the house with a look of panic. No escaping hamster, something more sinister. I heard the noise causing her agitated state. A loud sound was coming from outside our patio door.
Thump! My eyes followed the sound. Thump! A gray shadow loomed beyond the closed curtains. Slowly we peeked outside, bravery coursed through our veins!
A face stared back at us. Dark black beady eyes dared us to move. We squealed in surprise. We laughed in wonder. A squirrel had climbed up our patio door and jumped across to the window bird feeder.
My first instinct was to open the door and yell ask kindly for its retreat. How dare it encroach upon the sacred lair of the bird feeder. Our birds! Just as I was about to be judge and jury in protection of our feathered friends a precious voice declared, “Cool!”.
Court adjourned.
Our front row seat was captivating. A bushy tail, which really didn’t seem all that bushy. Long claws I would never like to contend with-ever. Sharp teeth, no wonder they can eat nuts with such ease. It was fascinating. Holding the food. Nibbling away. Jumping down. Climbing up the screen door again. Jumping down. Climbing up the middle of the door moving paw over paw (whew, I didn’t want to have to replace the screen door). Eating. Nibbling. Jumping. Running away.
We think the local chipmunk has put the “word on the street” we are Nature Study Enthusiasts. I can hear him chippering (that’s how chipmunks talk, right?) Eat here. They won’t do anything. They just stare at you funny. Safety.
Of course, the four bird feeders along with two birdhouses might offer a clue. Nah. It’s just the Bark Butter we put on trees. Who knew you could buy this icky stuff, slather it on a tree and birds would eat it. Not us before Nature Study.
We simply sit quietly and the world comes alive. No fancy tools. Merely a pile of library books. Patience. Curiosity. That’s all a Nature Study requires.
We watch the birds, laugh at the chipmunk, creep out over the squirrel (ok, that’s just me), and call Daddy when the snake appears. We’re not going out alone to take pictures of it! I do have my limits.
Relax with nature study. Curiosity leads to learning. You don’t have to know immediately the answers to questions such as: Why is the female cardinal a different color than the male? What does a Robin use to build a nest? When will the snake shed?
You merely have to say. I don’t know. Let’s look it up together.
The beauty of homeschooling. Learning together.